Caja de Muertos is an uninhabited island off the southern coast of Puerto Rico, in the municipality of Ponce. The island is protected by the Reserva Natural Caja de Muertos natural reserve, because of its native turtle traffic. Hikers and beachgoers are often seen in the island, which can be reached by ferry from the La Guancha Boardwalk sector of Ponce Playa. Together with Cardona, Ratones, Morrillito, Isla del Frio, Gatas, and Isla de Jueyes, Caja de Muertos is one of seven islands ascribed to the municipality of Ponce.
La Milla de Oro is the popular nomenclature for the traverse of Juan Ponce de León Avenue in Hato Rey across Puerto Rico's financial district, Hato Rey Norte in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The "Gold Strip" —as some bankers commonly call it— encompasses the largest complexion of institutional investment finance across the Greater and Lesser Antilles. The headquarters of Puerto Rico's largest retail investment bank —The Popular Center— is located about 208 Juan Ponce de León Hato Rey Norte Martín Peña, in San Juan.
The Puerto Rico Department of Education (PRDOE) is one of only four state/territory wide public education system in the United States. The PRDOE is the state education agency responsible of managing state-operated schools in Puerto Rico as well as its education system and curricula. The department, headquartered in the Hato Rey area of San Juan, is the result of a United States state department of education. It is also the largest agency of the executive branch of Puerto Rico, with, as of 2013, an annual budget of more than $3.5 billion USD and over 72,000 staff—including more than 41,000 teachers, and as of 2020 the department is the third-largest school district in the United States by enrollment, with over 473,000 students and over 1,500 schools.
The economy of Puerto Rico is classified as a high income economy by the World Bank and as the most competitive economy in Latin America by the World Economic Forum. The main drivers of Puerto Rico's economy are manufacturing, primarily pharmaceuticals, textiles, petrochemicals, and electronics; followed by the service industry, notably finance, insurance, real estate, and tourism. The geography of Puerto Rico and its political status are both determining factors on its economic prosperity, primarily due to its relatively small size as an island; its lack of natural resources used to produce raw materials, and, consequently, its dependence on imports; as well as its relationship with the United States federal government, which controls its foreign policies while exerting trading restrictions, particularly in its shipping industry.
Puerto Rican citizenship is the status of having citizenship of Puerto Rico as a concept distinct from having citizenship of the United States. Such a citizenship was first legislated in Article 7 of the Foraker Act of 1900 and later recognized in the Constitution of Puerto Rico. Puerto Rican citizenship existed before the U.S. takeover of the islands of Puerto Rico and continued afterwards. Its affirmative standing was also recognized before and after the creation of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in 1952. Puerto Rican citizenship was recognized by the United States Congress in the early twentieth century and continues unchanged after the creation of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The United States government also continues to recognize a Puerto Rican nationality. Puerto Rican citizenship is also recognized by the Spanish Government, which recognizes Puerto Ricans as a people with Puerto Rican, in addition to, U. S. citizenship. It may also grant Spanish citizenship to Puerto Ricans on the basis of their Puerto Rican citizenship.
The Puerto Rico Department of Sports and Recreation is the executive department of the government of Puerto Rico responsible of sports and recreation in the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Bucaná River is a river in the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Río Bucaná has its origin in barrio Machuelo Arriba where it forms at an altitude of 115 feet (35 m). It forms from the confluence of Río Cerrillos and Río Bayagán. It is also fed by Río Portugues during its southernly run. Río Bucaná used to run for some 29.5 kilometers (18.3 mi) prior to canalization and other diversion work by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It now runs for 5.89 miles (9.48 km) to drain into the Caribbean Sea. This river is one of the 14 rivers in the municipality.
The Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (PRDNER) is the executive department of the government of Puerto Rico tasked with protecting, conserving, developing, and managing the natural and environmental resources in the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The current Secretary is Tania Vázquez Rivera.
Ing. Justo Alcides Méndez Rodriguez was a Puerto Rican politician who served as a Senator in the Puerto Rico Legislature.
The RUM General Library is the main library for the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez. It consists of a main library and a specialized collection.
David Helfeld is the longest-serving dean of the University of Puerto Rico School of Law (UPR), currently a Professor Emeritus. At the age of 87 he was still teaching law. He also served as a close advisor to long-time UPR Chancellor and President Jaime Benítez.
The executive branch of the government of Puerto Rico is responsible for executing the laws of Puerto Rico, as well as causing them to be executed. Article IV of the Constitution of Puerto Rico vests the executive power on the Governor—whom by its nature forms the executive branch.
The Cabinet of Puerto Rico is the cabinet of the government of Puerto Rico and is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the government of Puerto Rico, who are generally the heads of the executive departments —known as the Council of Secretaries— and other officers at the same bureaucratic level—known as the Cabinet-level officers.
The Secretary of Natural and Environmental Resources of Puerto Rico is responsible for protecting, conserving, and managing the natural and environmental resources of Puerto Rico.
The Puerto Rico Commission on Safety and Public Protection is the government agency of the executive branch of the government of Puerto Rico that coordinates, manages, and oversees all the public safety agencies and related private organizations in Puerto Rico. The Commission is composed by the Adjutant General, the Fire Chief, the Police Superintendent, and the Director of the State Agency for Emergency and Disaster Management, with one of the aforementioned officers presiding it as the Commissioner of Safety and Public Protection.
Reserva Natural Punta Cucharas is a nature reserve in Barrio Canas, Ponce, Puerto Rico. It consists of both a land area component as well as an offshore marine area. The land component has an area of 698 cuerdas while the marine component has an expanse of 3,516 cuerdas, for a total area of 4,214 cuerdas. The Reserve consists of mangrove ecosystems, coastal sand dunes, a saline lagoon known as Laguna Las Salinas, open water, and a century-old local community. The lagoon occupies and area of 347,898 m2 Ecological protection is managed and enforced by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources. Eight activities are allowed at the Reserve: scuba diving, boating, fishing, hiking, sun bathing, photography, bird watching and canoeing. Activities prohibited are: Camping, crabbing/trapping, horseback riding, water crafting, and hunting. Pets, ATVs, and fireplaces are also prohibited.
Carlos José Saavedra-Gutiérrez is a Puerto Rican lawyer and the current Chief Legal Officer of the Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority of Puerto Rico. As such, Saavedra supervises and coordinates Puerto Rico's legal strategy as part of the largest bankruptcy-like municipal restructuring in the history of the United States. Saavedra previously served as Secretary of Labor and Human Resources of Puerto Rico, from 2017 to 2019. Appointed by Governor Ricardo Rosselló, Saavedra was the youngest individual to lead the Puerto Rico Department of Labor. As Secretary, Saavedra oversaw the implementation of a labor reform that amended and modernized much of the labor and employment legislation in Puerto Rico. During his tenure, Puerto Rico achieved the lowest unemployment rate in the historical series as tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Conversely, during his time as Secretary he was criticized by labor unions and groups opposed to the implementation of the labor reform.
Briseida Torres Reyes is a Puerto Rican lawyer and government official serving as the Secretary of Labor and Human Resources of Puerto Rico. She was previously a judicial official of associate justice Luis Estrella Martínez.
