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Puerto Rico

2020 NOV 16

Preliminary   > Geography   >   Places in news   >   Places in news

Why in news?

  • United States territory of Puerto Rico has voted in favour of statehood, and thus be treated at par with the current 50 states of the country.
  • The referendums in themselves have no power to change Puerto Rico’s status as they are non-binding on the US Congress, the sole body which can make a decision on the issue.

About Puerto Rico:

  • Puerto Rico, officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is an island located in the northeast Caribbean Sea, approximately 1,000 miles (1,600 km) southeast of  Florida, USA.
  • Since its discovery by the explorer Christopher Columbus in 1493, Puerto Rico was a part of the Spanish Empire for over 4 centuries until 1898, when it was annexed by the United States.
  • It is an unincorporated territory of the United States, along with Guam, North Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and the US Virgin Islands.
  • Puerto Rico gets only one member in the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the US Congress– but who has no voting power.
  • Puerto Ricans also cannot vote in US presidential elections and has no representation in the Senate.
  • Proponents of statehood argue that Puerto Rico–whose population at 31 lakhs is more than 21 US states, and whose residents have served in all the wars that the US has been involved in since World War I– should have rights at par with the other 50 states.

PRELIMS QUESTION

Consider the following statements regarding US political system:
1.United States of America follows a stricter system of separation of powers between executive and Legislature than India.
2.Rajya Sabha is modelled on the US senate in the allocation of seats to various states.
Which among the above statements is/are correct?
(a)1 only
(b)2 only
(c)Both 1 and 2
(d)Neither 1 nor 2

Answer to prelims question