what days does virgin atlantic fly to puerto rico
Information technology seems that Puerto Rico is often in the news after experiencing natural disasters and other events, giving people the (false) impression that the islands are dangerous and always suffering. Others hear rumors and wonder virtually where Puerto Rico fits in the global picture. Is it an independent land or a part of the U.s.a.? What is information technology actually like?
Nosotros've reviewed these questions (and others) to get to the bottom of the confusion. Come along and take a deeper look at the beautiful, resilient Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico Is Role of America — Sort Of
Ane of the first questions people accept almost Puerto Rico is whether or non the islands are a part of America or not. Politically speaking, the Democracy of Puerto Rico (its official name) is an unincorporated territory of the The states.
This means the people of Puerto Rico are citizens of the United states, but there are some caveats. Puerto Ricans cannot vote in presidential elections unless they move to mainland U.S.A. But, if they don't make income outside of Puerto Rico, they also don't have to file income taxes with the IRS.
Puerto Rico Is Not a Country
If you're counting upwardly the countries yous've visited, Puerto Rico may be on the list. Only in actuality, the islands aren't a separate country. They're a territory of the United States and don't have the aforementioned sovereignty that a separate nation has.
The islands were admitted into the Union every bit a U.Due south. territory in 1898 after the Spanish-American War, and residents were granted American citizenship in 1917. The islands became a United States Commonwealth in 1952, which gave Puerto Rico more autonomy over elections and taxes locally. But it'due south still not a split country.
Puerto Rico Isn't Only One Single Island
A lot of folks recall that Puerto Rico is a single island somewhere vaguely off the declension of mainland America. Simply, Puerto Rico is a concatenation of islands with a single main island — the i most of us are familiar with. This main island is 110 miles long and 35 miles wide.
There are several pocket-size offshore islands that are also part of the concatenation, though only two are inhabited twelvemonth-circular: Culebra and Vieques. Culebra is about 7 miles e of the main isle, and Vieques is about 9 miles away.
Its Geography Makes It Susceptible to Storms
Puerto Rico is an archipelago, meaning it'due south a grouping of islands. They're in the Caribbean Sea and a function of the Greater Antilles, which is another grouping of larger islands in the Caribbean. The location has made this smaller chain of islands important for centuries.
This geography has also made the islands extremely susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical storms. The islands often have difficulty recovering from these storms because of the fact that more than nasty weather condition follows within a short period of fourth dimension.
San Juan Is the Uppercase Urban center
Some other common question that folks have regarding this cute group of islands has to do with the uppercase. Originally, the capital letter city San Juan was actually called the City of Puerto Rico and is the oldest city under United States jurisdiction. This city was founded in 1521.
San Juan wasn't the original settlement but was settled a year later than Caparra, at present known as Pueblo Viejo. Today, this city is known as La Ciudad Amurallada, which ways "walled city." It has 1 of the largest and all-time harbors in all of the Caribbean.
Americans Can Enter Easily
Because Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, American citizens don't need visas to visit the islands from the mainland. Your American passport is sufficient for entry. But if yous're not an American citizen, you'll have to go through the same process to enter the islands every bit you would mainland America.
Conveniently, this means that American citizens can come and become fairly easily. If you choose to travel there, make certain that at that place'due south been enough fourth dimension since any recent natural disasters. Vacationing in Puerto Rico afterward recovery efforts have started is helpful as it furthers economic recovery.
The Predominant Language Is Castilian
Because Puerto Rico is a function of America, the official linguistic communication is English language, but in reality, this is just on paper. The dogged spirit of Puerto Ricans has kept the American regime from establishing English as the primary language on the islands, despite diverse attempts.
Puerto Ricans have an contained spirit that has helped to keep them divide, in many ways, from the mainland to which the islands technically belong. Information technology doesn't hurt that Puerto Rico is considered the largest insular territory of the country, keeping it even more "separate."
