Proudly independent in spirit but technically a territory of the USA, Puerto Rico iswhere four centuries of Spanish Caribbean culture comes face to face with the American convenience store. This leads to some strange juxtapositions - parking lots and plazas, freeways and fountains, skyscrapers and shanties - but they're not hard to reconcile in the context of the Caribbean's hybrid history.

Although tourists have been visiting San Juan for decades, few ever felt the need to get out of the casinos, let alone the city limits. Today, travelers who venture into the island's mountainous interior or explore its undeveloped southern and western coasts are coming across stately hill towns where the locals in the plaza seem to have been feeding the same pigeons for decades, and reefs where divers can see 30 species of fish swim by in the time in takes to fin pivot. Add to this a perplexing culture that is proud of its past yet unable to seize its independence and you have the ingredients for an intriguing adventure.

Area: 9100 sq km (3500 sq miles)
Population: 3,915,798
Capital city: San Juan (pop 1.6 million)
Language: Spanish, English
Religion: Roman Catholic (85%), Protestant
Government: Commonwealth of the United States
Governor: Sila Maria Calderon

GDP: US$35 billion
GDP per head: US$9000
Inflation: 5.7%
Major industries: Textiles, pharmaceuticals, electronics, agriculture, rum, tourism
Major trading partners: USA, Netherlands Antilles, Trinidad & Tobago