Puerto Rico lies at the eastern end of the major island chain of the Caribbean, the Greater Antilles. Puerto Rico's total area, including the neighboring islands it administers, is about 3,515 square miles (9,104 square kilometers). The two largest island dependencies, Vieques and Culebra lie east of Puerto Rico. In the west are three smaller island dependencies; Mona, Monito, and Desecheo. The relatively smooth coastline is fringed by many small islands and cays, especially in the south and east.
The island is roughly rectangular in shape and stretches for 110 miles (180 kilometers) from east to west between Punta Jiguero and Punta Puerca, with a width from north to south averaging 35 miles (56 kilometers).
Deep oceanic waters fringe Puerto Rico. The Mona Passage, which separates the island from Hispaniola to the west, is about 75 miles (120 kilometers) wide and more than 3,300 feet (1,000 meters) deep. Off the northern coast is the 28,000 foot (8,500 meter) deep Puerto Rico Trench, and to the south the sea bottom descends to the 16,400 foot (5,000 meter).
Only to the east is there a broad continental shelf where the islands of Vieques and Culebra are structural continuations of the nearby Virgin Islands.
Puerto Rico is topographically rugged; its surface consists largely of hills, slopes, and mountains. The mountainous core is formed by the Cordillera Central and the Sierra de Luquillo, continuations of the Cordillera Central on neighboring Hispaniola. Both mountain ranges represent uplifted old surfaces strongly dissected by river erosion. Hill regions of equal irregularity and unevenness extend north and south of these mountains. Only 30 percent of the island can be classified as level or undulating, mostly in the form of an encircling narrow coastal plain.
The island is situated firmly within the zone of the trade winds, which blow from the east and northeast most of the year, extreme temperatures are rare, the average minimum and maximum being 63° F (17° C) in February and 88° F (31° C) in August. Great variability in precipitation, however, is the norm.
At the northeastern end of the island lies the El Yunque (The anvil) rain forest where the sounds of the coqui frog can be heard in all its splendor at night. The natural vegetation of the island before it became inhabited was forest. It ranged from low woodland, cactus scrub, and mangrove in tidal lagoons along windswept coasts to luxuriant tropical evergreen forests of the cordillera and sierras. Sites like the forest reserves of the Sierra de Luquillo in the northeast Evergreen tropical rain forest and mountain forest at higher altitudes still survive at Luquillo. Tropical palm trees and tree ferns still grow densely right up to the mountain crests. Elsewhere semievergreen seasonal forests are found in the southern hills, and dry woodland and cactus savannas remain in coastal areas of the south.
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I love to visit Puerto Rico and stay in the fancy and very nice and clean hotels close to the Old San Juan. English language is spoken. They accept all major credit cards and American Dollar is king there. I rent a car and travel across the island to visit the south where I can have a fantastic diner with friends at restaurant by the sea. I can see the ocean from their large windows. The view is magnificent.
If I want to stay the night I go to places called "la posada", is like a mini hotel with wonderful cooking for breakfast, extra clean air condition rooms, quiete, where I spend the night and is very affordable. The view is breath taking. I find the inhabitants there to be very friendly and helpful. If I travel to the south of the island they go out of their way to please me, they love American people there and greatly appreciate our visits. I just love it.
The fresh fruit drinks are fantastic. The shopping malls are spectacular. I recognized a lot of the major stores there which carry a lot of of USA merchandise and English is frequently spoken. All kinds of fast foods as in USA main land.
I usually run out of money by the time I return home. I can't wait to go back again!
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