Puerto Rico Is Too Part of the Caribbean Islands
All those islands downwards south of mainland U.South. tin can be a little confusing. Is Cuba part of the Caribbean? How about the Dominican Republic? What about Puerto Rico? The respond is yes, Puerto Rico is a Caribbean area island. This tropical island chain is one of the beautifully temperate islands that stays around 79 degrees Fahrenheit year-circular.
The moisture season here runs from May to October — which coincides with hurricane season. Seeing every bit it'due south a tropical environs, rain falls year-round. But with the beautiful beaches, lively culture and delicious foods, the rain is hardly something to proceed visitors away.
Puerto Rico Was Originally Named San Juan Bautista
This chain of islands was "discovered" by Christopher Columbus in his second infamous journey in 1493. When he commencement came upon the islands, he named them for the Biblical grapheme John the Baptist, calling the chief island San Juan Bautista.
Soon, golden and other valuable resources were discovered on the islands, then the name became Puerto Rico, which in Spanish ways "rich port." The capital letter wound upwardly taking the original name. Another popular proper noun for the primary island in Spanish is La Isla del Encanto, which means "The Island of Enchantment."
It'south One of the Most Densely Populated Islands
The main isle of Puerto Rico is ane of the virtually densely populated islands in the world. That ways at that place are more people per square mile on the chief island than there are in most other islands in the world. The island's about the size of Connecticut, though, which is the tertiary-smallest U.Southward. land.
In total, about 3 million people live in Puerto Rico, which is a larger population than 21 unlike U.Southward. states have. Although the population is fairly dumbo, at that place's still plenty of natural infinite, similar that found in the national parks, beaches and other wild locations.
There Are More Than 270 Miles of Beaches
The incredible islands that brand upwards Puerto Rico have a huge number of beaches skirting the coasts. In fact, at last count, there are at to the lowest degree 270 miles of embankment around the islands. Visitors and locals akin flock to these white sand beaches to sunbathe, snorkel, swim and enjoy a wide range of other water sports.
Surrounding these hundreds of beaches are many backdrops, providing new views near constantly for anyone visiting the islands for a few weeks. And if you happen to exist looking for a party beach, those are all over the islands, too.
The Master Isle Was Once an American Naval Base
In erstwhile days, virtually two-thirds of the primary island of Puerto Rico was a U.s.a. naval base. This lasted for nearly lx years, with much of the country being used every bit a testing ground for the war machine. Many training events took identify on the country, as did bomb testing.
After the accidental death of a civilian, nevertheless, the area was abandoned equally a naval base and left to render to nature instead. Now, this aforementioned surface area where the bomb testing was done is a wildlife reserve, and the animate being life there is flourishing.
Spanish Explorer Ponce de Leon Was Puerto Rico's First Governor
One of the most famous — or is that infamous? — conquistadors from Spain, Ponce de Leon, was the first appointed governor of Puerto Rico. This is the same explorer and conqueror who named the U.S. state of Florida "la florida" for the cute flowers found there (translation: flowery land).
A thirst for gold and other resources led the Spanish to colonize. Within a year of colonization, de Leon conquered virtually of the main island and enslaved and killed many of the inhabitants already there. This action was the reason governorship was given to the Castilian leader in 1509.
Information technology Has an Extremely Rainy Climate
Puerto Rico has a very rainy climate. There'south a rainy season during which it rains more heavily, merely even in the dry flavor, pelting nevertheless falls from the sky. That ways that, yes, it rains pretty much every day on these islands.
The rainy flavour results in an boilerplate of 61 inches of rain on the northern part of the island. The southern role of the island commonly gets most 36 inches — nearly half of the rain in the north. Some coastal regions of the islands receive even more than with about 150 inches of rain each year. The mountains register even more at 200 inches.
The Area Is Quite Seismically Active
Puerto Rico non simply has to bargain with tons of hurricanes on a consistent footing, but the whole region is also extremely seismically active. In that location's an average of 5 earthquakes with a magnitude of more than ane.5 every single day.
The quakes occur because the Due north American plate is drifting about three-quarters of an inch each twelvemonth. This results in the uplifting of a tectonic plate, thanks to the shift, which is actually what formed the islands of Puerto Rico. Because of this, the islands are always shifting and changing simply a chip.
