Legend:
 Definition
 Field Listing
 Rank Order
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Background:
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Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following COLUMBUS' second voyage to the Americas. In 1898, after 400 years of colonial rule that saw the indigenous population nearly exterminated and African slave labor introduced, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a result of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship in 1917. Popularly-elected governors have served since 1948. In 1952, a constitution was enacted providing for internal self government. In plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998, voters chose not to alter the existing political status.
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Population:
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3,971,020 (July 2009 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 19.9% (male 404,635/female 386,733)
15-64 years: 66% (male 1,260,114/female 1,361,193)
65 years and over: 14.1% (male 240,318/female 318,027) (2009 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 36.2 years
male: 34.5 years
female: 37.9 years (2009 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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0.34% (2009 est.)
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Birth rate:
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12.12 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
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Death rate:
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7.88 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
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Net migration rate:
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-0.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
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Urbanization:
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urban population: 98% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.8% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 8.42 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.69 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 78.53 years
male: 74.85 years
female: 82.39 years (2009 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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1.71 children born/woman (2009 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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7,397 (1997)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA
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Nationality:
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noun: Puerto Rican(s) (US citizens)
adjective: Puerto Rican
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Ethnic groups:
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white (mostly Spanish origin) 76.2%, black 6.9%, Asian 0.3%, Amerindian 0.2%, mixed 4.4%, other 12% (2007)
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant and other 15%
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Languages:
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Spanish, English
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.1%
male: 93.9%
female: 94.4% (2002 est.)
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Education expenditures:
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NA
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
conventional short form: Puerto Rico
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Dependency status:
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unincorporated, organized territory of the US with commonwealth status; policy relations between Puerto Rico and the US conducted under the jurisdiction of the Office of the President
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Government type:
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commonwealth
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Capital:
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name: San Juan
geographic coordinates: 18 28 N, 66 07 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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Administrative divisions:
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none (territory of the US with commonwealth status); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 78 municipalities (municipios, singular - municipio) at the second order; Adjuntas, Aguada, Aguadilla, Aguas Buenas, Aibonito, Anasco, Arecibo, Arroyo, Barceloneta, Barranquitas, Bayamon, Cabo Rojo, Caguas, Camuy, Canovanas, Carolina, Catano, Cayey, Ceiba, Ciales, Cidra, Coamo, Comerio, Corozal, Culebra, Dorado, Fajardo, Florida, Guanica, Guayama, Guayanilla, Guaynabo, Gurabo, Hatillo, Hormigueros, Humacao, Isabela, Jayuya, Juana Diaz, Juncos, Lajas, Lares, Las Marias, Las Piedras, Loiza, Luquillo, Manati, Maricao, Maunabo, Mayaguez, Moca, Morovis, Naguabo, Naranjito, Orocovis, Patillas, Penuelas, Ponce, Quebradillas, Rincon, Rio Grande, Sabana Grande, Salinas, San German, San Juan, San Lorenzo, San Sebastian, Santa Isabel, Toa Alta, Toa Baja, Trujillo Alto, Utuado, Vega Alta, Vega Baja, Vieques, Villalba, Yabucoa, Yauco
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Independence:
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none (territory of the US with commonwealth status)
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National holiday:
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US Independence Day, 4 July (1776); Puerto Rico Constitution Day, 25 July (1952)
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Constitution:
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ratified 3 March 1952; approved by US Congress 3 July 1952; effective 25 July 1952
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Legal system:
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based on Spanish civil code and within the US Federal system of justice
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal; island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President Barack H. OBAMA (since 20 January 2009); Vice President Joseph R. BIDEN (since 20 January 2009)
head of government: Governor Luis FORTUNO (since 2 January 2009)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor with the consent of the legislature
elections: under the US Constitution, residents of unincorporated territories, such as Puerto Rico, do not vote in elections for US president and vice president; however, they may vote in Democratic and Republican presidential primary elections; governor elected by popular vote for a four-year term (no term limits); election last held 4 November 2008 (next to be held in November 2012)
election results: Luis FORTUNO elected governor with 52.8% of the vote
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral Legislative Assembly consists of the Senate (at least 27 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives (51 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 4 November 2008 (next to be held November 2012); House of Representatives - last held 4 November 2008 (next to be held in November 2012)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PNP 81.5%, PPD 18.5%; seats by party - PNP 22, PPD 5; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PNP 72.5%, PPD 27.5%; seats by party - PNP 37, PPD 14
note: Puerto Rico elects, by popular vote, a resident commissioner to serve a four-year term as a nonvoting representative in the US House of Representatives; aside from not voting on the House floor, he enjoys all the rights of a member of Congress; elections last held 4 November 2008 (next to be held in November 2012); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PNP 1
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court; Appellate Court; Court of First Instance composed of two sections: a Superior Court and a Municipal Court (justices for all these courts appointed by the governor with the consent of the Senate)
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Political parties and leaders:
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National Democratic Party [Roberto PRATS]; National Republican Party of Puerto Rico [Dr. Tiody FERRE]; New Progressive Party or PNP [Pedro ROSSELLO] (pro-US statehood); Popular Democratic Party or PPD [Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA] (pro-commonwealth); Puerto Rican Independence Party or PIP [Ruben BERRIOS Martinez] (pro-independence)
