Puerto Rico, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a U.S. territory in the Caribbean Sea. This means that it is part of the United States and citizens of Puerto Rico are citizens of the United States as well. Puerto Rico is not an independent country, but there has been a movement for independence for almost two centuries. There have been protests, votes, and armed attacks for independence.
Puerto Rico has almost 4 million (4,000,000) people. Its political system is based on a republican system. It has two official languages: Spanish and English. The currency used is the United States dollar. Puerto Rico means "rich port" in Spanish.
The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico includes the largest, main island and a number of smaller islands, including Mona, Vieques, and Culebra. Of those three smaller islands, only Culebra and Vieques are populated all year. Mona is unpopulated, but employees of the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources sometimes visit the island to inspect it and its wildlife. People can visit the island for hiking and camping by getting the permission needed. San Juan, on the northern side of the main island, is the island's largest city and the capital of the territory. The common languages are Spanish spoken by 94.7% of the population and English, spoken by 5.3%.
On May 3, 2017, Puerto Rico filed for bankruptcy after a massive debt and weak economy. It is the largest bankruptcy case in American history.