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citizens since 1917, and can move freely between the island and the mainland. In 1898, following the Spanish–American War, the United States acquired Puerto Rico.
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By the late 19th century, a distinct Puerto Rican identity began to emerge, centered around a fusion of indigenous, African, and European elements. Within the Spanish Empire, Puerto Rico played a secondary but strategic role compared to wealthier colonies like Peru and New Spain. An influx of African slaves and settlers primarily from the Canary Islands and Andalusia vastly changed the cultural and demographic landscape of the island. Puerto Rico was contested by other European powers, but remained a Spanish possession for the next four centuries. It was then colonized by Spain following the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1493. Puerto Rico was first settled by a succession of indigenous peoples beginning 2,000 to 4,000 years ago these included the Ortoiroid, Saladoid, and Taíno. Spanish and English are the official languages of the executive branch of government, though Spanish predominates. It has roughly 3.2 million residents, and its capital and most populous city is San Juan. Virgin Islands it includes the eponymous main island and several smaller islands, such as Mona, Culebra, and Vieques.
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The Commonwealth is an archipelago among the Greater Antilles located between the Dominican Republic and the U.S. It is located in the northeast Caribbean Sea, approximately 1,000 miles (1,600 km) southeast of Miami, Florida. Puerto Rico ( Spanish for 'rich port' abbreviated PR Taino: Boriken, Borinquen), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( Spanish: Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit.'Free Associated State of Puerto Rico'), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated territory of the United States.
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