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For 100 years, the Puerto Rican flag served as a symbol of Puerto Rico 's cultural tradition and heritage. Puerto Rico has been referred to as the `Shining Star of the Caribbean.' Christopher Columbus and his crew were the first Europeans to discover the island of Puerto Rico on Nov. 19, 1493. They found the island populated by about 60,000 TaÌnos, peaceful people thriving on their fishing and agricultural skills. The Spanish newcomers originally named the island San Juan Bautista in honor of St. John the Baptist, and named the capital Puerto Rico, which means rich port. Later, the names were switched, making the capital San Juan and the island Puerto Rico. In 1570, its gold mines were depleted. During the 1600s, Puerto Rico's settlements expanded with the establishment of such areas as Arecibo, San Blas de Illescas (later renamed Coamo), and Ponce. By 1776, the official census stated the population had grown to 70,210 people. In 1897, Puerto Rico was granted a Letter of Autonomy from Spain, allowing it to enter into free commerce with the United States and European colonies. In 1898, as a result of the Spanish-American War, Puerto Rico became a territory of the United States. In 1917, the U.S. Congress granted Puerto Ricans U.S. citizenship. By 1951, Puerto Rico acquired the right to establish a government with its own constitution and, in 1952,  was declared a semi-autonomous commonwealth territory of the United States.Life in Puerto Rico largely resembles most U.S. mainland states in business, education, commerce, dining and day-to-day activities. The El Yunque rain forest is one of the wettest spots on earth, while the southern side of the island gets little rain. Most of the resorts and hotels are on the northern side of Puerto Rico, Average high temperatures in San Juan range from the low 80's to the high 80's F (28-31 C), while low temperatures start around 70 F (21 C) and head to the mid 70's (24 C) during the summer months. The dry season is December to March, though brief showers are to be found year round (as well as plenty of sunshine). A weather consideration for the Caribbean is hurricanes from June to November . STATION GUIDE

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