Maria S. Jimenez and Gloria M. Aznar

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is

Puerto Rico is located in the Caribbean between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican t 1,000 miles south east of Miami, Florida.

• Puerto Rico is almost rectangular in shape approximately 1,000 miles long by 35 miles wide and is the smallest and the most eastern island of the Greater Antilles (Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica and Puerto Rico).

• It consists of the main island of Puerto Rico and several smaller Islands and keys, including Vieques, Culebras, Culebrita, Palomino ( known as the Spanish Virgin islands).

Geography

Puerto Rico is located in the Caribbean between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic, about 1,000 miles southeast of Miami, Florida.

It is almost rectangular in shape, approximately 100 miles long by 35 miles wide and is the smallest and the most eastern island of the Greater Antilles (Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico).

The climate is Tropical Marine with average temperatures year round, near 80 °F (26.7 ºC) in lower elevations and 70 °F (21.1 °C) in the mountains.

Time Zone: Atlantic Standard (AST).

Do you know ?That Puerto Rico is close to the deepest submarine depression in the North Atlantic Ocean located parallel to the northern coast of the island. The Puerto Rico trench is in the deepest point of the Atlantic Ocean it is 1,090 miles long and 60 miles wide. The origin can be traced back to the beginning of the Tertiary period. The trench seems to have been open for about 70 million years.

Puerto Rican History and Introduction

Puerto Rican Heritage

The culture of Puerto Rico has been greatly influenced by its history. A blend of Taino Indians, Spaniards and African cultures, as well as the impact of the United States with political and social exchange which creates a melting pot of people and traditions. The people of Puerto Rico represent a racial mix of cultures within a culture, which today remains somewhat complex for many people.

Puerto Rico was originally called Boriken or Boriquen which means “the great land of the valiant and noble lord” or “land of the great lords”. On November 19th 1493, Christopher Columbus discovered the island in his second voyage to the new world. The island was populated by as many as 50,000 Taino Indians. The new comers called the island San Juan Bautista for St. John the Baptist and the town Puerto Rico (rich port). Later on Juan Ponce De Leon switch the names around. Puerto Rico quickly became Spain’s most important military outpost in the Caribbean. The arriving Spaniard settlers, many of them gold seekers, brought no women on their ships. Instead, they took the Taino women to populate the country.

Today, Taino words are still used in the Puerto Rican vocabulary. Puerto Ricans are proud to be called Boricua, which means “valiant people”.

Other words used today: Cabuya – fishing line, Cacique – chief, Coki – coqui – small tree frog, Colibri – hummingbird, Cucubano – lightening bug, Fotulo – sea shell trumpet, Guaraguao – red tail hawk, Jicotea – land turtle, Mime – fruit fly. Cont…

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Sugar cane has been grown in Puerto Rico from the very beginning of the Spanish ruling. The Spaniards came to depend on sugar cane as a valuable resource. Planting and harvesting sugar cane was hard work. In the beginning the Spaniards depended on the Tainos, but with time there were not enough Tainos left to work for the Spaniards. Many Tainos had rebelled, others had fled, and others became ill and died. The demand on the sugar cane plantations was high and the Spaniards were in need of more help. In January of 1513, African slaves are introduced into the island and by 1530 there were more Africans in Puerto Rico than all other people together.

Beside the slaves imported from Africa, French families flocked from both Louisiana and Haiti, and farmers from Scotland and Ireland journeyed to Puerto Rico in search of a better life. They were joined by the Spanish people from the Canary islands, Dominican Republic, and Venezuela to initially help build roads. Chinese workers were imported followed by workers from Italy, France, Germany, and even Lebanon, thus increasing the racial mix.

The most significant new immigrant population arrived in the 1960s when thousands of Cuban fled from Fidel Castro’s communist state. Presently, the latest arrivals to Puerto Rico have come from the Dominican Republic.

Puerto Rican CuisinePuerto Rican cuisine is a unique tasty blend of African, American, Spanish, and Taino influences using such ingredients as coriander, papaya, cacao, and plantains. Locals call their cuisine “cocina criolla” (creole cooking), which can be traced back to the Arawaks and Tainos. They thrived on a diet of corn, tropical fruits, and seafood. When the Spaniards arrived, they added beef, pork, rice, wheat, and olive oil to the island cuisine. The Africans brought with them okra and taro (known in Puerto Rico as Yautia). This mingling of flavors and ingredients has been passed on to all generations resulting in the Puerto Rican cuisine of today. A normal meal will include rice, beans, meat, and salad or some type of vegetables. For the holidays or celebrations, the main meal will include rice with pigeon peas and roast pork for those that still eat pork, and chicken or beef for those that do not.

Do you know?The world’s largest single-dish radio telescope is located in

Arecibo Puerto Rico. The dish measures a 1000 feet in diameter and spans about 20 acres, and is the most sensitive radio

telescope in the world. James Bond 007 movie the Goldeneye showdown with the bad guy took

place right here.

School is compulsory and free for all students between the ages of 5 to 18. Puerto Ricans have higher levels of education than the Hispanic population overall but lower levels than the U.S. population. Some 16% of Puerto Ricans ages 25 and older, compared with 13% of all Hispanics in the US, have obtained at least a bachelor’s degree.

Religion

Puerto Ricans are predominantly Catholics. Yet, their beliefs, rituals, and practices often stray outside the orthodox boundaries of Catholicism. Some Puerto Ricans practice a hybrid form of religion called Espiritismo which combines elements of the Catholic religion and Indian beliefs. They believe in nature-dwelling spirits that can be called on to affect changes in one’s life. Similarly, some Puerto Ricans of African descent practice Santeria. A religion introduced by the slaves of West Africa which is known today as Nigeria. It observes multiple gods and combines elements of Catholicism in addition to the rich homage paid to saints. Parts of the Island still host believes in the evil eye, saint’s miracles, faith healing, and witchcrafts. The evil eye is believed to result from envious looks by others.

Puerto Ricans are always ready to celebrate anything and everything with great enthusiasm. They include dancing, singing, playing

music, drinking, and feasting.

Concept of time

Puerto Ricans live in the present but at a slower pace.

Puerto Ricans are cultures within a culture

In the Island, Spanish is spoken by all. However, depending on your heritage, language barriers are common.

In the U.S. we learn to speak English. However, we also speak Spanish especially if we have an elder living with us who is unable to learn English.

There are lots of recreational activities in Puerto Rico. Although baseball is the national sport, boxing is also very popular. Basketball, golf, kite surfing, sports fishing, diving and snorkeling, horseback riding, horse racing, trail walking, and rock climbing are among the most popular.

El Yungue is home of the only rain forest in the U.S. National Forest System. The Tropical Rain Forest in Rio Grande is one of the rainiest zones in our planet. Approximately 200 inches of rain fall in this area each year.

The Camuy River Cave Parkis the world’s third-largest subterranean river. 17 entrances, over 220 caves, two other smaller cave systems, and more than 10 miles have been mapped so far. Experts say the cave system could still be larger.

Puerto Rico is home of three bioluminescent bays: Mosquito bay in Vieques, Laguna Grande in Fajardo, and La Bahia Fosforescente in La Parguera. The species of phosphorescent dynoflagellate makes the water glow.

Bioluminescent bay at day light

The Puerto Rican flag is only flown in company of the U.S. flag.

Puerto Rico la Isla del Encanto

Puerto Rico the Enchantment Island

Puerto Rico has over 270 miles of beaches.

Old San Juan still has the original cobble stones on the streets

Puerto Rico’s unofficial mascot is a tiny tree frog native of the island