PRpod: Puerto Rico picture of the day

Discover Puerto Rico! Each day a different picture pertaining to the youth's tour of Puerto Rico is featured, along with a brief explanation and a few links for further investigation.

June 30, 2025

What is the history of Puerto Rico?
(Photo: Castillo San Felipe del Morro)

Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 after Christopher Columbus' second voyage to the Americas. In 1898, Puerto Rico and the Philippines were ceded to the US as a result of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship in 1917 but have had self-government since 1952.
Decades of elections showed that voters did not want to alter the existing political status with the US, but in November of 2024 a vote showed a preference for American statehood. The results were 58.6% voted for statehood, 29.6% for maintaining the current US Territory status, and 11.8% for independence from the United States. These results, however, have been questioned by several groups.

Tomorrow's picture: What are the main geographic features of Puerto Rico?