Puerto Rico's constitution and government structure is similar to those of the 50 US states, and it participates in many US Federal government programs.
A self-governing island commonwealth of the United States in the Caribbean Sea east of Hispaniola. Inhabited by Tainos when it was discovered by Columbus in 1493, it was colonized by the Spanish in the 16th century and ceded to the United States in 1898 after the Spanish-American War.
Puerto Ricans were granted U.S. citizenship in 1917, although residents of the island do not vote in U.S. presidential elections. Commonwealth status was proclaimed in 1952 and has been upheld by various plebiscites since the 1960s. San Juan is the capital and the largest city. Population: 3,870,000.
Puerto Rico has a tropical climate at lower elevations and a subtropical at higher elevations. The best time to visit Puerto Rico is during the cooler and drier months of January to April. Both temperatures and rainfall are affected by the NE trade winds. Humidity is relatively high in summer and most rainfall occurs between May and December. Average annual precipitation varies from 1,550 mm in the north to 910 mm in the south. Average temperature ranges in San Juan are from 27c in July to 24c in January.
