PUERTO RICO
The island of Puerto Rico (formerly Porto Rico) is the most easterly of the Greater Antilles group of the West Indies island chain.
Located more than a thousand miles southeast of Miami, Puerto Rico is bounded on the north by the Atlantic Ocean, on the east by the
Virgin Passage (which separates it from the Virgin Islands), on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the Mona Passage
(which separates it from the Dominican Republic). Puerto Rico is 35 miles wide (from north to south), 95 miles long (from east to west)
and has 311 miles of coastline. Its land mass measures 3,423 square miles—about two-thirds the area of the state of Connecticut.
Although it is considered to be part of the Torrid Zone, the climate of Puerto Rico is more temperate than tropical. The average January
temperature on the island is 73 degrees, while the average July temperature is 79 degrees. The record high and low temperatures
recorded in San Juan, Puerto Rico's northeastern capital city, are 94 degrees and 64 degrees, respectively.
According to the 1990 U.S. Census Bureau report, the island of Puerto Rico has a population of 3,522,037. This represents a three-fold
increase since 1899—and 810,000 of those new births occurred between the years of 1970 and 1990 alone. Most Puerto Ricans are of
Spanish ancestry. Approximately 70 percent of the population is white and about 30 percent is of African or mixed descent. As in many
Latin American cultures, Roman Catholicism is the dominant religion, but Protestant faiths of various denominations have some Puerto
Rican adherents as well.
Puerto Rico is unique in that it is an autonomous Commonwealth of the United States, and its people think of the island as un estado
libre asociado, or a "free associate state" of the United States—a closer relationship than the territorial possessions of Guam and the
Virgin Islands have to America. Puerto Ricans have their own constitution and elect their own bicameral legislature and governor but
are subject to U.S executive authority. The island is represented in the U.S House of Representatives by a resident commissioner, which
for many years was a nonvoting position. After the 1992 U.S. presidential election, however, the Puerto Rican delegate was granted the
right to vote on the House floor. Because of the Puerto Rico's commonwealth status, Puerto Ricans are born as natural American
citizens. Therefore all Puerto Ricans, whether born on the island or the mainland, are Puerto Rican Americans.
Puerto Rico's status as a semiautonomous Commonwealth of the United States has sparked considerable political debate. Historically,
the main conflict has been between the nationalists, who support full Puerto Rican independence, and the statists, who advocate U.S.
statehood for Puerto Rico. In November of 1992 an island-wide referendum was held on the issue of statehood versus continued
Commonwealth status. In a narrow vote of 48 percent to 46 percent, Puerto Ricans opted to remain a Commonwealth.
HISTORY
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CUISINE
CUISINE
CUISINE
Puerto Rican cuisine is tasty and nutritious and consists mainly of seafood and tropical island vegetables, fruits, and meats. Although herbs and
spices are used in great abundance, Puerto Rican cuisine is not spicy in the sense of peppery Mexican cuisine. Native dishes are often inexpensive,
though they require some skill in preparation. Puerto Rican women are traditionally responsible for the cooking and take great pride in their role.
Many Puerto Rican dishes are seasoned with a savory mixture of spices known as sofrito ("so-FREE-toe"). This is made by grinding
fresh garlic, seasoned salt, green peppers, and onions in a pilón ("pee-LONE"), a wooden bowl similar to a mortar and pestle, and then
sautéing the mixture in hot oil. This serves as the spice base for many soups and dishes. Meat is often marinated in a seasoning mixture
known as adobo, which is made from lemon, garlic, pepper, salt, and other spices. Achiote seeds are sautéed as the base for an oily sauce
used in many dishes.
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Bacalodo ("bah-kah-LAH-doe"), a staple of the Puerto Rican diet, is a flaky, salt-marinated cod fish. It is often eaten boiled with
vegetables and rice or on bread with olive oil for breakfast. Arroz con pollo, or rice and chicken, another staple dish, is served with
abichuelas guisada ("ah-bee-CHWE-lahs gee-SAH-dah"), marinated beans, or a native Puerto Rican pea known as gandules ("gahnDOO-lays"). Other popular Puerto Rican foods include asopao ("ah-soe-POW"), a rice and chicken stew; lechón asado ("le-CHONE ahSAH-doe"), slow-roasted pig; pasteles ("pah-STAY-lehs"), meat and vegetable patties rolled in dough made from crushed plantains
(bananas); empanadas dejueyes ("em-pah-NAH-dahs deh WHE-jays"), Puerto Rican crab cakes; rellenos ("reh-JEY-nohs"), meat and
potato fritters; griffo ("GREE-foe"), chicken and potato stew; and tostones, battered and deep fried plantains, served with salt and
lemon juice. These dishes are often washed down with cerveza rúbia ("ser-VEH-sa ROO-bee-ah"), "blond" or light-colored American
lager beer, or ron ("RONE") the world-famous, dark-colored Puerto Rican rum.
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EL SALVADOR
The smallest of the Central American states, the Republic of El Salvador measures 21,041 square kilometers—about the size of the state
of Massachusetts—and has a population of approximately five million. Situated near the northern end of the Central American isthmus,
it is bordered by Guatemala to the northwest, Honduras to the northeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the south. A Spanish-speaking
country, El Salvador was given its name—which means "the Savior," referring to Jesus Christ—by the Spanish. Its flag consists of
horizontal stripes, two blue and one white, with the national coat of arms in the center. This coat of arms contains branches, flags, green
mountains, and the words "Republica de El Salvador en la America Central" and "Dios Union Libertad." Also pictured in the center of
the flag are a small red liberty cap and the date of El Salvador's independence from Spain: September 15, 1821.