The Wildlife Is Quite Diverse
The wildlife reserves and parks offer an unusual mural for a diverse group of animals and plants. In the Guanica Reserve, there are over 700 species of plants lone, with 48 endangered plants that are native to the area. There are over 185 species of birds on the island every bit well, xvi of which are native to Puerto Rico.
Along with these birds, at that place are unusual reptiles and amphibians, including the coquí frog. The mammals on the islands are non native, but they do include bats, cats, goats, sheep, the Asian Mongoose and monkeys.
Puerto Rico Isn't Just Rainforests and Beaches
When you scan photos on Instagram and Facebook, you'll generally run into images of the astonishing beaches and rainforests of the islands. But Puerto Rico has a wider range of terrain than that. In fact, one portion of the chief isle is well-nigh desert-like.
The Guanica Biosphere Reserve and State Forest in the southwestern region of the island merely receives almost 30 inches of pelting each year. The Cordillera Key mountain range nearby blocks out virtually of the pelting systems that hit the rest of the isle. This protected land encompasses nearly x,000 acres.
El Yunque National Forest Is the But U.S. Protected Rainforest
Because Puerto Rico is a function of the United states, El Yunque National Rainforest falls nether the jurisdiction of the Wood Systems of the U.S. This is the only national rainforest that's protected by the U.S. And, though this rainforest is 1 of the smallest protected regions, it's ane of the most diverse.
El Yunque sits in the eastern part of the main isle as function of the Yunque National Forest. There are no large animals there, simply many small critters roam around, including loads of lizards, frogs and birds.
The First Known People of Puerto Rico Were the Taino Tribe
Because many of the residents currently living in Puerto Rico are of Latin descent, many think these folks are the indigenous people of the state. The people of Puerto Rico were actually originally the Taino tribe, who named the island Boriken, which means "land of the brave lord."
The Taino people were a subgroup of the Arawak people from South America, originally tracing back to a village in Venezuela. The Taino people were peaceful farmers, fishermen and makers of pottery. They were hospitable and welcomed Columbus and others with open artillery.
The Taino Tribe Was Massacred by Colonizers
The population of the Taino in Puerto Rico is estimated to have been around 40,000 when Columbus first landed on the isle in 1493. Inside 20 years, the population dropped to four,000 and to nearly a quarter of that within another 15 years.
Many of the Taino were wiped out by European diseases that they had no amnesty for. Many of the others were killed past European conquerors equally they attempted to defend their land. Others committed suicide rather than be enslaved. Those who survived worked alongside African slaves mining for gold and farming crops for Europeans.
Today'south Puerto Rican Civilisation Is Blended
Many people think of Puerto Rico as grounded merely in its Castilian roots. Merely the reality is that many cultures have come together to create the wonder that is Puerto Rico, with the original indigenous people — the Taino — contributing much to the history of the country and immigrants adding to that culture.
African slaves were brought over shortly later on the islands were conquered by the Castilian, creating a new local culture. Since that fourth dimension, centuries ago, many more immigrants from the earth over have flooded in, bringing aspects of their ethnic groups with them.
Puerto Rican Food Is Also a Alloy
Puerto Rican cuisine is referred to as "cocina criolla" locally. This nutrient is a blend of many cultures that have filled the islands with people from the world over. Many dishes have prominent Taino influences, forth with Castilian and African cooking styles.
But as more immigrants take come to the islands and called them dwelling, more than cultures have blended their way into this delicious food. Chinese immigrants, German immigrants and others have influenced the employ of local produce — like yucca root, seafood and tropical fruits — adding more texture and uniqueness than before.
Many Musical Instruments Date Back to the Taino People
When you recall of the music of these Caribbean islands, yous probably think of salsa and the merengue. And while these forms of music are popular in these beautiful islands, the roots of the musical instruments played here trace back to the Taino.
One of the most identifiable instruments from early Puerto Rican music is the guiro, which is a hollowed-out gourd that has notches on one side. People play this instrument by rubbing a stick along the notches. Other instruments were adapted from the guitar brought over past early on Spanish settlers.
