Puerto Rico Researched via: Student Name: Kenrick Derrick Date: May 13, 2010

Where is Puerto Rico located? Puerto Rico is the smallest of the group of islands known as the West Indies or Greater Antilles in the Atlantic Ocean. Along with the Lesser Antilles, South and Central America, the West Indies surround the Caribbean Sea. The following map shows the Caribbean region. Puerto Rico is located some 1,000 miles (1,600 Km) to the southeast of Miami, Florida and some 500 miles (800 Km) to the north of Venezuela.

Motto: Puerto Rico lo hace mejor! (Puerto Rico does it better!) The land of Borinquen where I have been born. It is a florid garden of magical brilliance. A sky always clean serves as a canopy. And placid lullabies are given by 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!

Sports: Baseball Baseball fans are devoted to the sport. The season champs head out to the Caribbean Series to face championship teams from several other Caribbean countries, including Venezuela, México and the Dominican Republic. Basketball There is a well-organized amateur league with 16 teams and a new 6 team pro league. A current schedule is available from the "Federación de Baloncesto". Basketball courts can be found everywhere. Biking & Skating Enjoy the scenery as you ride thru the island. "Parque Central" has facilities for biking & skating, located in the heart of Santurce, San Juan.

History: The history of Puerto Rico began with the settlement of the archipelago of Puerto Rico by the Ortoiroid people between 3000 and 2000 BC. Other tribes, such as the Saladoid and Arawak Indians, populated the island between 430 BC and 1000 AD. At the time of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492, the dominant indigenous culture was that of the Taínos. The Taíno culture died out during the latter half of the 16th century because of exploitation by Spanish settlers, the war they waged on the Taíno, and diseases introduced by the invaders.Ortoiroid people SaladoidArawakTaínos Located in the northeastern Caribbean, Puerto Rico formed a key part of the Spanish Empire from the early years of the exploration, conquest and colonization of the New World. The island was a major military post during many wars between Spain and other European powers for control of the region in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. The smallest of the Greater Antilles, Puerto Rico was a stepping-stone in the passage from Europe to Cuba, Mexico, Central America, and the northern territories of South America. Throughout most of the 19th century until the conclusion of the Spanish– American War, Puerto Rico and Cuba were the last two Spanish colonies in the New World; they served as Spain's final outposts in a strategy to regain control of the American continents