Puerto Rico Facts You Should Never Miss! Read This!

The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is the official name of Puerto Rico and it is an unincorporated territory of the United States.

Puerto Rico, a Caribbean island, is a group of islands located near the U.S. Virgin and the Dominican Republic. Its capital city is San Juan which is also its largest city.

San Juan population is around 0.3 million. The official languages of this island are Spanish and English. Puerto Rico varies from other states and territories of America. It takes part in the Olympics as an independent nation. The most popular nickname of Puerto Rico is La Isla del Encanto which translates into the Island of Enchantment.

There is diversity among the people living here. Most people are multiracial Americans followed by White Puerto Ricans, Afro-Puerto Ricans, Indigenous Americans (or American Indians), and Asians. By ethnicity, over 98% of people are Hispanic and Latino Americans followed by non-Hispanic Americans. Initially, Puerto Rico was a part of Spain by was acquired by the United States during the Spanish-American War. Since 1917, it has been a part of the United States.

The population of Puerto Rico is approximately 31 lakhs. The country has mountain ranges, plains, beaches, and other terrains. The highest mountain range is the Cordillera Central and Cerro de Punta is the highest point of the Island. It is also famous for the Puerto Rico Trench. It is tropical rainforest and witnesses hurricanes during June and November. Various flora and fauna are found here.

They may include royal Poinciana, African tulip tree, Puerto Rican Parrot, nonpoisonous snakes, lizards, mongoose, coqui, and various others. Did you know that once point, the US changed the name of this territory to Porto Rico? Puerto Rico has its own constitution and its own governor.

After reading about the interesting Puerto Rico facts, also check facts about Hawaii and facts about Paris.

Puerto Rico Cool Facts

Some cool and interesting facts about Puerto Rico are listed below.

Puerto Rico may be seen as a country by the world but actually, it’s a commonwealth. Another cool fact is that during the United Nations’ Presidential Elections, Puerto Rican are not allowed to vote. The oldest colony in the world is Puerto Rico. And it has three of the world’s five bioluminescent bays and the brightest in the world, the Mosquito Bay. Puerto Rico has the world’s largest rum distillery.

It has the deepest point of the Atlantic Ocean. America’s tallest statue that is the ‘Birth of the New World’ is situated in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is a group of islands and many of them are uninhabited islands. Some of them are Isla de Mona, Cayo Icasos, Caja de Muertos. Barceloneta, a city in Puerto Rico, is known as a pineapple city and has the biggest pharmaceutical complex in the world. It is also famous for blue sand beaches. The world’s largest single-dish radio telescope is situated in Puerto Rico. It is also known as the ‘Island of Enchantment. The tropical rainforests of Puerto Rico do not have poisonous snakes and bears.

Puerto Rico Capital Facts

San Juan is the capital city of Puerto Rico. Below are some interesting facts about the capital city.

The oldest city in the United States is San Juan. It is the largest city in Puerto Rico. It is also the most populous city in Puerto Rico. In the Western hemisphere, Old San Juan is the 2nd oldest city. San Juan was discovered in 1492 by Christopher Columbus. There are no traffic lights in San Juan. Jet skis are banned in San Juan. Single-use plastic bags are also banned in San Juan. San Juan holds a huge celebration for the Three Kings Day. This tradition has been followed for 135 years.

Puerto Rico Christmas Facts

Christmas is a popular festival in the United States. Different regions have various ways of celebrating the festival. They follow different traditions. Some of the Christmas facts about Puerto Rico are as follows.

Puerto Rica celebrates the world’s longest Christmas. It begins after Thanksgiving Day and ends in mid-January. On Christmas Eve or, as Puerto Ricans call it, Nochebuena, People gather together to exchange gifts and have dinner together. Some people also attend Misa de Gallo, a midnight mass. Here the Nativity scene is reenacted in some churches. People sing Christmas Carol or parranda in front of their house on Christmas eve.

The traditional Christmas food in Puerto Rico includes pigeon peas with rice (Arroz con gandules), roasted pork (Lechon Asado), green banana and meat patties (pasteles), sausages stuffed with rice (morcilla), coconut pudding (tembleque), potatoes, pasta, and various others. Puerto Ricans do not drink eggnog instead they drink coquito which is a thick coconut drink. The decorations for Christmas are put during Thanksgiving and last till mid-January. The ‘Three Kings Day’ is an important event celebrated during Christmas month.

Puerto Rico Country Facts

Some interesting facts about Puerto Rico are mentioned below.

‘Puerto Rico’ means abundant gold. Puerto Ricans majorly speak Spanish and English. And the United States almost purchased Puerto Rico when it was a Spanish colony. The citizens of Puerto Rico do not pay income tax. It is also not a part of mainland United States.

