Is Puerto Rico part of the 52 states?
The political status of Puerto Rico is that of an unincorporated territory of the United States. As such, the island of Puerto Rico is neither a sovereign nation nor a U.S. state.
As a territory of the United States, Puerto Rico's 3.2 million residents are U.S. citizens. However, while subject to U.S. federal laws, island-based Puerto Ricans can't vote in presidential elections and lack voting representation in Congress. As a U.S. territory, it is neither a state nor an independent country.
Puerto Rico (Spanish for 'rich port'; abbreviated PR; Taino: Boriken, Borinquen), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (Spanish: Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit. 'Free Associated State of Puerto Rico'), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated territory of the United States.
"We need our own state so we can make laws that fit our way of life." The State of Jefferson would be our 52nd state, the 51st being the now-aborning North Colorado.
In the 1950s, with the approval of the U.S. government, Puerto Rico established a constitution but remained a U.S. territory, subject to the decisions of Congress.
Benefits of statehood include an additional $10 billion per year in federal funds, the right to vote in presidential elections, higher Social Security and Medicare benefits, and a right for its government agencies and municipalities to file for bankruptcy.
If you're a bona fide resident of Puerto Rico during the entire tax year, you generally aren't required to file a U.S. federal income tax return if your only income is from sources within Puerto Rico.
dual citizenship
Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States and does not have its own citizenship and passport. Dual citizenship is recognized in the United States. You are not required to renounce your previous nationality to become a citizen of United States.
a. Puerto Rico comes within the definition of "United States" given in section 101(a)(38) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). A person born in Puerto Rico acquires U.S. citizenship in the same way as one born in any of the 50 States.
If Puerto Rico were a State, it would be equal under the Constitution with all the other 50 States. It could not be sold or given away or be forced to become independent. States have rights and sovereignty which Puerto Rico does not have.
Why is Puerto Rico still a US territory?
Just months later, however, the United States invaded the island during the 1898 Spanish-American War as part of a broader effort to push Spain out of the Caribbean and the Pacific. Spain lost the war and ceded Puerto Rico to the United States, along with other territories, including Guam and the Philippines.
All persons born in Puerto Rico on or after January 13, 1941, and subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, are citizens of the United States at birth. (June 27, 1952, ch. 477, title III, ch. 1, §302, 66 Stat.

(KTVX) – Are Puerto Ricans U.S. citizens? The short answer is yes, but they do not have all the same rights or follow the same policies as those born in the states. Puerto Rico is considered an organized, unincorporated territory.
In addition, an April 2000 report by the Congressional Research Service, asserts that citizens born in Puerto Rico are legally defined as natural-born citizens and are therefore eligible to be elected President, provided they meet qualifications of age and 14 years residence within the United States.
There have never been 52 states. There are 50 states, the district of Columbia where the government sits, and the territory of Puerto Rico.
States of the U.S.
There are fifty (50) states and Washington D.C.The last two states to join the Union were Alaska (49th) and Hawaii (50th). Both joined in 1959.
The strategic value of Puerto Rico for the United States at the end of the nineteenth century centered in economic and military interests. The island's value to US policy makers was as an outlet for excess manufactured goods, as well as a key naval station in the Caribbean.
Puerto Rico didn't become the 51st state then, and it is unlikely to achieve statehood any time soon. Only Congress can add new states to the Union, via an Admission Act or House Resolution that requires approval by a simple majority in the House and Senate.
If you move to the island, you can legally pay none. There's also no capital gains tax. You just have to give 4 percent of your income to Puerto Rico. The tax break was started by a Puerto Rican politician who'd watched years of high taxes fail to improve life on the island.
This occurs because "the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico government has a wider set of [fiscal] responsibilities than do U.S. State and local governments." As a result, the Commonwealth government imposes a separate income tax to make up for revenue funds that would otherwise be available through state-like funding ...
Does Puerto Rico follow US laws?
Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States. Most but not all federal laws apply to Puerto Rico. In addition to the U.S. Constitution, which is the supreme law of the U.S., federal laws include statutes that are periodically codified in the U.S. Code.
He noted that residents of Puerto Rico are typically exempt from most federal income, gift, estate and excise taxes, but that they are eligible for Social Security and Medicare.
Although there are cases of people with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) being questioned by Border Patrol, and some cases of undocumented travelers being identified and put in deportation proceedings, many undocumented travelers have flown there and back without a problem.
Puerto Rico has a constitution that provides for self-government in most local matters and includes the right to elect a governor and two-house legislature. Puerto Ricans are exempt from the federal income tax, but pay into Social Security.
In short, can you find out if you have Puerto Rican ancestry? Yes, absolutely! Depending on if and when in your past you had some Puerto Rican ancestors, Genetic DNA Testing can reveal some very interesting information.
