Puerto Rico

By Vincent Salazar Puerto Rico

Location; Puerto Rico is located in the Caribbean and the North Atlantic east of the Dominican Republichttp://www.topuertorico.org/geogra.shtml

http://www.worldatlas.com/articles/facts-about-puerto-rico-things-to-do-in-puerto-rico.html

Bioluminescent Beach

One of the most interesting facts about Puerto Rico is that they have a beach on Vieques Island that glows, or are bioluminescent. There are plankton in the water that glow when they are touched or moved. It is one of the only places in the world where you can see this.

Both Spanish and English are official languages. Most Puerto Ricans speak Spanish at home. But kids are taught English as a second language in school, so many Puerto Ricans speak some English. Sometimes people use both languages in the same sentence! This unique combination of mixing English words with Spanish is called Spanglish.Puerto Rico: Language (2016). CultureGrams Online Edition. ProQuest. Retrieved from http://online.culturegrams.comLanguage

rightbrainrevival.com

GovernmentPuerto Rico is a commonwealth. That means it is part of the United States, although it has power to govern itself.

The island is like a state, with a governor and a legislature (lawmaking body). The Legislative Assembly, a 27-member Senate and a 51-member House of Representatives who makes Puerto Ricos laws.

The people living in Puerto Rico are U.S. citizens, but they dont have to pay federal income tax. However, they also dont get to vote for the president. They send a representative residentcommissioner to the U.S. House of Representatives. He or she has a voice in Congress but cant vote on laws. The voting age is 18, and Puerto Rico usually has a very high rate of voter turnout. Elections are held on the same schedule as in the United States.

Puerto Rico: Government (2016). CultureGrams Online Edition. ProQuest. Retrieved from http://online.culturegrams.com/kids

InfluencesSome of Puerto Ricos earliest settlers were the Tano. They called their island Boriquen, which means land of the brave lord. Eventually, all Puerto Ricans became known as boricuas.

Christopher Columbus landed on the island in 1493 and the Tano welcomed him. In 1508, Juan Ponce de Len led a group of conquistadors (conquerors) to the island in search of gold. Ponce de Len became governor of the island.

The Spanish also built forts on the island so Puerto Rico could protect the rest of Spains territories. The largest and most famous fort was El Morro, located on a cliff high above San Juan Bay. Spain would rule Puerto Rico for close to four hundred years.

Around 1897, Spain fought and lost a war with the United States. Because of this, Spain gave Puerto Rico to the United States in 1898.

Puerto Rico: The Tano (2016). CultureGrams Online Edition. ProQuest. Retrieved from http://online.culturegrams.com/kidsPuerto Rico: Spanish rule (2016). CultureGrams Online Edition. ProQuest. Retrieved from http://online.culturegrams.com/kidsPuerto rico: U.S. rule (2016). CultureGrams Online Edition. ProQuest. Retrieved from http://online.culturegrams.com/kidswww.trespalmasinn.com

Famous Landmark: Iglesia Porta Coeli

Iglesia Porta Coeli ranks among the city's chief landmarks, as the oldest church anywhere in the Americas, built in 1606. Masses are only held three times per year, but the church is open to visitors continuously, with many sacred objects and artifacts lining its walls. Porta Coeli means heavens door. Photo and Text credit: places.eyetour.com/whatToSee/san-german/59/museo-de-arte-religioso-porta-coeli

The mouth of San Juan Harbour, is in San Juan, Capital City of Puerto Rico. Old San Juan is the oldest city in the U.S. and its territories. San Juan was settled in 1521 by the Spanish. Capital City: San Juan

Photo Credit: sanjuanpuertorico.com

http://welcome.topuertorico.org/bori.shtmlIn 1952 the government of Puerto Rico approved a law establishing "La Borinquea" as the official anthem of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. La Borinquea Lyrics: Manuel Fernndez Juncos (1846-1928)La tierra de Borinqundonde he nacido yo,es un jardn florido de mgico fulgor. Un cielo siempre ntidole sirve de dosely dan arrullos plcidoslas olas a sus pies. Cuando a sus playas lleg Coln;Exclam lleno de admiracin;"Oh!, oh!, oh!, esta es la lindatierra que busco yo". Es Borinqun la hija, la hija del mar y el sol, del mar y el sol,del mar y el sol,del mar y el sol,del mar y el sol. The land of Borinquenwhere I have been born.It is a florid gardenof magical brilliance. A sky always cleanserves as a canopy.And placid lullabies are givenby the waves at her feet. When at her beaches Columbus arrived,he exclaimed full of admiration:Oh! Oh! Oh!This is the beautiful land, that I seek. It is Borinquen the daughter, the daughter of the sea and the sun.of the sea and the sun, of the sea and the sun,of the sea and the sun, of the sea and the sun!