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Boricua Popular Army or EPB (a revolutionary group also known as Los Macheteros); note - the following radical groups are considered dormant by Federal law enforcement: Armed Forces for National Liberation or FALN, Armed Forces of Popular Resistance, Volunteers of the Puerto Rican Revolution
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International organization participation:
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Caricom (observer), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ITUC, UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCL, WFTU
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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none (territory of the US with commonwealth status)
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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none (territory of the US with commonwealth status)
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Flag description:
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five equal horizontal bands of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bears a large, white, five-pointed star in the center; design initially influenced by the US flag, but similar to the Cuban flag, with the colors of the bands and triangle reversed
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Economy - overview:
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Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region. A diverse industrial sector has far surpassed agriculture as the primary locus of economic activity and income. Encouraged by duty-free access to the US and by tax incentives, US firms have invested heavily in Puerto Rico since the 1950s. US minimum wage laws apply. Sugar production has lost out to dairy production and other livestock products as the main source of income in the agricultural sector. Tourism has traditionally been an important source of income, with estimated arrivals of nearly 5 million tourists in 2004. Growth fell off in 2001-03, largely due to the slowdown in the US economy, recovered in 2004-05, but declined again in 2006-07.
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$70.59 billion (2008 est.)
$72.03 billion (2007)
$73.35 billion (2006)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$88 billion (2008 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
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-2% (2008 est.)
-1.8% (2007 est.)
0.5% (2006 est.)
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
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$17,800 (2008 est.)
$18,300 (2007 est.)
$18,700 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 1%
industry: 45%
services: 54% (2002 est.)
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Labor force:
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1.3 million (2000)
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture: 2.1%
industry: 19%
services: 79% (2005)
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Unemployment rate:
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12% (2002)
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
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Budget:
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revenues: $6.7 billion
expenditures: $9.6 billion (FY99/00)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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6.5% (2003 est.)
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Market value of publicly traded shares:
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$NA
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Agriculture - products:
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sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas; livestock products, chickens
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Industries:
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pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products, tourism
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA%
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Electricity - production:
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23.84 billion kWh (2006 est.)
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Electricity - consumption:
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22.17 billion kWh (2006 est.)
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2007 est.)
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Oil - production:
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1,354 bbl/day (2007 est.)
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Oil - consumption:
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215,000 bbl/day (2007 est.)
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Oil - exports:
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10,610 bbl/day (2005)
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Oil - imports:
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230,700 bbl/day (2005)
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Oil - proved reserves:
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0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
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Natural gas - production:
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0 cu m (2007 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption:
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736.2 million cu m (2007 est.)
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m (2007 est.)
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Natural gas - imports:
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736.2 million cu m (2007 est.)
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
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Exports:
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$46.9 billion f.o.b. (2001)
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Exports - commodities:
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chemicals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage concentrates, medical equipment
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Imports:
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$29.1 billion c.i.f. (2001)
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Imports - commodities:
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chemicals, machinery and equipment, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products
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Debt - external:
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$NA
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Exchange rates:
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the US dollar is used
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Airports:
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29 (2008)
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 17
over 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 5 (2008)
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 12
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 10 (2008)
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Railways:
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total: 96 km
narrow gauge: 96 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)
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Roadways:
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total: 26,186 km
paved: 24,877 km (includes 427 km of expressways)
unpaved: 1,309 km (2007)
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Merchant marine:
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total: 3
by type: roll on/roll off 3
foreign-owned: 3 (US 3)
registered in other countries: 1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2008)
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Ports and terminals:
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Guayanilla, Mayaguez, San Juan
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Disputes - international:
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increasing numbers of illegal migrants from the Dominican Republic cross the Mona Passage to Puerto Rico each year looking for work
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This page was last updated on 14 May 2009
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