About Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico is located in the Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic, and in between the Caribbean Sea and the north Atlantic sea. Populated for centuries by indigenous locals, Puerto Rico was discovered and colonized by the Spanish in 1493, following Columbus′s second voyage to the America′s. In 1898 after 400 years of Spanish reigns, cheap African slaves were introduced to the region as a means of working the land, as the indigenous populations were nearly exterminated. Later that year Puerto Rico was ceded to the U.S by the Spanish crown following the Spanish - America war, and all Puerto Rican citizens were given U.S citizenship in 1917. Following this the Puerto Rican health care system became very much like that of the United States.
Whenever you travel to a new country it can be daunting and because of this it is often important to have some background information on your destination. Because of this we have provided a general outline of Puerto Rico below. Please be advised that information contained in this page is subject to change without prior warning or knowledge, and as such you should consult an expert for the most accurate details.
Official Name: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
Capital: San Juan
Location : Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic
Size: 13,790 sq km, comparatively this is slightly bigger than Vanuatu and slightly smaller than The Bahamas
Climate: Puerto Rico experiences a tropical climate that includes a hot humid rainy season and a hot and relatively less humid dry season.
Population: Puerto Rico has a population of 3.95 million people, slightly less than that of New Zealand.
Life expectancy at birth: The life of an average Puerto Rican at birth is usually 78.58 years.
Major illnesses: Puerto Rico does not normally experience outbreaks of any major illnesses, however Central American disease′s, such as dengue fever, outbreaks can occur.
Ethnicities: white 80.5%, black 8%, Amerindian 0.4%, Asian 0.2%, mixed 4.2%, other 6.7%.
Languages: Spanish, English.
Religion: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant and other 15%.
Government: Puerto Rico is part of the American Commonwealth, and operates as an organized territory of the U.S.
Head of State: President elect Barack Obama is the current head of state for Puerto Rico.
Economy : Puerto Rico has one of the most diverse economies in the Caribbean region. The industrial manufacturing section has largely taken over the agriculture section of the economy in terms of income, only to be surpassed by the services section of the economy. Encouraged by duty-free access to the US markets and by tax incentives, large US firms have invested heavily in Puerto Rico since the 1950s. Dairy production and other livestock products are the main source of income in the agricultural sector, accounting for over 50%. Tourism has traditionally been an important source of income, with estimated arrivals of nearly 5 million tourists in 2004, mainly from the mainland. Growth fell off in 2001-03, largely due to the slowdown in the US economy. However it recovered in 2004-05 to show good real GDP development.
GDP: Puerto Rico has a USD purchasing power of $74.15 billion.
For more information about Puerto Rico, the international health insurance plans that we can offer there, or to receive a free quote, please contact one of our expert advisers today.