| General
Information |
Area: 8959 sq km (3459 sq miles).
Population: 3,833,000 (1998).
Population Density: 427.8 per sq km.
Capital: San Juan. Population: 439,427 (1998).
Geography: Puerto Rico is an island east of the Dominican Republic and west of the British Virgin Islands. Also
included are several smaller islands, such as Culebra, Mona and Vieques. The island is comparatively small, 8959
sq km (3459 sq miles), with a central mountain range reaching an altitude of 1338m (4390ft) at Cerro de Punta,
and surrounded by low coastal plains. The capital is on the northeast shore. Much of the natural forest has been
cleared for agriculture, but the trees in the northeast are protected as a national park. The other main towns
are Ponce, Bayamón, Mayagüez and Caguas.
Government: Self-governing US Commonwealth Territory (incorporated). Gained internal autonomy in 1951. Head of
State: President George W Bush since 2001. Head of Government: Governor Sila Maria Calderon since 2000.
Language: Spanish and English are the official languages.
Religion: 81 per cent Roman Catholic; the remainder are other Christian denominations and Jews.
Time: GMT - 4.
Electricity: 110 volts AC, 60Hz.
Communications:
Telephone: IDD service is available. Country code: 1 787. Outgoing international code: 011.
Mobile telephone: CDMA/TDMA network. Not compatible with GSM handsets.
Internet/E-mail: ISPs include Coqui Net (website: www.coqui.net). Access is available in hotels and business centres.
Postal: U.S. Postal Service
Press: The English-language newspaper published in Puerto Rico is The San Juan Star; others include El Vocero de
Puerto Rico and El Nuevo Dia. |
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| Travel |
AIR: Airlines serving Puerto Rico include American
Airlines, American Eagle, AirCanada, Iberia, KLM, LIAT, Northwest Airlines and TWA.
Approximate flight times: From Puerto Rico to Chicago is 5 hours 40 minutes, to London is 8 hours (direct), to
Los Angeles is 10 hours 45 minutes, to Miami is 2 hours 35 minutes, to New York is 3 hours 30 minutes and to Washington
DC is 3 hours 50 minutes.
International airport: Luis Muñoz Marin (SJU) is 14km (9 miles) northeast of San Juan. Buses and taxis are
available; (journey time - 20-30 minutes.) Airport facilities include restaurants, bars, bank, post office, hotel
reservations, duty-free shops and car hire (Budget, Dollar, Hertz).
Departure tax: None.
SEA: The main passenger port is San Juan. The following cruise lines run services to San Juan: Carnival, Celebrity,
Costa, Cunard, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, RCI, Royal Caribbean, Seabourn and Windjammer. |
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| Entry |
| The passport and visa requirements for entering Puerto
Rico are the same as for entering the USA. See Passport/Visa in the United
States of America section. |
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| Scuba
Diving |
Water Temp
Water temperatures range from the upper 70's in winter to the mid 80's in summer.
Visibility
Visibility is diverse around Puerto Rico. Divesites located nearshore affected by river runoffs can experience
30' vis. Offshore and around the outer islands, visibility reaches triple digits frequently.
Diving
The diversity of diving in Puerto Rico is just amazing. And in part due to the lack of divers who frequent the
sites, reefs are in excellent health and marine life abounds. Diving here is almost a virgin exploration every
time you do a giant stride. Photographers will be astounded with treasured finds such as the rare seahourse and
black coral. You can dive the shallow reefs off San Juan and be greeted with vivid color and profuse tropicals.
The southern coast boasts walls starting in the 60' - 120' range, with lots of pinnacles, canyons, caverns and
caves. The east coast is pocked with many islands such as Palimino, Culebra and Vieques. These islands offer divers
barrier reefs, walls, sand channels and an opportunity to see large critters. Off the west coast you will find
the island of Desecho with a sloping rocky bottom that features canyons, caves, tunnels and swimthroughs. Choose
the diving you like most and jump in. Boats are uncrowded and the diving is great. |
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