ABOUT PUERTO RICO

Both Spanish and English are the official languages, the local currency is the U.S. dollar, and no visas or passports are required to enter Puerto Rico from the United States. Mail is sent through the US Postal Service at the same rates as on the mainland.

Geography
Puerto Rico is 100 long by 35 miles wide and as a result of its geographical position in the center of the arc of the Antilles, Puerto Rico is essentially a crossroads of Hispanic and Anglo cultures. Despite it’s very diverse influx of cultures, Puerto Rico has been a part of the United States since 1898 and Puerto Ricans have been U.S. citizens since 1917.

History
Since the first humans came ashore thousands of years ago, the island that is now known as Puerto Rico has sheltered Indians, Spaniards, Africans and Anglos. The Spaniards had the earliest and greatest influence to the Island at their arrival in 1493. During their 400-year tenure the Spaniards laid the bedrock of the language and culture. They built cities and towns, fortresses and churches, lighthouses and roadways. They brought slaves from Africa to work in the fields, who, in turn, contributed the spice of their culture, enriching the language, music and diets.

Culture
Close to 4 million people live on the “Island of Enchantment,” with more than a million in the greater San Juan metropolitan area alone. It is a vibrant, modern, bilingual, multicultural society, one that has been molded by Spanish, African, Indian and U.S. influences. Residents of Puerto Rico have much in common with their fellow Americans in the continental United States, yet they retain a decidedly Hispanic heritage.

Climate
The climate is as close to perfect as it can get, averaging 83°F (22.7°C) in the winter and 85°F (29.4°C) in the summer. In other words, it’s always summer! The trade winds cool the coastal towns and the temperature decreases as you go up into the higher mountains.
Puerto Rico is in the Atlantic Time Zone, but does not observe Daylight Savings Time. The island uses standard U.S. electric current. European appliances require an adapter.

Currency
There are no customs duties on articles bought in Puerto Rico and taken to the U.S. mainland. Major credit cards are accepted at most businesses, and ATMs connected to major US and international networks are easy to find.

Business hours are similar to those on the mainland, 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM weekdays (the siesta has pretty much disappeared). Most stores are open Saturdays, and all of the larger towns have shopping malls that are open evenings and Sundays.

Introducing Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is where the easygoing Caribbean collides with the slick efficiency of modern America over syncopated Latin rhythms and rose-tinted tropical sunsets. The result is a colorful, diverse and culturally unique island that is often as confusing as it is cosmopolitan. Hip, funky restaurants nestle next to 15th-century Spanish forts; sprawling concrete shopping malls encroach upon the fecund tropical rainforests; and glitzy casinos lie juxtaposed against some of the most stunning beaches, caves and offshore coral reefs in the Caribbean.

Racing headlong into the 21st century, contemporary Puerto Rico can sometimes present a bewildering picture to culture-seeking visitors. Outdoor enthusiasts will not want to miss the opportunity to visit the rare and wild treasure that is Isla Mona. Hop on a local bus, disappear in Bosque Estatal de Carite in the central mountains, change your pace on Puerto Rico’s wacky sister, the island of Culebra, or pedal your way around the beautiful island of Vieques; just be sure to tear up any cast-iron itineraries and let the open road lead you where it will. History is another draw card and in beguiling Viejo (Old) San Juan, you’ll find one of the oldest and best preserved colonial cities in the Americas. Neighborly pensioners recline languidly in creaking rocking chairs, bomba drums light up the somnolence of a diminutive baroque plaza, and the walls of two great military forts rise like wizened sentinels above the depths of the untamed Atlantic. On the south coast,Ponce, with its museums and Spanish colonial buildings, combines an easygoing atmosphere for families with a nightlife of pulsating reggae and salsa.

A commonwealth of the United States of America, Puerto Rico is a semi-autonomous territory whose constitutional status has long been a political oxymoron. The island’s cultural manifestations are similarly ridden with contradiction. Puerto Ricans love big American cars, but drive them more like they’re in Mexico City; they have served in numerous foreign wars under the banner of stars and stripes, yet share a closer historical identity to Cuba; they have exported over half of their ebullient population to the east coast of the United States, but still exhibit a fierce loyalty to their beloved Borinquen, the island they will always call home.

Confused? Don’t worry. Even native Puerto Ricans sometimes have difficulty in unraveling the baffling intricacies of their much-debated political system. When asked in a 1998 referendum if they would prefer to 1) adopt US statehood, 2) claim outright independence, or 3) remain as a commonwealth of the US, 50.3% of Puerto Ricans voted for an inconclusive ‘none of the above.’ Postponed for future discussion – the debate rages on.

Information by http://www.lonelyplanet.com , http://www.gotopuertorico.com