Puerto Rico 🇵🇷

Puerto Rico belongs to the Caribbean, and it is a dependent territory rather than a country in the political sense. In formal use it is Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. San Juan is the capital.

By land area it covers 8,870 km², which ranks it 172nd of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Cyprus and just ahead of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands. That makes it a fraction smaller than Cyprus.

Around 3.2 million people live there, placing it 135th of 250 by population — between Uruguay above it and Bosnia and Herzegovina below. Among the 28 entries in the Caribbean it ranks 6th by area and 4th by population.

How Puerto Rico sits on the globe

The coordinates the dataset gives are 18.3° N, 66.5° W, which puts it in the northern hemisphere, roughly 2,032 km from the equator, in what geographers would call tropical latitudes.

India, Mali and Mauritania sit at almost exactly the same latitude on other parts of the globe.

No land border connects it to another territory. That puts it among the 85 entries of 250 here with no land neighbours, which shapes how it trades and who it deals with.

Population, density and language

Spread across 8,870 km², that works out at about 361 people per square kilometre, which makes it densely populated. Half the entries in this dataset fall below roughly 90 per square kilometre.

The demonym is Puerto Rican, so residents are Puerto Ricans.

Officially it is multilingual, listing English and Spanish. English, the first listed, is shared with 90 other entries worldwide.

Inside the Americas it places 23rd of 56 by population, and it accounts for 7.2% of everyone living in the Caribbean.

Money, internet and phone codes

The currency is the United States dollar ($, USD). That is a shared currency: 19 other entries use it, including American Samoa, the Bahamas, the British Indian Ocean Territory, the British Virgin Islands and Cambodia.

San Juan is the city to remember for this territory.

Its internet country code is .pr. The international dialling code is +1. In ISO terms it is pr in two letters and PRI in three.

It does not hold a UN seat of its own. The dataset does not record which state administers it, so this page does not guess. Of the 250 entries here, 57 are territories or observers rather than member states.

Fun facts about Puerto Rico

• Ranked by land area, Puerto Rico is 172nd out of the 250 countries and territories on this site.
• People from Puerto Rico are known as Puerto Ricans.
• Websites based there use the .pr domain.
• Its currency, the United States dollar, is shared with 19 other entries.
• It is a territory rather than a UN member state.
• India and Mali sit at almost the same latitude, on the far side of the globe.

Puerto Rico — frequently asked questions

What is the capital of Puerto Rico?

The capital of Puerto Rico is San Juan.

What currency does Puerto Rico use?

Puerto Rico uses the United States dollar, written $ (currency code USD). It is shared with 19 other entries.

What language is spoken in Puerto Rico?

Puerto Rico lists 2 official languages: English and Spanish.

Does Puerto Rico border any other country?

No. Puerto Rico has no land border with any other country, so every route in or out is by sea or air. 85 of the 250 entries on this site are in the same position.

How big is Puerto Rico?

Puerto Rico covers 8,870 km², ranking 172nd of 250 by land area. That makes it a fraction smaller than Cyprus.

What is the population of Puerto Rico?

Puerto Rico has a population of about 3.2 million, which makes it the 135th most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. Uruguay sits just above it and Bosnia and Herzegovina just below.

Is Puerto Rico a country?

Not in the political sense. Puerto Rico is a dependent territory rather than a sovereign state, and it is not a UN member. It appears on this site because it has its own flag, codes and statistics, but it does not have a seat at the United Nations.

Where is Puerto Rico located?

Puerto Rico is in the Caribbean, part of the Americas. Its reference coordinates are 18.3° north and 66.5° west, roughly 2,032 km from the equator in tropical latitudes.