Puerto Rico: Flag and Facts
Puerto Rico's flag has five equal horizontal stripes alternating red and white, plus a blue triangle at the hoist bearing one large white star.
- Official name
- Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
- Capital
- San Juan
- Region
- Caribbean
- Population
- 3 million (2025)
- Languages
- English, Spanish
- Currency
- United States dollar
- Area
- 8,870 km² (3,425 sq mi)
- People
- Puerto Rican
- Calling code
- +1
- Highest point
- Cerro de Punta 1,338 m
- Independence
- none (territory of the US with commonwealth status)
- National symbols
- Puerto Rican spindalis (bird), coqui (frog)
- Borders
- No land borders
- Status
- Territory (not a sovereign country)
About Puerto Rico
The lone star stands for the island. The triangle's three sides represent the three branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial. Blue covers the sky and the waters off the coast, red the blood of warriors, and white liberty, victory, and peace.
Columbus's second voyage led Spain to claim the island in 1493. Four centuries of colonial rule nearly wiped out the native population and brought in enslaved African labor. In 1898, after the Spanish-American War, Spain gave the island to the US. Puerto Ricans became US citizens in 1917, started electing their own governors in 1948, and adopted a constitution in 1952. Votes in 1967, 1993, and 1998 kept the status quo, while a 2020 referendum leaned slightly toward statehood. Hurricane Maria in 2017 was the worst storm to strike the island in eight decades.
Did you know?
- The coqui, a tiny frog, and the Puerto Rican spindalis, a bird, are national symbols.
- Puerto Rico covers slightly less than three times the area of Rhode Island.
- Cerro de Punta is the island's highest point, rising to 1,338 meters.
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Questions about Puerto Rico
What is the capital of Puerto Rico?
San Juan, whose urban area holds about 2.4 million people.
What languages are spoken in Puerto Rico?
Spanish and English are both official.
Sources
- CIA World Factbook, checked October 8, 2026
- REST Countries data (mledoze/countries), checked October 8, 2026
- Flag artwork: flag-icons (MIT), checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.