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| Puerto Rico |
Puerto Rico's History
- In 1898, with the end of the Spanish American War Puerto Rico became a territory of the United States.
- In 1917, the Jones Act conferred U.S. citizenship to the people of Puerto Rico.
- In 1950, the U.S. Congress passed the Federal Relations Act, authorizing a process to approve a constitution for Puerto Rico, subject to the provisions of the United States Constitution.
- In 1952, Puerto Rico's Constitution came into effect granting internal self-government to the Island. The same set forth a democratic government modeled on the U.S. system, with the separation of powers among the branches of government.
Facts about Puerto Rico's Relationship with the U.S.
- As citizens of the United States, Puerto Ricans are protected by the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights.
- Puerto Rico's local government, which consists of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government, is subject to the U.S. Constitution.
- The people of Puerto Rico cannot vote for the President of the United States.
- The Island is represented in the U.S. House of Representatives by an elected Resident Commissioner who votes at the Committee level but has no vote in the full House. Puerto Rico has no representation in the U.S. Senate.
- As in mainland states, all federal agencies are represented in Puerto Rico.
- Puerto Rico residents, individuals and corporations, contribute to the local income tax and do not pay federal income tax, except for income derived from sources outside of Puerto Rico. Island residents pay Social Security and Medicare taxes.
Population
- Puerto Rico's population is 3.8 million (2000 Census)
- Census Bureau 2000 estimates 3.4 million Puerto Ricans reside on the U.S. mainland.
Language
- The official languages of Puerto Rico are Spanish and English
Tourism
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