Hispanic or Latino
States. Many Latinos have come from Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Cuba and/or South America. Mexican – Includes all citizens of Mexico regardless of race. Puerto Rican – Includes all persons of Puerto Rican descent.
As a result, Puerto Rican bloodlines and culture evolved through a mixing of the Spanish, African, and indigenous Taíno and Carib Indian races that shared the island.
Can a natural born citizen of the US who lives in Puerto Rico be elected President of the United States? Yes. Anyone can run for the presidency who is 35, a natural born citizen, and a US resident for 14 years.
People born in a state or naturalized in a state have 14th amendment citizenship, the kind guaranteed by the Constitution. This kind of citizenship, says de Passalacqua with support from several Supreme Court cases, can be given up by an individual, but it cannot be taken away except for good reasons.
In 2012, 61.2 percent of Puerto Rican voters favored statehood over remaining a commonwealth; in 2017, 97 percent (of a small voter turnout) chose statehood over independence or commonwealth status; and in 2020 about 53 percent voted for statehood. Independence: Puerto Rico would become an independent country.
Can a US citizen live in Puerto Rico?
Puerto Rico has been a U.S. territory since 1898 when the U.S. acquired it at the end of the Spanish-American war. (It also happens to be the most populated U.S. territory!) If you're a U.S. citizen, this means an easy transition for you. No need for work permits or visas if you decide to relocate.
Puerto Rican birth certificates issued prior to July 1, 2010 are not accepted as primary proof of U.S. citizenship for a U.S. passport book or card. Only Puerto Rican birth certificates issued on or after July 1, 2010 are accepted as primary evidence of U.S. citizenship.
OMB defines "Hispanic or Latino" as a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race.
Traveling to Puerto Rico from the US is just like going to another state. Another perk to not needing a passport when traveling to Puerto Rico is that you can travel freely between the countries without having time constraints. Passports get stamped with visas for the arrival country.
For example, the legal drinking age in Puerto Rico is 18, and for those 18–20 years of age, BAC levels must be lower than . 02.
Residents of Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories do not have a constitutional right to receive certain federal benefits that the government provides to people who live in the 50 states, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday in an 8-1 decision. The case, United States v.
President Barack Obama made an official visit to Puerto Rico for four hours on June 14, 2011.
There are fifty (50) states and Washington D.C.The last two states to join the Union were Alaska (49th) and Hawaii (50th). Both joined in 1959. Washington D.C. is a federal district under the authority of Congress.
The federal republic consists of 50 states and one capital district (District of Columbia). Capital district of the United States, generally known as Washington D.C.
AMERICA admitted Alaska and Hawaii as its 49th and 50th states in 1959. Ever since, people have speculated on what (or where) could be the 51st, but the country has now gone 57 years without inducting a new one—the longest such pause in America's history.
Is there a 52 star flag?
This flag is fictitious or proposed but not adopted. It may be named as it would be as an official flag of a geographical or other entity and have some visual elements that are similar to official logos or flags of that entity, but it is not official and doesn't have any official recognition.
There are 50 stars representing the 50 states and there are 13 stripes representing the 13 original colonies. from The CIA World Factbook.
Letter Q is the only letter not used in the US state names. The answer is "Q".
1 | Delaware | 1787 |
---|---|---|
47 | New Mexico | 1912 |
48 | Arizona | 1912 |
49 | Alaska | 1959 |
50 | Hawaii | 1959 |
- Alabama. Alaska. Arizona. Arkansas. California. Colorado. Connecticut. Delaware. ...
- Indiana. Iowa. Kansas. Kentucky. Louisiana. Maine. Maryland. Massachusetts. ...
- Nebraska. Nevada. New Hampshire. New Jersey. New Mexico. New York. North Carolina. ...
- Rhode Island. South Carolina. South Dakota. Tennessee. Texas. Utah. Vermont.
United States: The 50 States and the District of Columbia. Continental United States: The 49 States (including Alaska, excluding Hawaii) located on the continent of North America, and the District of Columbia.
Puerto Rico would have equal status with the other 50 states and would no longer be under congressional authority. Two senators and about seven congressional representatives would represent Puerto Rico in Congress. Federal financial benefits would increase, but Puerto Ricans would pay federal income taxes.
The US territories are part of the sovereign territory of the United States. Unlike the 50 states, they have no voting representation in the federal government, or Electoral College. With the exception of American Samoa, people born in US territories are natural born US citizens.
Residents of Puerto Rico are required to pay most types of federal taxes. Specifically, residents of Puerto Rico pay customs taxes, Federal commodity taxes, and all payroll taxes (also known as FICA taxes, which include (a) Social Security, (b) Medicare, and Unemployment taxes).
In addition, an April 2000 report by the Congressional Research Service, asserts that citizens born in Puerto Rico are legally defined as natural-born citizens and are therefore eligible to be elected President, provided they meet qualifications of age and 14 years residence within the United States.