Photo by J. Amill Santiago on Unsplash
Puerto Rico is a small Caribbean island that attracts travelers from all over the world due to its beautiful beaches and year-round weather. However, once you look past the idyllic tropical environment, you’ll find a plethora of startling and fascinating facts, ranging from historical events to odd details and natural wonders. Puerto Rico is located in the Caribbean Sea’s northeastern corner. It’s 70 miles east of the Dominican Republic and 40 miles west of the British and US Virgin Islands. Despite the fact that Puerto Rico is only 5,515 square miles in size, it is home to around 3.2 million people, with the capital city of San Juan housing nearly 400,000. To give you a sense of scale, Puerto Rico is roughly the same size as Connecticut. Despite this, it has the third-highest population density in the United States, after only Washington, DC, and New Jersey. However, unlike other places, Puerto Rico’s year-round temperatures range from 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Nature
Puerto Rico is generally referred to as an island, but it is actually an archipelago or a group of islands. Only three are inhabited: Puerto Rico’s main island and the islands of Vieques and Culebra. A now-extinct volcano began erupting some 190 million years ago, forming the continent. The central mountain range of the main island, La Cordillera Central, stretches east to west. Cerro de Punta, located in the central town of Jayuya, is the highest point on the island, standing at 4,389 feet. Puerto Rico has a tropical environment with pleasant temperatures all year and the United States’ sole tropical rainforest, El Yunque National Forest. It’s one of the United States’ smallest national forests, but it’s also one of the most diversified, with 183 animal species and 225 tree species. The main island has a rainforest, a dry forest in Guánica, and hundreds of rivers and waterfalls despite its small size of 110 miles long and 35 miles wide.
People and Culture
Puerto Ricans have a combination of Taino Indian, African, and European ancestry, which is reflected in the island’s cuisine. The Tanos grew yuca (a potato-like vegetable), whereas Africans brought plantains and the Spaniards brought rice. Lechón roasted pig (pronounced lay-CHON), rice and beans, mofongo (mashed fried plantains), and fried fritters like empanadas and alcapurrias are also popular dishes. In sweet and savory recipes, tropical fruits such as pineapple, guava, mangoes, passion fruit, and tamarind are employed. The most populated area of Puerto Rico is the capital of San Juan and its surrounding municipalities, which are located on the northern coast. Puerto Rico would have more people than 20 other states in the United States if it were a state, according to demographic data from 2020.
Fun Stuff
Puerto Ricans include singer Ricky Martin and baseball star Roberto Clemente, and actor Benicio del Toro, who plays DJ in Star Wars. The Last Jedi. Lin-Manuel Miranda, the writer of the hit musical Hamilton, and singer Jennifer Lopez were both born to Puerto Rican parents. Built-in the 1500s to safeguard the island against foreign invaders such as English and Dutch explorers, La Fortaleza is a fort in Old San Juan, the historic part of the capital. Today, it serves as a tourist attraction and houses the governor’s palace.