Part 607

Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: none

Climate: tropical marine, mild, little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain: 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

Natural resources: some copper and nickel, potential for onshore and offshore oil

Land use: arable land: 8% permanent crops: 9% meadows and pastures: 41% forest and woodland: 20% other: 22%

Irrigated land: 390 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment: current issues: the recent drought has caused water levels in reservoirs to drop and prompted water rationing for more than one-half of the population natural hazards: periodic droughts international agreements: NA

Geographic note: important location along the Mona Passage - a key shipping lane to the Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest and best natural harbors in the Caribbean; many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north

People ------

Population: 3,819,023 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 25% (male 484,038; female 461,175) 15-64 years: 65% (male 1,201,841; female 1,279,707) 65 years and over: 10% (male 174,274; female 217,988) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.18% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 15.56 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 7.46 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -6.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female all ages: 0.95 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 12.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.38 years male: 71.13 years female: 79.89 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.94 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality: noun: Puerto Rican(s) (US citizens) adjective: Puerto Rican

Ethnic divisions: Hispanic

Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant denominations and other 15%

Languages: Spanish, English

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.) total population: 89% male: 90% female: 88%

Government ----------

Name of country: conventional long form: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico conventional short form: Puerto Rico

Data code: RQ