Puerto Rico

Introduction & Quick Facts
The land
- Relief
- Drainage and soils
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
- Settlement patterns
The people
- Ethnic composition
- Language and religion
- Demographic trends
- Puerto Ricans in the United States
The economy
- Resources
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
- Manufacturing
- Services
  - Finance and trade
  - Tourism
- Transportation
Administration and social conditions
- Government
- Armed forces and police
- Education
- Health and welfare
Cultural life
- Daily life
- Cultural institutions
- Visual arts
- Literature
- Performing arts
- Sports and recreation
- Press and broadcasting
History
- Spanish colonial rule
  - Early settlement
  - Liberal reforms and regional turmoil
  - Economic and political shifts
  - Movements toward self-government
  - The Spanish-American War
- Rule by the United States
  - Early years
  - Socioeconomic concerns
  - Political developments
- The commonwealth
- The debate over political status
- Hurricanes Maria and Fiona

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images

Map of Puerto Rico showing political boundaries and major cities, including San Juan, Ponce, Mayaguez, and Arecibo. The island is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and the Caribbean Sea to the south. Insets provide a locator map of Puerto Rico's position in the Caribbean region.

Map showing the location of Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, in the northeastern Caribbean Sea. The map highlights Puerto Rico and its capital, San Juan, in relation to nearby countries and islands including the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, Jamaica, The Bahamas, the United States, and Venezuela.

Map of Puerto Rico highlighting its physical features, including major mountain ranges like the Cordillera Central, peaks such as Cerro de Punta and El Yunque Peak, and surrounding bodies of water-the Atlantic Ocean to the north and the Caribbean Sea to the south. Notable locations such as San Juan Bay, Mayaguez Bay, wildlife refuges, and nearby islands including Mona, Monito, Vieques, and Culebra are labeled. An inset locator map shows Puerto Rico's position in the Caribbean region.

People swim and relax along a white sand beach with turquoise water on Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, with palm trees and green hills in the background.

El Yunque rainforest

Small waterfall cascades over dark rocks into a clear pool, surrounded by dense green foliage in El Yunque Rainforest, Puerto Rico.

At a Glance

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Puerto Rico summary

Puerto Rico

island, West Indies

Also known as: Borinquen, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, San Juan Bautista(Show More)

Written by

Olga J. WagenheimAll

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 13, 2026 •History

Puerto Rico, self-governing island commonwealth of the West Indies, associated with the United States. The easternmost island of the Greater Antilles chain, it lies approximately 50 miles (80 km) east of the Dominican Republic, 40 miles (65 km) west of the Virgin Islands, and 1,000 miles (1,600 km) southeast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is situated in the northeastern Caribbean Sea, its northern shore facing the Atlantic Ocean. Two small islands off the...

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