How was Puerto Rico formed ?
The island of Puerto Rico is found in the Caribbean Sea, approximately 1,000 miles from Miami. It is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the south, the Virgin Passage to the East and the Mona Passage to the West. Puerto Rico is the smallest of the Greater Antilles Islands which include, Cuba (the largest), Espa�ola (Rep�blica Dominicana and Haiti - sharing an island), and Jamaica.
Puerto Rico includes several small islands the largest of which are Vieques, Culebra, and Mona. The island of Puerto Rico is approximately 111 miles long (East to West) and 36 miles wide (north to south). Puerto Rico has 3,417.5 square miles (including all islands).
Puerto Rico is one among hundreds of small islands formed approximately 185 million years ago when a large shift of tectonic plates sank some areas and pushed other areas upward forming small islands. So Puerto Rico is the top of a range of mountains which were pushed upwards from the Atlantic Ocean.
Puerto Rico has a range of mountains in the center called la Cordillera Central rising to 4,390 feet at the highest point called Cerro Punta in Jayuya. The mountain slopes are fertile and green. Along the coast are fertile plains. The only tropical rain forest in the U.S. National Forest System is found in eastern Puerto Rico. It is called The Caribbean National Rain Forest known as El Yunque. A small southwest corner of the island is an arid area with dry desert vegetation. There are many small rivers the largest of which are R�o de la Plata, R�o Grande de Lo�za, Rí Grande de Manatí, and R�o Grande de Arecibo. Over 300 miles of coast rim the island shaded by coconut palms.
