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Welcome to Puerto
Rico on the Paradise
Islands website. Puerto
Rico and it's smaller
islands of Vieques,
Culebra and Mona, lie southeast of
the tip of Florida and
the
Bahamas. It is the smallest
by size of
the four big islands that
make up the
Greater Antilles (Cuba,
Dominican
Republic/Haiti,
Jamaica
and Puerto Rico); all
are located
in the western Caribbean
Sea. (See our
Greater
Antilles Map).
Puerto Rico lies on
the eastern edge of the
Greater Antilles and
borders the
top edge of the
Caribbean Lesser
Antilles. To the
east
lies the Virgin Islands
within the Leeward
Island group and the closest
neighbour is
Saint Thomas in the
USVI
group. |
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San Juan in Puerto Rico
is a major embarkation
port for cruise lines
operating in the
Caribbean. Many visitors
will simply transfer
from one of the local
airports to the cruise
ship port and never
actually see any of the
island. Driving from the
airport through the
modern part of San Juan,
you will notice little
difference to any
metropolitan city in the
USA. If you have a few
hours to spare,
old San
Juan is a short taxi
ride from the port and
it's a fascinating old
town when explored on
foot (although there are
a few no go areas to
avoid). |
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Old San
Juan Street Scene |
Rain
Forest Steam |
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Puerto
Rico was claimed for
Spain by Christopher
Columbus in 1493 during
his second voyage to the
Americas. Columbus named
it San Juan Bautista, to
honour Saint John the
Baptist. It remained
under Spanish control
for over 400 years
despite numerous
attempts to invade the
island by the French,
Dutch and the English. |
Today the island is a
commonwealth or "Free
State" and a territory
of the United States. It
was ceded from Spain to
the USA in 1898 as part
of the Treaty of Paris
during the
Spanish-American War.
Puerto Ricans have
officially been US
citizens since 1917;
however, they are not
permitted to vote in US
presidential elections.
There is a locally
elected Island Governor,
but much of the local
legislation is enacted
by the United States
Congress. Talk of full
independence is
commonplace within the
island.
In Spanish, Puerto Rico
means "rich port" and
the local population
often refer to the
island by its indigenous
name of "Borinquen". |
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Travel, holiday, vacation and
cruise
guide to Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. All text and images are
Copyright
Paradise Islands
org. All photographs on this Caribbean travel guide website are obtained with
the permission of the owners and come from various sources
including the islands tourist boards. |
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Quick Facts
Capital
San Juan
Main Airport
Luis Muñoz Marín International
Airport
Main Port
San Juan
Language
Spanish &
English
Currency
US Dollar
Government
United States
Republic
Island Size
3,500
Square Miles
Population
3.7 million
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Old San Juan |
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Rain Forest |
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Map |
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Cruise Port Guide |
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