The Art Scene Is Varied and Blended, Too
One of the most rewarding experiences any company can have in a new region of the world is visiting art galleries and public art sites. In Puerto Rico, this experience once more reveals heavy influence from Taino art, which includes jewelry made from seashells, gold and stones. Taino people likewise made pottery and baskets.
Santos — religious figures — are also a common part of the fine art of Puerto Rico. These statues are molded from clay and gold or carved from wood or stone. Before the Spanish introduced these to the local culture, the Taino highly revered "cemi" and placed them prominently around villages. These were sculptures that were believed to house ancestral spirits.
Puerto Rico Has Some Interesting National Symbols
Even though Puerto Rico isn't technically a state, Puerto Ricans still have plenty of national pride. Reflecting this pride is a serial of national symbols that Puerto Rico has claimed as its own. Those symbols include the national bird, "reina mora," which is also known equally the stripe-headed tanager.
The national flower is the beautiful "flor de maga," or the Puerto Rican hibiscus. The national tree is the silk-cotton tree, or ceiba. And the national symbol is the coquí frog. These tiny amphibians are establish throughout the rainforest — and in plenty of non-living forms like artwork and souvenirs.
The Pharmaceutical Industry Is Prominent in Puerto Rico
It might surprise you to larn that Puerto Rico is domicile to 1 of the largest pharmaceutical complexes in the unabridged world. The Barceloneta municipality supports 14 different industries this way, only the reason why it'south located here might be even more surprising.
The water in Barceloneta is incredibly pure — so pure, in fact, that it requires well-nigh zero handling for use in the manufacturing of pharmaceutical products. Employment through these companies and an extremely well-developed urban plan have made this town well worth a visit, with amazing restaurants, shopping and entertainment.
The Main Crops Are Cassava, Java, Sugarcane and Tropical Fruits
If y'all wander the street markets and vendors of Puerto Rico, you'll observe some of the near amazing fresh produce in the globe. This, of form, only makes the local cuisine all the more succulent. Yous'll besides come across many crops that yous'd notice in your own grocery stores dorsum in the mainland U.S., besides.
The island territory never frosts over, so the weather is peculiarly smashing for tropical fruits. Some of the primary types of produce grown here are pineapples, cassava (yucca), bananas, mangoes, coffee, sugarcane, plantains, tomatoes, corn, beans, peppers and yams.
Puerto Rico Is Abode to a Massive Telescope
Some other intriguing affair virtually Puerto Rico is that a massive single-aperture telescope is located at that place. The Arecibo Observatory houses the telescope, which has 40,000 aluminum panels. Each console measures a whopping 3 feet by vi feet. The radio telescope is operated by the Academy of Central Florida.
The Arecibo Observatory is used in three fields of study, including radio astronomy, radar astronomy and atmospheric science. If the telescope looks familiar, you've probably seen it before. Several Hollywood films have been made here.
The Islands Are Full of Caves
The rivers that flow through Puerto Rico give way to the amazing cave organisation on the islands: the Camuy system. The cave system is famous the earth over, at least with folks who are into caving and spelunking. The arrangement has more 10 miles of caverns, 220 caves and 17 entrances.
Experts believe that at least some other 800 caves have yet to be constitute and explored. But for now, in that location's a 268-acre park that's built around the system, allowing tourists the opportunity to explore this incredible place.
Puerto Rican Citizenship Is a Fairly Recent Thing
Although Puerto Ricans gained American citizenship in the early on part of the 20th century, there was no such thing as Puerto Rican citizenship until recently. The first official citizen of Puerto Rico was Juan Mari Bras, who received the certificate from the Puerto Rico Section of Land in 2006.
Since that engagement, the government has been granting citizenship to other Puerto Ricans who were born on the islands or folks who take at least i parent who was born there and who have lived at to the lowest degree one year in Puerto Rico while holding American citizenship.
Source: https://www.reference.com/geography/facts-falsehoods-puerto-rico?utm_content=params%3Ao%3D740005%26ad%3DdirN%26qo%3DserpIndex
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