, Puerto Rico
1895 - PORTO RICO

Puerto Rico , West Indies . See PORTO RICO

Porto Rico , põr'to ree'ko ( Sp . Puerto Rico , pwêr'to ree'ko , i.e. , " rich port " ) , one of the Spanish West India Islands , the fourth in size of the Antilles , E. of Hayti and W. of the Virgin Islands , lat . ( S.W. point ) 17 ° 56 ' N. , lon . 67 ° 10 ' W. , 90 miles long from E. to W. , and 36 miles broad . A range of mountains runs through the island from E. to W. , its loftiest peak being 3678 feet high . In the interior are extensive savannas , on which numerous herds are pastured , and along the coasts are tracts of level , fer- tile land . Nearly the whole of the N. coast is lined with navigable lagoons , some of them 10 miles long , and many of the rivers can be navigated a distance of 5 or 6 miles , There are numerous bays and creeks , deep enough for vessels of considerable burden ; but the N. coast is subject to tremendous ground seas , which beat against the cliffs with great violence . Only three harbors are safe , namely , Guanica and Hovas , on the S. coast , and San Juan , on the N. There are no serpents or other reptiles on the island , but rats abound . The climate is generally salubrious . Gold is found in small lumps and in dust in the streams flowing from the heights . Copper , iron ; lead , and coal have also been found , and there are two salines or salt - ponds worked by the government . Porto Rico is wholly an agri- cultural island ; its products are sugar , rum , molasses , cof- fee , cotton , excellent tobacco , hides , live - stock , dye - woods , lignum - vitæ , timber , ground provisions , rice , salt , & c . The work on the farms is effected by free labor , slavery having been here abolished . The trade of Porto Rico is chiefly with the United States , Great Britain , Spain , Cuba , and Germany . The total value of produce exported from Porto Rico in 1846 was $ 5,797,200 ; in 1851 , $ 5,761,974 ; in 1874 , $ 12,822,450 ; and in 1885 , $ 12,924,747 ; imports in 1885 , $ 10,805,421 ; arrivals , 1884-85 , 1648 vessels ; tonnage , 1,108,396 . Porto Rico is governed by a captain - general , who is president of the royal audiencia and is assisted by a junta of military officers . It is divided into 7 departments . Principal towns , San Juan de Puerto Rico , Mayaguez , Ponce , Arecibo , Aguadilla , and Guayama . Porto Rico was dis- covered by Columbus in 1493. It 1509 it was invaded by the Spaniards from Hayti , who in a few years exterminated the natives , numbering about 700,000 . Present pop . 754,313 , -Inhab . PUERTORIQUEÑO , pwer - to - re - kan'yo ; plural , PUERTORIQUEÑOS , pwer - to - re - kan'yoce .

Lippincott's Gazetteer of the World: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World Containing Notices of Over One Hundred and Twenty-five Thousand Places ... Joseph Thomas January 1, 1895 J.B. Lippincott

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