ABSTRACT
One of the most densely populated islands of the Caribbean, Puerto Rico covers 9,100 square kilometres (3,500 square miles) and lies about 1,600 kilometres southeast of the state of Florida; it has been closely connected to the United States in economic and political matters since being ceded to the US by Spain in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. A dependent territory of the United States from that time, with Puerto Ricans holding US citizenship since 1917, the island became an independent commonwealth in 1952 with autonomy in internal matters while defence, currency, foreign relations and immigration remained US federal responsibilities.