Two volcanic mountain ranges dominate El Salvador's landscape; they run parallel to each other, east to west, along the length of the
country. Just to the north of the southern range lies a broad central plain, the most fertile and populous region of El Salvador, which
includes the nation's capital city, San Salvador, and a handful of smaller cities. These urban areas have grown significantly in recent
years and by the mid-1990s housed more than half the population of El Salvador. But because El Salvador's economy is largely
agricultural, a considerable portion of the population remains in the countryside to work the coffee plantations and other farms.
CUISINE
CUISINE
Salvadoran food is similar to Mexican food but is sweeter and milder. The foundation of the diet is cornmeal tortillas (thicker than the
Mexican variety), rice, salt, and beans. The most popular national snack is the pupusa, a cornmeal griddle-cake stuffed with various
combinations of cheese, spices, beans, and pork. Pupusas are served with curtido, a cabbage and carrot salad made with vinegar. A
more substantial meal is salpicón, minced beef cooked with onions and chilies and served with rice and beans. For dessert, many dishes
include fried or stewed bananas. Chicha, a sweet drink made from pineapple juice, is a popular beverage. The best Salvadoran food is
found in private homes, but many Salvadoran restaurants and food stands have opened in Los Angeles and other cities where
Salvadoran Americans live.
Both in El Salvador and in Salvadoran American neighborhoods, people love to buy food from street vendors. Popular street foods
include pupusas and mango slices—spiced with salt, lime juice, red pepper, and crushed pumpkin and sesame seeds.
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BOLIVIA
Bolivia, the only landlocked country in the Western Hemisphere, is home to almost eight million people. Twice as large as Texas, Bolivia
is a multiethnic society. Of all the South American countries, Bolivia has the largest percentage (60 percent) of indigenous Indians. The
next largest ethnic group in the Bolivian population is the mestizos, those of mixed-race heritage; they make up 30 percent. Finally, 10
percent of the Bolivian population are of Spanish origin.
These figures mask the true breadth of the Bolivian population map. The largest ethnic groups are the highland Indians—the Aymara
and the Quechua. The most ancient people of the Andes may be the ancestors of the Aymara, who formed a civilization as early as 600
A.D. The rural lowland regions are home to more ethnic diversity. Other Indian groups include the Kallawayas, the Chipayas, and the
Guarani Indians. Ethnicities from most of the other South American countries are represented in Bolivia, as well as people of Japanese
descent and origin. Those known as Spanish are called "Whites," not so much for their skin color as for their social status, identified by
physical characteristics, language, culture, and social mobility. The blending and intermarriage of races for over 500 years has made
Bolivia a heterogeneous society.
Bolivia is bordered to the west by Chile and Peru, to the south by Argentina, to the southeast by Paraguay, and to the east and north by
Brazil. One of the most striking features of Bolivia, its high plateau, or Altiplano, is also home to most of its population. The Altiplano
sits between two chains of the Andes mountains and it is one of the highest inhabited regions in the world, reaching an average height of
12,000 feet. Although it is cold and windswept, it is the most densely populated region of the country. The valleys and ridges of the
Andes' eastern slopes are called the Yungas, where 30 percent of the country's population lives and 40 percent of the cultivated land
sits. Finally, three-fifths of Bolivia are sparsely populated lowlands. The lowlands include savannas, swamps, tropical rainforests, and
semi-deserts.
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CUISINE
CUISINE
As in most countries, the Bolivian diet is influenced by region and by income. Most meals in Bolivia, however, include meat, usually
served with potatoes, rice, or both. Another important carbohydrate is bread. Near Santa Cruz are large wheat fields, and Bolivia
imports large quantities of wheat from the United States. In the highlands, potatoes are the staple food. In the lowlands, the staples are
rice, plantain, and yucca. Fewer fresh vegetables are available to those in the highlands.
Some popular Bolivian recipes include silpancho, pounded beef with an egg cooked on top; thimpu, a spicy stew cooked with vegetables;
and fricase, pork soup seasoned with yellow hot pepper. Also central to the urban Bolivian diet is street food, such as saltenas, oval pies,
stuffed with various fillings and eaten as a quick meal. They are similar to empanadas, which are usually filled with beef, chicken, or
cheese. Diets in the lowlands include wild animals such as the armadillo. The most common Bolivian drink is black tea, which is usually
served strong with lots of sugar.
In urban areas, most Bolivians eat a very simple breakfast and a large, relaxed, and elaborate lunch. On weekends, lunch with friends
and family is a major event. Often, lunch guests remain long enough to stay for dinner. In La Paz a popular dish is anticuchos, pieces of
beef heart grilled on skewers. The cuisine in rural areas is simpler and only two meals are eaten per day. Native families usually eat
outside. Bolivians who live in rural areas are often uncomfortable eating in front of strangers. Therefore, when they must eat in a
restaurant, they often face toward a wall. Eating in front of strangers makes a Bolivian in rural areas feel uncomfortable. Thus, men,
particularly, will face a wall when they eat if they must do so away from home.
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