Demographics of Puerto Rico
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Puerto Rico is said to comprise an European descent (Spanish) majority, an extinct Amerindian population, persons of mixed ancestry, Africans and a small Asian minority. Recent genetic research, however, contradicts that information. Natives of Puerto Rico are referred to as Puerto Rican (Spanish: puertorriqueños), and also as Boricuas from Borikén (alt. Borinquén), the island's indigenous name.
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[edit] Puerto Rican heritage
Recent genetic research revealed a surprising picture about Puerto Rican heritage. It indicates that in relation to matrilineal ancestry as revealed by mtDNA, 62% of all Puerto Ricans were shown to have a female Amerindian ancestor, 27% to have a female African ancestor and 12% to have a female European ancestor. Conversely, patrilineal input as indicated by the Y chromosome, showed that 75% of all Puerto Ricans possessed a male European ancestor, 20% had a male African ancestor and less than 5% were shown to have had a male Amerindian ancestor. These results suggest that Amerindian women and European men sought each other out in high frequencies in at least one of the past 21 generations. Other smaller studies from the island have been done which back up these results. [1]
This high frequency of matrilineal Native American and patrilineal European markers, moderate frequency of both matrilineal and patrilineal African markers, and low frequency of patrilineal Native American and matrilineal European markers, correlate perfectly to the colonial history of the island. European settlers were almost exclusively men seeking fortune. These men fathered children with native and African women. Native and African men on the other hand had a smaller input into the genetic pool since native men were wiped out from introduced European diseases and indentured native labour and the percentage of the population comprising African slaves in the impoverished island of Puerto Rico was small. Men of European origin also likely had greater status in the socio-racial hierarchy and, as is the case in any racial heirachy, had sexual access to women of all social classes, while Amerindian and African men, being of lower status, had little or no access to women of higher social status. Thus European men frequently fathered children with servants and/or slaves, while the reverse while servant and/or slave men did not father children with European women.
[edit] Mestijaze and limpieza de sangre
Although pure Taíno numbers had dwindled due to disease, warfare and forced intermarriages, many of the marriages between Spanish men and Amerindian women were quite amicable. The "Limpieza de Sangre" documents on the island (used until the 1870s) sheds light on this reality. This document was used by Mestizos and Amerindians to move up in their society—becoming "whiter" was the only way they could achieve that status.
Later, waves of numerous Corsican, French, Irish and Portuguese European families, along with thousands of immigrants from Spain (mainly Catalonia, Galicia, Asturias and the Balearic Islands), the Canary Islands and numerous Spanish loyalists from Spain's former colonies in South America, arrived in Puerto Rico. Other settlers have included Scots, Germans, and many others who were granted land from Spain during the Spanish Royal Decree of Graces (Cedula de Gracias) of 1815, which allowed European Catholics to settle in the island with a certain amount of free land and enslaved persons.
As other US states, Puerto Rico had in force a compulsory sterilization program in the 20th century.
[edit] Recent immigration
In recent years, immigrants from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Colombia and Venezuela, have also settled, but together they represent less than 5% of the population.
[edit] Religion and miscellaneous
The Roman Catholic religion is dominant, although there is a notable Protestant presence and that most Catholics also practice santeria. Puerto Rico has its own Olympic team and has international representation in many events including the Summer Olympics, the Pan-American Games, the Central American Games, the Caribbean World Series, and (famously) beauty pageants such as Miss Universe.
[edit] Statistics
- Further information: Statistics
Population: 3,916,632 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 22% (male 441,594; female 421,986)
15-64 years: 65.5% (male 1,228,583; female 1,337,066)
65 years and over: 12.4% (male 211,283; female 276,120) (2005 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.47% (2005 est.)
Birth rate: 13.93 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate: 7.86 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 8.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.29 years
male: 74.35 years
female: 82.43 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.91 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Puerto Rican(s) (US citizens)
adjective: Puerto Rican
Ethnic Groups:
- white (mostly Spanish origin) 80.5%;
- black 8%;
- Amerindian 0.4%;
- Asian 0.2%;
- mixed and other 10.9%
Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant and other 15% (many Catholics also practice santeria)
Languages: Spanish (main language), English
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.1%
male: 93.9%
female: 94.4% (2002 est.)
