PUERTO_RICO-Jessie

Puerto Rico[[image:http://www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/flags/puertorico/flagbig.GIF width="215" height="119"]]
__Life__ Life in Puerto Rico is the same as life in America, but in some ways different. Spanish is the main language, but English is required in all grade levels of school. Most puerto ricans speak both languages, but with spanish being their best. Some jobs in Puerto Rico include: doctors, nurses, lawyers, fisherman, working at the docks where they export their goods, etc. Jobs in Puerto Rico are basically the same as in the United States.

__The Land__ Puerto Rico is located in the Carribean Sea. In spanish, Puerto Rico means "rich port". The capital is San Juan and Puerto Rico is 1,000 miles away from Florida.From the 1980 census, the population is 3,187,570 people. They grow sugarcane, pineapples, bananas, coffee, tobacco, citrus, fruits, and timber. Some of the land is only tropical vegetation. The land is primarily urban with only 4% of it being protected by local and federal government. Twelve percent protecting land which is under the internationally recommended level. They raise livestock and then export it through the Panama Canal. Lobsters are the main fishing product, as well as tuna and snapper fish. __ History __ In 1493, Christopher Columbus discovered Puerto Rico on his second trip to the New World. In 1508, the Spanish arrived and in 1515, sugarcane was introduced. Three years after, African slave labor was brought to the island. Puerto Rico was ceded to the U.S. under the Treaty of Paris. Slavery continued until the abolition in 1873. Commonwealth status was chosen over independence or statehood. In 1927, Puerto Ricans were granted citizenship in the U.S. Elected governors have served since the year 1948 and on July 25, 1952, U.S. Congress declared the island as the Common Wealth of Puerto Rico.

__Education-__ Education in Puerto Rico is different only because the main language is Spanish. Therefore, kids there have to take English as a language just like we take Spanish and other languages here. There is however, a vast difference in grades and acceptance rates to competitive colleges. They do have public schools and private schools. A private school they have in Puerto Rico is the Caribbean School and a public school they have is Powers Catholic.

__Current News in Puerto Rico-__ In San Juan, Hewett-Packard Company has to cut 100 jobs at its manufacturing plant to reduce costs. David Trabal, a local personell director, say that the cuts will be done by the end of April and anyone laid off can apply for another position in the company, if they qualify. In the northwest coastal town of Aguadilla, workers in imaging and printing will be affected by the cuts.

My life is the same as peers in Puerto Rico because they have to go to school just like me and people work there just like my family does here. The difference is that theirs somewhat of a language barrier and some things are flipped around. We still have the same economic crisis where workers need to be laid off.