Puerto Rico is the smallest of the
Greater Antilles.
Its 3,435 square miles (8,768 sq. km) make it roughly the size
of Connecticut.
The Caribbean Sea
and the Atlantic Ocean surround Puerto Rico. In addition, two
small islands, Culebra and Vieques lie off the east coast, and the tiny
island of Mona to
the west.
Facts
-
Beaches
on the edge of a flat, coastal plane surround the Island, but some areas have rocky cliffs.
-
A shallow
submarine shelf that drops to 600 feet two miles offshore
encircles the Island.
-
Forty-five
miles north is the Puerto Rico Trench, also known as
Bronson's deep, which drops to 28,000 feet.
-
Puerto
Rico has 9 lakes and over 50 rivers and streams.
-
The
Cordillera Central (central mountain range) runs through the center of the island
from east to west, at elevations between 1,000 and 3,000 feet.
-
The
highest peak is the 4,398 feet Cerro La Punta.
-
Northern
Puerto Rico is green and lush, with more trade winds and rain
than the more arid southern part of the Island.
-
Karst
country is a region of limestone hills shaped like haystacks. It covers
an area in the north of the
Island from the center to the western end.
Click here to view a map of Puerto Rico.
Information taken
from the book
The Adventure Guide to Puerto Rico, Harry S. Pariser. |