Translation by Samuel Quiros

Puerto Ricans love to dance and listen to music. One of their favorite kinds of music and dance is called salsa. This has a strong, fast beat. Other favorites are reggaeton and Meringue.

Many popular singers you might know are Puerto Rican, like Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony, and Jennifer Lopez.Music

http://giphy.comhttp://giphy.comhttp://giphy.com

Sports and Famous AthletesS for almost as long as Americans have. The island has many different teams and a professional league and sends the champion to the Caribbean Series and national teams to world tournaments. Everyone watches their favorite local and American teams on television.

Basketball has become as popular as baseball in Puerto Rico. Boxing is also very popular on the island, which has produced several world champions.

Pirates Outfielder Roberto Clemente died in a plane crash as he flew to Nicaragua.

In 2002, Maritza Correia made history when she became the first black woman to break an American record. She later became the first black woman to earn a place on the U.S. Olympic swim team.Jorge Rafael Posada Villeta is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball catcher who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees.Puerto Rico: Games and sports (2016). CultureGrams Online Edition. ProQuest. Retrieved from http://online.culturegrams.comPhotos Credit: http://www.biography.com

More Famous Puerto Ricans

Benicio Del ToroFilm Actor

Alejandro Garca PadillaGovernor of Puerto Rico (2013-)

Nominated by President Barack Obama on May 26, 2009, Sonia Sotomayor became the first Latina Supreme Court Justice in U.S. history.Photos Credit: http://www.biography.com

The Flag of Puerto RicoThe flag of Puerto Rico was influenced by the flag of the United States but is also similar to the Cuban flag. The red and white stripes stand for the blood and victory of those who fought for the country. The star and triangle represent Puerto Rico surrounded by water. The three sides of the triangle symbolize the three branches of government. When Puerto Rico became a Commonwealth in July 25, 1952 it was officially adopted as the national flag.

Puerto Rico (2016). CultureGrams Online Edition. ProQuest. Retrieved from http://online.culturegrams.com/world

Video Credit: nikosnature www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZUOiZG84c0The coqu frog is the national animal of Puerto Rico. Its length ranges between about half an inch and 3 inches. The color of the coqu can be green, brown and yellowish, sometimes having touches of different colors or stripes. www.topuertorico.org/coqui.shtml

Why is the coqu so important? Without the coqui, Puerto Rico would be taken over by bugs and insects. It is also a tourist attraction. People want to remember the coqu so they buy souvenirs of the frog. coqui.monids.org/importance.html

Dress

Photo credit: thelovelyplanet.netCultural Dress is a blend of jibaro and Bomba

My cousins husband, Jaime Rivera, is from Puerto Rico. I interviewed him about Puerto Rico. He also made us pollo quesado and talked to me about some ingredients that he used. The pollo quesado had chicken, pumpkin, rice, pigeon peas, pink beans, and green olives.

Did you know?There are five Miss Universe winners from Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico has the worlds largest telescope, called Arecibo Observatory.Driving could get kind of confusing. You still drive on the right side of the road in PR, but the signs are in Spanish and gas is in liters. The Cuatro is the national instrument of Puerto Rico?There are more Puerto Ricans living in the rest of the United States than in the island of Puerto Rico.the world famous drink, the Pia Colada was invented in a house on Fortaleza Street in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico and was invented by Ramn Lpez Irizarry?Puerto Rico has never had a civil warThe zip code is 00601, the lowest assigned to any United States geographic locationOne of the most popular Christmas songs in the United States Feliz Navidad was written by a Puerto Rican, Jos Feliciano.The Puerto Rican spindalis is the national bird of Puerto Rico.The majority of the rum sold in the United States comes from Puerto Rico. When Puerto Ricans are born, they get both their fathers and their mothers last names. Many Puerto Rican women dont change their last names when they get married.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Puerto_Rico/Did_you_know-Puerto_Rico%3FPuerto rico (2016). CultureGrams Online Edition. ProQuest. Retrieved from http://online.culturegrams.com/kids

www.pwrc.usgs.gov

Puerto RicoSlovak Radio Symphony OrchestraThe Complete National Anthems Of The World 6, track 44/44, disc 6/82005Alternative & Punk94590.805eng - iTunPGAP0eng - iTunNORM 00000232 0000023E 00001829 000017D1 00014829 00014843 00007C2C 000075B5 0000CA0A 0000BB72eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 00000798 00000000003F9CD8 00000000 00170AC7 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000eng - iTunes_CDDB_IDs44+B10F180B2E5F3E95B9B36B95FD1C4BB9+6494731Puerto Rico: La Borinquea (The Puerto Ricans), "The land of the Puerto Ricans"Peter Breiner & Slovak Radio Symphony OrchestraThe Complete National Anthems of the World (2013 Edition), Vol. 82013Classical124824.0