Puerto Rico is the easternmost and smallest island of the Greater Antilles with an area of 9,104 km 2. In addition to the main island, it includes the islands of Vieques, Culebra, and Mona, as well as several islets. It is located in the Caribbean Sea, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the British Virgin Islands.
The island is divided into 78 municipalities, and the capital, San Juan , is on the northeastern coast. As a result of the Spanish American War in 1898, Puerto Rico became an unincorporated territory of the United States of America ; in 1917, the U.S. Congress granted Puerto Ricans American citizenship. In 1952 established its own government for local affairs. The Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico consists of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.