History and Geography of Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is the easternmost island of the Greater Antilles in the Caribbean Sea, approximately a thousand miles southeast of Florida and just east of the Dominican Republic and west of the U.S. Virgin Islands. The island is approximately 90 miles wide in an east-west direction and 30 miles wide between the north and south coasts. Larger Than Delaware and Rhode Island Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States but if it became a state, Puerto Ricos land area of 3,435 square miles (8,897 km2) would make it the 49th largest state (larger than Delaware and Rhode Island). The coasts of tropical Puerto Rico are flat but most of the interior is mountainous. The tallest mountain is in the center of the island, Cerro de Punta, which is 4,389 feet high (1338 meters). About eight percent of the land is arable for agriculture. Droughts and hurricanes are the major natural hazards. Four Million Puerto Ricans There are almost four million Puerto Ricans, which would make the island the 23rd most populous state (between Alabama and Kentucky). San Juan, Puerto Ricos capital, is located on the north side of the island. The islands population is quite dense, with about 1100 people per square mile (427 people per square kilometer). The Primary Language Is Spanish Spanish is the primary language on the island and for a short time earlier this decade, it was the commonwealths official language. While most Puerto Ricans speak some English, only about a quarter of the population is fully bilingual. The population is a mixture of Spanish, African, and indigenous heritage. About seven-eighths of Puerto Ricans are Roman Catholic and literacy is about 90%. The Arawakan people settled the island around the ninth century CE. In 1493, Christopher Columbus discovered the island and claimed it for Spain. Puerto Rico, which means rich port in Spanish, wasnt settled until 1508 when Ponce de Leon founded a town near present-day San Juan. Puerto Rico remained a Spanish colony for more than four centuries until the United States defeated Spain in the Spanish-American war in 1898 and occupied the island. The Economy Until the middle of the twentieth century, the island was one of the poorest in the Caribbean. In 1948 the U.S. government began Operation Bootstrap which infused millions of dollars into the Puerto Rican economy and made it one of the wealthiest. United States firms that are located in Puerto Rico receive tax incentives to encourage investments. Major exports include pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, sugarcane, and coffee. The U.S. is the major trading partner, 86% of exports are sent to the U.S. and 69% of imports come from the fifty states. United States Citizens Since 1917 Puerto Ricans have been citizens of the United States since a law was passed in 1917. Even though they are citizens, Puerto Ricans pay no federal income tax and they can not vote for president. Unrestricted U.S. migration of Puerto Ricans has made New York City the one place with the most Puerto Ricans anywhere in the world (over one million). Pursuing Statehood Through the U.S. Congress In 1967, 1993, and 1998 the citizens of the island voted to maintain the status quo. In November 2012, Puerto Ricans voted not to maintain the status quo and to pursue statehood through the U.S. Congress. 10-Year Transitional Process If Puerto Rico were to become the fifty-first state, the U.S. federal government and the state-to-be will establish a ten-year transitional process towards statehood. The federal government is expected to spend about three billion dollars annually in the state toward benefits not currently received by the Commonwealth. Puerto Ricans would also begin paying federal income tax and business would lose the special tax exemptions that are a major part of the economy. The new state would probably obtain six new voting members of the House of Representatives and of course, two Senators. The stars on the United States flag would change for the first time in more than fifty years. If independence were chosen by the citizens of Puerto Rico in the future, then the United States will assist the new country through a decade-long transition period. International recognition would come quickly for the new nation, which would have to develop its own defense and a new government. However, for now, Puerto Rico remains a territory of the United States, with all that such a relationship entails.

Military Policy of South Korea - 1088 Words

Military Policy of South Korea In recent days, there are a lot of controversial issues in the world. For example, there is capital punishment, experiments on animals, abortion, gun control, etc. Especially, there is an argument about the military policy of South Korea. The policy has been argued for a long time from the past to recent times in South Korea. Some people say that South Korea has to have a military policy as conscription. Conscription is current policy in South Korea which government forces all young men to join the army. Sometimes it is called draft policy. On the other hand, other people say that there is no problem, even if South Korea has a volunteer military system. Almost all countries in the world have volunteer†¦show more content†¦Furthermore, this negative thinking also influences to soldiers’ fighting ability which is the basic ability for soldiers. They are going to hate training time for army skills, also. Finally, this bad cycle continues. I t causes rising social cost for their low achievement and for retraining them. Government pays this cost which came from the people’s taxes. It is not a reasonable way for a nation at all. These problems can be fixed by the volunteer military system. This system does not force young people to join the army. Furthermore, soldiers can have enough vacation and get enough salary, because joining the army is the same as getting a job in this system. It prevents infringement of human rights which is the first problem of draft policy. This system can fix the second problem of draft policy, also. Negative attitudes of soldiers who are conscripted into army will be changed to positive way, because they will think that they are not suppressed any more. The rate of violence and desertion in the army will be reduced. Moreover, soldiers can get more salary or time for vacation if they work hard in the army. Therefore, works in the army will progress efficiently and fast. Finally, the gov ernment will not waste people’s money for costs such as retraining soldiers. It might be very difficult to change at once. Therefore, it must be changed steadily and gradually. For example, the government canShow MoreRelatedThe Conflict Between North And South Korea During The Korean War1193 Words   |  5 PagesOn August 4th, 2015, two South Korean soldiers were injured by a North Korean landmine, prompting the South for the first time in eleven years to resume anti-North propaganda broadcast via loudspeakers across the border. These conflicts provoked cross-border fire and heated rhetoric, however China and the United States are usually at the ready to ease friction between the North and South. 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Immune System and Music Essay Example For Students

Immune System and Music Essay While music has long been recognized as an effective form of therapy to provide an outlet for emotions, the notion of using song, sound frequencies and rhythm to treat physical ailments is a relatively new domain, says psychologist Daniel J. Levities, PhD, who studies the neuroscience of music at McGill University in Montreal. A wealth of new studies is touting the benefits of music on mental and physical health. For example, in a meta-analysis of 400 studies, Levities and his postgraduate research fellow, Mona Lisa Chance, PhD, found that music improves the bodys immune yester function and reduces stress. Listening to music was also found to be more effective than prescription drugs in reducing anxiety before surgery (Trends in Cognitive Sciences, April, 2013). Weve found compelling evidence that musical interventions can play a health-care role in settings ranging from operating rooms to family clinics, says Levities, author of the book This is Your Brain on Music (Plume/ Penguin, 2007). The analysis also points to Just how music influences health. The researchers found that listening to and playing music increase the bodys production f the antibody mucilaginous A and natural killer cells ? the cells that attack invading viruses and boost the immune systems effectiveness. Music also reduces levels of the stress hormone cortical. This is one reason why music is associated with relaxation, Levities says. One recent study on the link between music and stress found that music can help soothe pediatric emergency room patients MAMA Pediatrics, July, 2013). In the trial with 42 children ages 3 to 11, University of Alberta researchers found that patients who listened to relaxing music while getting an IV inserted reported significantly less pain, and some demonstrated significantly less distress, compared with patients who did not listen to music. In addition, in the music-listening group, more than two-thirds of the health-care providers reported that the Avis were very easy to administer ? compared with 38 percent of providers treating the group that did not listen to music. There is growing scientific evidence showing that the brain responds to music in very specific ways, says Lisa Hurtling, PhD, professor of pediatrics at the University of Alberta and lead author of the study. Playing music for kids during painful medical procedures is a simple intervention that can make a big difference.