Puerto Rico
Transcript: Capital City Current Population Population (2011 est.): 3,998,905 (growth rate: 0.24%); birth rate: 11.26/1000; infant mortality rate: 7.9/1000; life expectancy: 79.07 Ethnicity:white (mostly Spanish origin) 80.5%, black 8%, Amerindian 0.4%, Asian 0.2%, mixed and other 10.9 Major Religion Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant and other 15% Geographical Features Mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas Lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m Highest point: Cerro de Punta 1,338 m (4,389 feet) in Jayuya. 1) the Coastal Lowlands, (2) the Coastal Valleys, (3) the Foothills, and (4) the Central Mountains Major Resources/Products Natural resources: Some copper and nickel, potential for onshore and offshore oil Principal industries :manufacturing Principal manufactured goods: pharmaceuticals; chemicals, machinery and metals, electric machinery and equipment, food products, apparel, petroleum refining. Chief crops: coffee, plantains, pineapples, tomatoes, sugarcane, bananas, peppers, pumpkins, lettuce, tobacco, yams. Historical Significance 1. A 4,000-Year-Old-Skeleton: In 1990, an archaeological dig on the island of Vieques unearthed a remarkable find. Amid an almost alien landscape of massive boulders strewn around a green field, archaeologists discovered a male skeleton that was found to be more than 4,000 years old. He is believed to be one of a pre-ceramic and pre-agricultural people who lived here long before the Taíno. The site is easily accessible to visitors, and although nothing of the dig remains, there is still a quiet mystery to the place that makes it a popular and intriguing stop. 2.The "Drowning" of A God For the most part, the Taíno Indians who lived in Puerto Rico when Columbus showed up were subjugated without much resistance by the Spanish in the 1500s. This was partly due to the natives' belief that the metal-clad conquistadores were immortal. In 1511, however, the Taíno fought back. What sparked the revolt? Well, the Taíno decided to test the divinity of the newcomers. They held a Spanish soldier named Diego Salcedo underwater to see what would happen. Poor Diego promptly drowned, proving rather definitvely that the strangers were men after all (although it is said that the Indians watched his body for several days after he drowned, just to make sure). The rebellion was easily put down and never repeated. 3.The Headquarters of the Inquisition:Since the early 1500s, the Catholic Church has played a central and all-important role in the history and development of Puerto Rico. The oldest church still in use in the Americas, the Iglesia de San José was built in San Juan in 1522. In 1519, Pope Leo X declared Puerto Rico the first ecclesiastical headquarters in the New World. In doing so, he also made it the epicenter of the Church's most barbaric and infamous institution: The Spanish Inquisition. 4.The Year of the Coconut: Caribbean island and coconuts go hand in hand, don't they ... the image of coconut trees framing idyllic beaches and delicious cocktails served in a hollowed out coconut shell is endemic to our Caribbean vacation fantasies. Well, the coconut, like so many other fruits found in South America, isn't native to this part of the world. In Puerto Rico, the coconut tree made its debut in 1542. Imported by the Spanish from the far east, the coconut gradually became a staple of the island's diet, and can still be found in one of the most famous drinks in the world: The Puerto Rican-born piña colada. 5. The Tomb of Ponce de León: Not many know that Juan Ponce de León was Puerto Rico's founding father, at least as far as Spanish interests were concerned. The explorer is much better known for his ultimately fruitless search for The Fountain of Youth, which took him to Florida. He died on his quest, but he lies entombed in marble at the San Juan Cathedral. (He was originally in the Iglesia de San José but was moved to the cathedral in 1908). If you're in Old San Juan, make sure to visit one of history's most well-known legend-chasers. Bird:Reinita Mora Tree: Ceiba Flower: Flor de Maga (or also known as the Puerto Rican Hibiscus) Anthem :"La Borinqueña" Symbol: Coquí The Puerto Rican coquí is a very small - tiny - tree frog about one inch long. Some coquíes look green, some brown and some yellowish - actually they are translucent. Coquíes have a high pitched sound and can be heard from far away.The coquíes begin to sing when the sun goes down at dusk. Their melody serenades islanders to sleep. Coquíes sing all night long until dawn when they stop singing and head for the nest. Puerto Ricans love their coquíes and have written poems, stories, and Aguinaldos about them.During the time of the Taíno Indians trillions of coquíes serenated our ancestral home. Many Taíno Indian myths surround the coquí. Coquíes are found in much of the Taíno art like pictographs and pottery. Boricua Culture Music: Reggaeton music
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