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Puerto Rico History Puerto Rico

 
 
Area : 3459  sq.mi - Population 3887652 hab.
Puerto Rico

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History Puerto Rico

 Historical dates

Until the XVc, the pacifist Tainos (originally from South America) inhabit the whole territory of the island and live on agriculture.
1493, Christopher Columbus arrives on November 19th.
1508, beginning of Spanish colonization.
1510/11, rebellion of the Tainos.
1521, the island officially takes the name of Puerto Rico (with San Juan for capital city).
1873, the island's 31,000 slaves (out of 600,000 inhabitants) are emancipated.
1897/98, autonomy of Puerto Rico.
February 15th 1898, the United States send Spain an ultimatum after a naval incident (the war starts on July 25th).
1889, Spain gives the island away to the United States with the treaty of Paris.
1900, Puerto Rico officially becomes American territory.
1917, the inhabitants officially receive American nationality.
1948, Luis Munoz Marin becomes the island's first Puerto Rican governor.
1950/54, great Puerto Rican immigration spell to the US and New York.
1952, Puerto Rico obtains the status of autonomous state associated to the Commonwealth.
1993, a referendum on the island extends the constitutional status quo (although 42 % of the inhabitants are in favour of the island's annexation to the USA).