Puerto Rico Old San Juan bus tour
Puerto Rico (Spanish for rich port) is officially named the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, which is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean.
Puerto Ricans became U.S. citizens in 1917, and the United States Congress legislates many aspects of Puerto Rican life. However, the islanders may not vote in U.S. presidential elections.Since 1947, Puerto Ricans have been able to elect their own governor. The official languages of Puerto Rico are Spanish and English, with Spanish being the primary language. The island's current political status, including the possibility of statehood or independence, is widely debated in Puerto Rico. A referendum on statehood, independence, or continuance of the status quo held on November 6, 2012.
The terms boricua and borincano derive from Borikén and Borinquen respectively, and are commonly used to identify someone of Puerto Rican heritage. The island is also popularly known in Spanish as la isla del encanto, meaning the island of enchantment.
Columbus named the island San Juan Bautista, in honor of Saint John the Baptist. Eventually, traders and other maritime visitors came to refer to the entire island as Puerto Rico, and San Juan became the name of the main trading/shipping port.
For more on Puerto Rico visit:
www2.pr.gov/prgovEN/Pages/default.aspx
Royal Caribbean International, 9 night Eastern Caribbean Cruise, on the Explorer of the Seas, Voyager-class cruise ship.
Sailing itinerary:
01/13/2013 thru 01/22/2013
Cape Liberty, Bayonne, New Jersey, USA
San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
Samana, Dominican Republic
Labadee, Haiti
For more on Royal Caribbean International visit:
royalcaribbean.com
Video
Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
01/16/2013