The Island Paradise of Puerto Rico.

Beautiful coastlines, delicious foods and rhythmic sounds are just a few things that make Puerto Rico such a great land. Puerto Rico is one the biggest tourist attractions in the world and with good reason. Since the first humans came ashore thousands of years ago, the island that is now known as Puerto Rico has sheltered many different cultures. As a result of its geographical position in the center of the arc of the Antilles, and its particular history, Puerto Rico is a mix of Hispanic and Anglo culture. The first inhabitants of Puerto Rico were Archaic Indians who most likely arrived from Venezuela around 4500 BC. They were followed by the Igneri tribes, beginning about 200 AD, who were replaced in turn by the Tainos around 800 AD. The Tainos, the last from a series of Indian migrations that originated in North and South America, ruled the island when the Spaniards arrived in 1493.

Inside Sha'are Zedeck in Puerto Rico

South view of the building, located in the Puerta ...

English: Ruins of Juan Ponce de Leon's residence a...

During their 400-year tenure, the Spaniards shaped the language and culture of the island. They built cities, towns, fortresses and churches, lighthouses and roadways which closely resembled those of Spain. They brought slaves from Africa to work in the fields who contributed the spice of their culture, enriching the language, music and food. The combination of these three cultures, Indian, Spanish and African, formed the Puerto Rican character we know today.

Puerto Rico was a Spanish colony from 1493 until 1898, when it became a part of the United States as a result of the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Spanish-American War. During those 405 years, the bedrock of Puerto Rican culture was laid: the Spanish language, the Roman Catholic religion, architecture, and art. Puerto Rico is now a commonwealth of the United States and have been U.S. citizens since 1917. With such diverse...