Puerto Rico is part of what is often referred to as the Spanish Caribbean, along with Cuba and the Dominican Republic. It is also a US territory, officially called a commonwealth or "free associated state", neither a US state nor a US overseas territory but somewhere in between. Puerto Ricans are US citizens but the islanders do not vote in US presidential elections. They do vote for the governor of Puerto Rico as well as other municipal leaders. The island consists of 78 "municipalities," including the smaller islands of Culebra and Vieques (sometimes called the "Spanish Virgin Islands").
Because they are US citizens, Puerto Ricans can come and go from the US mainland freely, unlike people from Spanish-speaking nations. Once they reside on the mainland, they can vote in US national elections and hold positions in government. The Puerto Rican community in New York is the largest Puerto Rican population outside of the island, though there are significant Puerto Rican populations in Philadelphia, Hartford, Newark, Boston, and even Hawaii.
Copyright 2012 by Michael Esposito. All rights reserved. Todos los derechos reservados. E-mail: meesposito@gmail.com This site updated October 9, 2011/Este sitio fue ampliado el 28 de abril de 2012 Santa Fe Travel: a division of L & M Travel - Michael Esposito: IC Travel Specialist of L & M Travel - CST# 2043262-40 L & M Travel IC Agent
