The United States of America includes 50 states and the capital district of Washington, DC. Did you know it includes 13 territories as well?
A US territory is land that is part of the United States but is not a state. One of these is Puerto Rico, which became a US territory in 1898. Territories often have their own local government and local laws. People who are born in US territories are US citizens. Puerto Ricans are US citizens, but they cannot vote for a US President if they are residents of Puerto Rico.
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The size of Puerto Rico is about 111 miles from east to west, and 39 miles from north to south.
Puerto Rico is between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. It is about 1,000 miles southeast of Florida. Puerto Rico is an archipelago, or group of islands. Only three of the islands are inhabited, which means people live there.
The capital city is San Juan. It was founded in 1521 by the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León. More than three million people live in Puerto Rico. Most people live in San Juan or near it. The official languages of Puerto Rico are English and Spanish.
Puerto Rico has a tropical climate. This means the temperatures are high all year round. There are many mountains and hills. The highest peak in Puerto Rico is Cerro de Punta, which is over 4,000 feet above sea level.
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El Yunque National Forest has many waterfalls and natural pools.
In the northeast region of Puerto Rico, you will find El Yunque National Forest. This is a tropical rainforest which covers nearly 29,000 acres. It is the only tropical rainforest in the US National forest system.
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Coquí tree frogs can be yellow, brown, or green.
The coquí tree frog is native to Puerto Rico. An animal is native to a place if it naturally lives there. It was not brought by people. Coquí tree frogs are about one to two inches long and weigh about two to four ounces. They have special pads on their toes that help them climb trees and leaves. Coquí tree frogs are often thought to be the loudest frogs in the world. They make a call, mostly at night. It can sound as loud as a lawn mower!
What Do You Think? What about Puerto Rico would you like to learn more about? Why?
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