Your Nation: Puerto Rico

The largest territory of the United States, in both population and size, Puerto Rico rests in the Caribbean. At around 1,000 miles southeast of Florida, it’s also the closest of the territories to the contiguous 48 states. Like Hawai‘i, Puerto Rico is an archipelago; it comprises 143 islands, but most people identify the name with its main island, also called Puerto Rico. It’s home to over 3.2 million U.S. citizens.

Puerto Rican Culture

The original Taino language and culture of the region was suppressed by Spanish forces under Juan Ponce de León in the 1500s. What evolved was a combination of Spanish influences on indigenous language and practices. Some Taino words were adopted into Spanish or developed into English words (like hurricane). African influence in Puerto Rico arrived via the slave trade and has continued to thrive in culture and music, notably in the popular modern music genre reggaeton.

How It Joined the U.S.

The U.S. invaded Puerto Rico in 1898 during the Spanish-American War. A nonmilitary government was born with the Foraker Act in 1900, and the Supreme Court ruled in 1906 that the U.S. Constitution applies to its citizens. Puerto Ricans became U.S. citizens with the passage of the Jones Act in 1917.

Puerto Rican Politics

Like most U.S. states, Puerto Rico’s government is divided into three branches: executive (the governor), judicial (the courts), and legislative (a 27-member Senate and 51-member House of Representatives). Puerto Ricans can vote in U.S. primaries but not in presidential elections. A Puerto Rican who takes up permanent residency in one of the 50 states or D.C. can vote for president. Puerto Rico has one nonvoting member in the U.S. House of Representatives but no members in the Senate. In recent referenda, a majority of Puerto Ricans, including current governor Jenniffer González Colón, favor statehood.

Music as a Major Export

Jennifer Lopez is the daughter of Puerto Rican parents. Ricky Martin got his start in the territory’s famous boy band Menudo. Bad Bunny, who headlined the Super Bowl LX halftime show, was raised west of San Juan in Vega Baja. And one of the most popular songs in the history of the world, “Despacito,” arrived in 2017 from Puerto Rican artists Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee.

Troy Brownfield is the  Post’s executive editor.

This article is featured in the March/April 2026 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. Subscribe to the magazine for more art, inspiring stories, fiction, humor, and features from our archives.