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On the island, one-third of the population is concentrated in the San Juan-Carolina-Bayamón metropolitan area.
Besides the slaves imported from Africa (Sudan, Kongo, Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leona, and the Gold, Ivory, and Grain coasts), other ethnic groups brought to work on the plantations joined the island's racial mix. Fleeing Simón Bolívar's independence movements in South America, Spanish loyalists fled to Puerto Rico - a fiercely conservative Spanish colony during the early 1800s. French families also flocked here from both Louisiana and Haiti. As changing governments or violent revolutions depressed the economies of Scotland and Ireland, many farmers from those countries also journeyed to Puerto Rico in search of a better life. When the United States acquired the island in 1898, American influence was added to culture. During the mid-19th century, labor was needed to build roads, initially, Chinese workers were imported for this task, followed by workers from such countries as Italy, France, Germany, and even Lebanon. American expatriates came to the island after 1898. Long after Spain had lost control of Puerto Rico, Spanish immigrants continued to arrive on the island. The most significant new immigrant population arrived in the 1960s, when thousands of Cubans fled from Fidel Castro's Communist state. The latest arrivals to Puerto Rico have come from the economically depressed Dominican Republic. The new and the old merged, where two worlds and many culture fused, creating an island of sharp contrasts. Today, this mix of culture can be perceived in the island's architecture, which mixes Spanish colonial with ultra-modern, shown on the abundance of North American-style malls and fast-food restaurants that compete with small, family-run stores and restaurants.
Nationality: Noun Puerto Rican(s). Adjective Puerto Rican. Puerto Rico is a territory (Commonwealth) of the United States of America and Puerto Ricans have common citizenship, currency and defense. Although Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, residents of Puerto Rico pay no federal income tax, nor can they vote in presidential elections. As citizens, Puerto Ricans do not require a work visa (also known as green cards) to live and/or work in the United States. Over 2 million Puerto Ricans live in the United States, primarily in the northeast. Primary Ethnicity: Hispanic
Population:
3,958,128 (July 2008 est.)
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The 3.950 million people that inhabit the island of Puerto Rico
make it one of the most densely populated islands in the world. There
are about 1,000 people per square mile, a ratio higher than within any
of the 50 states in the United States. It is estimated that some 2
million Puerto Ricans have migrated to the United States. Had these
people remained in Puerto Rico, the island would be so densely populated
that there would be virtually no room for people to live. Because of the
massive migration to the mainland, more Puerto Ricans are said to live in
New York City than in San Juan. In recent years, many Puerto Ricans have
returned to their island home, in large part because of inadequate
economic opportunity in the United States.
The people of Puerto Rico represent a cultural and racial mix.
When the Spanish forced the Taíno people into slavery, the
entire indigenous population was virtually decimated, except for a few
Amerindians who escaped into the remote mountains. Eventually they
inter-married with the poor Spanish farmers and became known as
jíbaros. Because of industrialization and migration to the
cities, few jíbaros remain.
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Population Density: 1,127 density per sq mi/435 persons per sq km (2004 est) 
Population Split: Urban 71%; Rural 29% Population Growth Rate: 0.369% (2008 est.) Population Projection: 4,438,000 (for 2010). Population Doubling Time: 88 years (2002) Total Urban Population: 2,664,000 Migration: Net migration rate: -1.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.) Urbanization: 76% (2001) Birth Rate: 12.61 births/1,000 population (2008 est.) Death Rate: 7.88 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Marriage Rate: 9.2 per 1000 persons Divorce Rate: 4.47 per 1000 persons (2004) Contraceptive Use: 78% of married women (2002) Maternal Mortality Rate: 18 deaths per 100,000 live births (2005)
Total Fertility Rate: 1.76 children born/woman (2008 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 7,397 (1997) Family Average Size: 3.5 people Ethnic Composition: white (mostly Spanish origin) 80.5%, black 8%, Amerindian 0.4%, Asian 0.2%, mixed 4.2%, other 6.7% (2000 census) 
Education: After the American occupation in 1898 education was entirely provided in English with Spanish treated as a special subject. In 1915, under Commissioner of Education Dr. Paul G. Miller direction the method of teaching was changed, establishing Spanish as the medium of instruction in the four lower grades, English in the three higher grades, and both English and Spanish for the middle grades. This method was used until November 1934, when Commissioner José Padín ordered that instruction be given in Spanish in all elementary grades with English taught as a special subject from the first grade. With the appointment of Dr. José M. Gallardo as Commissioner of Education in June 1937, a new school program was adopted with special stress placed on the teaching of English in accordance with the views of President Roosevelt, expressed in a letter addressed to Dr. Gallardo shortly after his appointment: "It is an indispensable part of American policy that the coming generation of American citizens in Puerto Rico grow up with complete facility in the English tongue. It is the language of our nation. Only through the acquisition of this language will Puerto Rican Americans secure a better understanding of American ideals and principles." Instruction is given in Spanish in the first two grades, with English as a subject; in the third and fourth grades the ratio is two-thirds Spanish and one-third English; in the fifth and sixth grades, half Spanish and half English; while in the seventh and eighth grades, the division is one-third Spanish and two-thirds English. Today, education is a matter of high priority for Puerto Rico, it is evident in the island's overall literacy rate of 90 percent and its budget for education, approximately 40 percent. Education is obligatory between 6 to 17 years old. Primary school consists of six grades; the secondary levels is divided into 2 cycles of 3 years each. The school term in public schools starts in August through mid-December and January through late May. The school system is administered by the Department of Education and has several levels of learning. The language used in the schools is Spanish, however, English is taught from kindergarten to high school as part of the school curriculum. Some private schools provide English programs where all classes are conducted in English except for the Spanish class. Puerto Rico has more than 50 institutions of higher education. Puerto Rico has achieved one of the highest college education rates in the world (6th) with 56% of its college-age students attending institutions of higher learning, according to World Bank data.
Schools: 1,532 public schools, 569 private schools and 44 universities. (1999) 
Religion: Crime: For those who are worried about San Juan crime scene you need to consider that like most big cities, San Juan has crime problems. Law enforcement officials are constantly seen on patrol on main touristic areas. Still, take the same precautions you would in any large city: use common sense, and be aware of your surroundings at all times. Crime rates are generally lower outside San Juan. Murder Rate: 25.0 per 100,000 (1996)
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