In the Spanish Empire, Puerto Rico played a secondary but strategic role compared to wealthier colonies like Peru and New Spain. The island's cultural and demographic landscapes were shaped by the displacement and assimilation of the native population, the forced migration of African slaves, and settlement primarily from the Canary Islands and Andalusia. It was contested by various other European powers, but remained a Spanish possession for the next four centuries. Originally populated by the indigenous Taíno people, Puerto Rico was colonized by Spain following the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1493.

Spanish and English are the official languages of the executive branch of government, though Spanish predominates. The territory's total population is approximately 3.2 million, more than 20 U.S. The capital and most populous city is San Juan. Virgin Islands it includes the eponymous main island and several smaller islands, such as Mona, Culebra, and Vieques. Puerto Rico is an archipelago among the Greater Antilles located between the Dominican Republic and the U.S. 'Free Associated State of Puerto Rico') and in previous centuries called Porto Rico in English, is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeast Caribbean Sea, approximately 1,000 miles (1,600 km) southeast of Miami, Florida. Apuntes biográficos/históricos Abstract from English Wikipedia: Puerto Rico (Spanish for 'Rich Port' abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (Spanish: Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit.

Biblioteca virtual de puerto rico