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PUERTO RICO
Francisco Gonzalo Marin designed the national flag in 1894. The meanings of the flag is red symbolizes the "blood that nourishes the govt., white symbolizes victory, liberty and independence, the blue triangle represents the three sides of govt. and waters of the ocean and the white star symbolizes the island-country of Puerto Rico.

government structure:Congress is made up of two houses the senate & the house of representatives. puerto rico has the same structure as U.S. government and runs like a state. governor: Luis G. Fortuño 

president:Barack Obama in 1898 the united states invaded puerto rico and gained all political control. therefore puerto rico is the united states territory . 
 * United States controls: **
 * interstate trade
 * foreign relations and commerce
 * customs administration
 * control of air, land and sea
 * immigration and emigration
 * nationality and citizenship
 *  currency
 * military service, military bases, army, navy and air force,
 * declaration of war
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">constitutionality of laws
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">jurisdictions and legal procedures
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">treaties
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">radio and television
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">agriculture
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">mining and minerals,highways, postal system, social security, and others controlled by the federal government in the United States.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">capitol of puerto rico :

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Puerto ricos main religion is roman catholic. 85% people are roman catholic.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">school system = =
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">education system || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">grade levels ||
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">primary school(elementary) || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">1-6 ||
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">secondary school(intermediate and high school) || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">7-12 ||
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">high level || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">college ||

<span style="color: #1bd9fb; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">SPORTS <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">: <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">a lot of sports played in puerto rico.baseball is the main sport.other sports played are basketball, biking, golf,hiking, horse racing, surfing, swimming, tennis and volleyball. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;">

HOLIDAYS <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">puerto ricos national flower is the flor de maga,similar to the hibiscus
 * Day || Holiday in English || Holiday in Spanish ||
 * January 1st || New Year || Año Nuevo ||
 * January 6 || Epiphany or Three Kings Day || Día de Reyes ||
 * January 11 || Birthday of Eugenio María de Hostos || Nacimiento de Eugenio María de Hostos ||
 * 3rd Monday in February || President’s Day || Día de los Presidentes ||
 * March 22 || Emancipation Day || Día de la Emancipación ||
 * Friday Before Easter || Good Friday || Viernes Santo ||
 * April 16 || Birthday of José de Diego || Natalicio de José de Diego ||
 * Last Monday of May || Memorial Day || Recordatorio de los Muertos de la Guerra ||
 * July 4 || Independence Day || Día de la Independencia de Los Estados Unidos ||
 * July 15 || Birthday of Don Luis Muñoz Rivera || Natalicio de Don Luis Muñoz Rivera ||
 * July 25 || Constitution Day || Constitución del Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico ||
 * July 27 || Birthday of Dr. José Celso Barbosa || Nacimiento del Dr. José Celso Barbosa ||
 * First Monday in September || Labor Day || Día del Trabajo ||
 * Second Monday in October || Columbus Day || Día de la Raza/Descubrimiento de América ||
 * November 11 || Veterans Day || Día de los Veteranos/Día del Armisticio ||
 * November 19 || Discovery of Puerto Rico || Día del Descubrimiento de Puerto Rico ||
 * Fourth Thursday in November || Thanksgiving || Día de Acción de Gracias ||
 * December 24 || Christmas Eve || Nochebuena ||
 * December 25 || Christmas Day || Navidad ||
 * December 28 || Day of the Innocents || Día de los Inocentes ||
 * December 31 || New Year’s Eve || Año Viejo ||

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">national tree: ceiba

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">national bird :Reinita Mora <span style="color: #cc3300; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">FOODS <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">a popular dish in puerto rico is <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;"> rice and beans with fried plantains, or sweet plantains

<span style="color: #fb8e34; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 170%;">MUSIC <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">The major type of music in puerto rico is salsa. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> Originally developed within the Puerto Rican community of New York, it draws heavily from the musical roots of the Cuban and the African-Caribbean experience. []

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 160%;">COLUMBIAN EXCHANGE

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The columbian exchange was a widespread exchange of animals, plants, culture, human populations and diseases. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> When Christopher Columbus arrived in Puerto Rico during his second voyage on November 19, 1493, the island was inhabited by a group of Arawak Indians known as Taínos. They called the island "Borikén" or, in Spanish, "Borinquen". Columbus named the island San Juan Bautista, in honor of Saint John the Baptist. Eventually, traders and other maritime visitors came to refer to the entire island as "Puerto Rico", and "San Juan" became the name of the main trading/shipping port. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> In 1508, Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León became the island's first governor to take office. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> Soon thereafter, The Spanish began to colonize the island. The indigenous population (Taínos) came to be exploited and forced into slavery. Within 50 years they were reduced to near extinction by the harsh conditions of work and by European infectious diseases such as smallpox, tyhpus, and measles, to which they had no natural immunity to so millions died.