|
 Populated for centuries
by aboriginal peoples, the island was claimed by the Spanish Crown
in 1493 following Columbus' second voyage to the Americas. In 1898,
after 400 years of colonial rule that saw the indigenous population
nearly exterminated and African slave labor introduced, Puerto
Rico was ceded to the US as a result of the Spanish-American War.
Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship in 1917 and popularly
elected governors have served since 1948. In 1952, a constitution
was enacted providing for internal self-government. In plebiscites
held in 1967, 1993, and 1998 voters chose to retain commonwealth
status. |
| Location: |
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the
North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic |
| Climate: |
Tropical
marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation |
| Borders: |
None |
| More... |
When
Christopher Columbus stepped ashore in Guánica (or Aguadilla,
both towns claim the honor) in 1492 he encountered a flourishing
Taíno culture. Within decades the Indians disappeared,
but not before leaving their mark on the character that was to
become
Puerto Rican. African slaves replaced the Indians as laborers,
and their culture too went into the crucible forged by more than
four centuries of Spanish dominance.
The symbol of the Institute of Puerto Rico Culture depicts these
three influences: Indian, African and Spanish. In broad terms,
that is an accurate ethnic amalgam, but culture and history are
never
easy to explain. Into the mix have to go Chinese workers, who built
the railroads and remained; Spanish Loyalists fleeing revolution
in South America; Corsicans who populated the coffee county out
on the island; French immigrants from Haiti and Louisiana; a
smattering
of Scots and Irish; and droves of North Americans following the
Spanish American War.
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