<P> Puerto Rico (Spanish for "Rich Port"), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (Spanish: Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit . "Free Associated State of Puerto Rico") and briefly called Porto Rico, is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeast Caribbean Sea . </P> <P> It is an archipelago among the Greater Antilles that includes the main island of Puerto Rico and a number of smaller ones, such as Mona, Culebra, and Vieques . The capital and most populous city is San Juan . Its official languages are Spanish and English, though Spanish predominates . The island's population is approximately 3.4 million . Puerto Rico's rich history, tropical climate, diverse natural scenery, traditional cuisine, and attractive tax incentives make it a popular destination for travelers from around the world . </P> <P> Originally populated by the indigenous Taíno people, the island was claimed in 1493 by Christopher Columbus for the Crown of Castile during his second voyage . Later it endured invasion attempts from the French, Dutch, and British . Four centuries of Spanish colonial government transformed the island's ethnic, cultural and physical landscapes primarily with waves of African slaves, and Canarian, and Andalusian settlers . In the Spanish imperial imagination, Puerto Rico played a secondary, but strategic role when compared to wealthier colonies like Peru and the mainland parts of New Spain . Spain's distant administrative control continued up to the end of the 19th century, helping to produce a distinctive creole Hispanic culture and language that combined elements from the Native Americans, Africans, and Iberians . In 1898, following the Spanish--American War, the United States acquired Puerto Rico along with other Spanish colonies under the terms of the Treaty of Paris . </P> <P> Puerto Ricans are by law natural - born citizens of the United States and may move freely between the island and the mainland . However, as it is not a state Puerto Rico does not have a vote in the United States Congress, which governs the territory with full jurisdiction under the Puerto Rico Federal Relations Act of 1950 . As a U.S. territory, American citizens residing on the island are disenfranchised at the national level and do not vote for president and vice president of the United States . However, Congress approved a local constitution, allowing U.S. citizens on the territory to elect a governor . A 2012 referendum showed a majority (54% of those who voted) disagreed with "the present form of territorial status", with full statehood the preferred option among those who voted for a change of status, although a significant number of people did not answer the second question of the referendum . Another fifth referendum was held on June 11, 2017, with "Statehood" and "Independence / Free Association" initially as the only available choices . However, at the recommendation of the Department of Justice, an option for the "current territorial status" was added . The referendum showed an overwhelming support for statehood, with 97.18% voting for it, although the voter turnout had a historically low figure of only 22.99% of the registered voters casting their ballots . </P>

When did puerto rico became a part of the united states