The Government of Puerto Rico - The World Countries

Puerto Rico - Government

Based on the etymolgy of Puerto Rico, it was Christopher COLUMBUS originally named the island San Juan Bautista (Saint John the Baptist) and the capital city and main port Cuidad de Puerto Rico (Rich Port City); over time, the names were shortened and transposed. The Government system in this country is the unincorporated organized territory of the US with local self-government; republican form of territorial government with separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches; note - reference Puerto Rican Federal Relations Act, 2 March 1917, as amended by Public Law 600, 3 July 1950 type and the different Administrative divisions includes: none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US government, but 78 municipalities (municipios, singular - municipio) are considered second-order: Adjuntas, Aguada, Aguadilla, Aguas Buenas, Aibonito, Anasco, Arecibo, Arroyo, Barceloneta, Barranquitas, Bayamon, Cabo Rojo, Caguas, Camuy, Canovanas, Carolina, Catano, Cayey, Ceiba, Ciales, Cidra, Coamo, Comerio, Corozal, Culebra, Dorado, Fajardo, Florida, Guanica, Guayama, Guayanilla, Guaynabo, Gurabo, Hatillo, Hormigueros, Humacao, Isabela, Jayuya, Juana Diaz, Juncos, Lajas, Lares, Las Marias, Las Piedras, Loiza, Luquillo, Manati, Maricao, Maunabo, Mayaguez, Moca, Morovis, Naguabo, Naranjito, Orocovis, Patillas, Penuelas, Ponce, Quebradillas, Rincon, Rio Grande, Sabana Grande, Salinas, San German, San Juan, San Lorenzo, San Sebastian, Santa Isabel, Toa Alta, Toa Baja, Trujillo Alto, Utuado, Vega Alta, Vega Baja, Vieques, Villalba, Yabucoa, Yauco

National symbols

Puerto Rican spindalis (bird), coqui (frog).

The flag

The National flag of Puerto Rico has five equal horizontal bands of red (top, center, and bottom) alternating with white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side has a large five-pointed white star in the center, symbolizing the country; the three sides of the triangle stand for the executive, legislative, and judicial parts of the government; blue stands for the sky and the coastal waters, red for the blood shed by warriors, and white for liberty, victory, and peace.

note: design initially influenced by the US flag, but similar to the Cuban flag, with the colors of the bands and triangle reversed

The National Anthem

Title	"La Borinquena" (The Puerto Rican)
Lyric/music	Manuel Fernandez JUNCOS/Felix Astol ARTES

note: music adopted 1952, lyrics adopted 1977; the local anthem's name is a reference to the indigenous name of the island, Borinquen; the music was originally composed as a dance in 1867 and gained popularity in the early 20th century; there is some evidence that the music was written by Francisco RAMIREZ; as a commonwealth of the US, "The Star-Spangled Banner" is official (see United States)

More about the government of Puerto Rico

Constitution
Date of Independence	none (territory of the US with commonwealth status)
National holiday	US Independence Day, 4 July (1776); Puerto Rico Constitution Day, 25 July (1952)
Legal system	civil law system based on the Spanish civil code, within the framework of the US federal system
International law organization participation
History	Previous 1900 (Organic Act, or Foraker Act); latest ratified by referendum 3 March 1952, approved 3 July 1952, effective 25 July 1952
Amendment process	Proposed by a concurrent resolution of at least two-thirds majority by the total Legislative Assembly membership; approval requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the membership of both houses and approval by a majority of voters in a special referendum; if passed by at least three-fourths Assembly vote, the referendum can be held concurrently with the next general election; constitutional articles such as the republican form of government or the bill of rights cannot be amended
Citizenship
Executive Branch
Chief of state	President Donald J. TRUMP (since 20 January 2025)
Head of government	Governor Jenniffer GONZÁLEZ-COLÓN (since 2 January 2025)
Cabinet	Cabinet appointed by governor with the consent of the Legislative Assembly
Election/appointment process	president and vice president indirectly elected on the same ballot by an Electoral College of electors chosen from each state; president and vice president serve a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); under the US Constitution, residents of Puerto Rico do not vote in elections for US president and vice president, but they can vote in Democratic and Republican party presidential primary elections; governor directly elected by simple-majority popular vote for a 4-year term (no term limits)
Most recent election date	5 November 2024
Election results	2024: Jenniffer GONZÁLEZ-COLÓN elected governor; percent of vote - Jenniffer GONZÁLEZ-COLÓN (PNP) 39.4%, Juan DALMAU Ramírez (PIP) 32.7%, Jesús Manuel ORTIZ (PPD) 21.1%, Javier JIMÉNEZ (PD) 6.7%, other 0.1% 2020: Pedro PIERLUISI elected governor; percent of vote - Pedro PIERLUISI (PNP) 32.9%, Carlos DELGADO (PPD) 31.6%, Alexandra LUGARO (independent) 14.2%, Juan DALMAU (PIP) 13.7%, other 7.6%
Expected date of next election	7 November 2028
Legislative branch
Legislature name	Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)
Legislative structure	Bicameral
Term in office	4 years
Judicial branch
Highest court(s)	Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 8 associate justices)
Judge selection and term of office	Justices appointed by the governor and confirmed by majority Senate vote; judges serve until compulsory retirement at age 70
Subordinate courts	Court of Appeals; First Instance Court comprised of superior and municipal courts
Diplomatic representation in the US
Diplomatic representation from the US
Embassy	None (territory of the US with commonwealth status)
National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites	1 (cultural); note - excerpted from the US entry
Selected World Heritage Site locales	La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site