Puerto Rico, the easternmost island of the Greater Antilles, was discovered by Christopher Columbus during his second voyage, on November 19, 1493. The island was inhabited by a group of Arawak Indians known as Tainos, who called the island Boriken.
The Tainos were forced into slavery. Within a few decades much of the native population had been decimated by decease, violence and a high occurrence of suicide. African slaves were introduced to replace them. Puerto Rico soon became an important stronghold and port of the Spanish Empire. Various forts and walls, such as La Fortaleza, El Castillo de San Felipe and El Castillo de San Cristobal, were built to protect the port of San Juan from European enemies.
Puerto Rico is located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands. Roughly rectangular in shape, Puerto Rico extends about 100 miles from east to west and 35 miles from north to south. With the adjacent islands and keys, it has a total of 3,435 square miles. It has a population of about four million people, 1,500,00 of which live in San Juan, the capital, and its surrounding areas.
Puerto Rico is today a major hub of Caribbean commerce, finance, tourism and communications. San Juan is one of the world's busiest cruise ship ports, and its standard of living continues to be among the highest in the Western Hemisphere.
My wife and I spent an unforgettable vacation during the first week of August, 2008, accompanied by our grandson Nicolas and many members of my daughter-in-law Aixa, most of whom were born in the island.
The main tourist attractions are, of course, El Viejo San Juan, the old city, with its colonial buildings and cobblestone streets, all kept in immaculate condition; and El Yunque, the only tropical rain forest in the US National Forest System. El Yunque is a paradise for all nature lovers. Visitors from all over the world come to sample this renowned eco-tourism venue.
We toured the whole island, visiting the birthplaces of some of our companions and also many beautiful beaches and interesting places.
Please click on PUERTO RICO PHOTOS to enjoy the vistas.
The Tainos were forced into slavery. Within a few decades much of the native population had been decimated by decease, violence and a high occurrence of suicide. African slaves were introduced to replace them. Puerto Rico soon became an important stronghold and port of the Spanish Empire. Various forts and walls, such as La Fortaleza, El Castillo de San Felipe and El Castillo de San Cristobal, were built to protect the port of San Juan from European enemies.
Puerto Rico is located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands. Roughly rectangular in shape, Puerto Rico extends about 100 miles from east to west and 35 miles from north to south. With the adjacent islands and keys, it has a total of 3,435 square miles. It has a population of about four million people, 1,500,00 of which live in San Juan, the capital, and its surrounding areas.
Puerto Rico is today a major hub of Caribbean commerce, finance, tourism and communications. San Juan is one of the world's busiest cruise ship ports, and its standard of living continues to be among the highest in the Western Hemisphere.
My wife and I spent an unforgettable vacation during the first week of August, 2008, accompanied by our grandson Nicolas and many members of my daughter-in-law Aixa, most of whom were born in the island.
The main tourist attractions are, of course, El Viejo San Juan, the old city, with its colonial buildings and cobblestone streets, all kept in immaculate condition; and El Yunque, the only tropical rain forest in the US National Forest System. El Yunque is a paradise for all nature lovers. Visitors from all over the world come to sample this renowned eco-tourism venue.
We toured the whole island, visiting the birthplaces of some of our companions and also many beautiful beaches and interesting places.
Please click on PUERTO RICO PHOTOS to enjoy the vistas.
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