It has various tourist attractions like mountains, rivers, forests, beaches, and architectural buildings. The currency of Puerto Rica is United States Dollar which is also known as the peso. The Puerto Rican population is approximately 3.5 million. The coastline of Puerto Rica is about 300 mi (482.8 km) long. Its legal drinking age is 21. The castle of San Felipe del Morro is an important tourist attraction.

It has the world’s third-largest underground river called Rio Camuy. Puerto Rico along with Cuba are the last two colonies of Spain left in the New World. The Plaza Las Americas is the Caribbean’s largest shopping center. Casa Bacardi, the world’s most extensive Rum distiller, is located in Puerto Rico. The United States’ only rainforest, El Yunque, is situated in Puerto Rica.

Puerto Rico may be an American territory but in the Olympics and the Miss World contests, it takes part as an individual country. The temperature in Puerto Rico vary between 70-80 F (21-26.6 C). Puerto Rico has the busiest cruise-ship ports in the world. For about 60 years, Puerto Rico was the naval base of the United States.

Puerto Rico Coffee Facts

Coffee has a large history in Puerto Rica. The coffee found in Puerto Rico is of high quality. This is because it has volcanic soil and the perfect altitude and climate to grow coffee. The interesting facts about Puerto Rican coffee are as follows.

Yauco city of Puerto Rica is known as the City of Coffee or El Pueblo del Café. Puerto Rica majorly has a Limani variety of Arabica coffee beans. In Puerto Rica, coffee was introduced by Spain in 1738. The Arabica coffee beans were introduced in Puerto Rica by a Corsican monk in late 1700. In Puerto Rica, coffee was first sown in the 18th century.

The Puerto Rican coffee has a dominant flavor of chocolate followed by that of almond, plum, and other dry fruits. Some of the popular Puerto Rican coffee brands are Café Don Ruiz, Café Cuatro Sombras, Hacienda Lealtad, Hacienda Dan Pedro, and Café de Puta Madre. In Puerto Rica, people usually drink coffee in the form of espresso, cortadito, and latte.

Puerto Rico Facts About Culture

Puerto Ricans have a diverse and vast culture. The people keep it near their hearts. There are various interesting things about the culture of Puerto Rico that you may not know about. Some are given down below.

Puerto Rico has a mixture of Spanish, Taino, and African. Music in Puerto Rico is also inspired by Spain, Taino, and Africa. Though Taino has a major impact on it. People usually play a wooden slit drum known as mayohuacan. Another musical instrument known as guiro is made from a hollow gourd. The Puerto Rican cuatro, a kind of guitar, has 10 strings.

The musical instruments in Puerto Rico are made up of animal skin and tree trunks. Salsa is extremely popular in Puerto Rico and is described as spicy and flavorful. It is also known as ‘the rhythm of the island’. Bomba is a dance in Puerto Rico through which people tell different stories.

Women wear long skirts while men wear sashes and hats during the dance performance. Plena is Puerto Rico’s traditional Christmas dance. Puerto Rico also has the longest Christmas not only in the United States but also in the world. it extends from thanksgiving to the mod of January. Christmas in Puerto Rico ends with a huge celebration which is referred to as Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastian or la Sanse.

Puerto Rican interests include baseball. Some famous Puerto Ricans are Rita Moreno, Michelle Rodriguez, Jimmy Smits, and various others. It has rich ports and beaches including Flamenco beach. Most Puerto Ricans are Catholics. Over 80% of people here follow Christianity.

Puerto Rico Facts And History

Puerto Rico has a vast history. Some interesting facts about its history are given below.

The Ortoid people were the first known settlers in Puerto Rico. They arrived here over 4000 years ago in 2000 BC. In about 250 BCE, they were replaced by the people belonging to Saladoid culture. Later in 400 AD, another tribe came to Puerto Rico known as the Igneri. In the 7th - 11th century, the Taino people settled in Puerto Rico. They named it Boriken which means ‘the great land of the valiant and noble lord’.

In 1493, the great explorer, Christopher Columbus arrived in Puerto Rico. He gave the island a name to honor St. John (the Baptist). He called the island San Juan Bautista. Later in 1508, Caparra, a Spanish settlement, was found in Puerto Rico. The Spanish settlers named the island Puerto Rico because they found a huge amount of gold here. Puerto Rico was ruled by Spanish people for about 400 years.

They imported Africans as slaves. These slaves helped in the production of sugar cane, coffee, tobacco, and cattle. During the Spanish-American War of 1898, the United States acquired Puerto Rico. Since then it has been a territory of America. Fray Inigo Abbad y Lasierra wrote a book on the history of Puerto Rico in 1789.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Puerto Rico facts then why not take a look at fun facts about India, or fun facts about Italy.