Which Caribbean Island Became A US Commonwealth?

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.

What Caribbean island is a commonwealth of the United States?

Puerto Rico

– Officially, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is an “unincorporated territory” of the United States. It has been under American control since the U.S. won the island from the Spanish during the Spanish-American War. Originally classified as a protectorate, in 1950, President Harry S.

How did Puerto Rico become a commonwealth?

After the Legislature of Puerto Rico held a constitutional convention to draft the constitution

, it was approved by the president and Congress in 1952. Under the new constitution, Puerto Rico was designated the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Which country in the Caribbean was granted commonwealth status by the USA in 1952?

In 1952, after

Puerto Rico

was granted commonwealth status, the United States advised the United Nations (UN) that the island was a self-governing territory. However, dissatisfaction with the island’s political status continued.

How many Commonwealth states are left in the United States?

There are

four states

that refer to themselves as “commonwealths,” Massachusetts, Kentucky, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.

Which Caribbean country is not independent?

Currently, Montserrat,

the British Virgin Islands

, the Cayman Islands, and the Turks and Caicos Islands remained crown colonies with limited internal self-government.

Why does the US own Puerto Rico?

In 1898,

following the Spanish–American War

, the United States acquired Puerto Rico. Puerto Ricans have been U.S. citizens since 1917, and can move freely between the island and the mainland. … The U.S. Congress approved a local constitution in 1952, allowing U.S. citizens residing on the Island to elect a governor.

Does Puerto Rico pay taxes to the United States?

U.S. citizens who have lived all year on the island are

exempt from filing taxes

to the federal government of the United States as long as all of your income was from Puerto Rican sources only.

What language do they speak in Puerto Rico?

Both English and Spanish

are the official languages in Puerto Rico because it’s a U.S. territory. Puerto Ricans living on the island have a complicated relationship with the United States.

How old is Jamaica?

The original inhabitants of Jamaica are believed to be the Arawaks, also called Tainos. They came from South America

2,500 years ago

and named the island Xaymaca, which meant ““land of wood and water”.

How has Puerto Rico benefited from being a US commonwealth?

Puerto Rico would have equal status with the other 50 states and would no longer be under congressional authority. … Federal financial benefits would increase, but Puerto Ricans

would pay federal income taxes

. Some businesses would lose tax breaks.

Who discovered Jamaica?

On May 3, 1494,

Christopher Columbus

sighted the island of Jamaica. Spanish colonists settled the island fifteen years later, and it fell into British hands in 1655. Although the Spanish introduced slavery to Jamaica, the British oversaw its development.

Why some states are called commonwealth?

They are commonwealths simply

because their state constitutions say they’re commonwealths

. … ‘” Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Massachusetts all adopted constitutions between the years 1776 and 1780, so we can assume that calling yourself a “commonwealth” during that era was somewhat in vogue.

What is the benefit of living in a commonwealth state?

You Have Greater Freedom and Prosperity

in a Commonwealth.

When you live in a commonwealth, you will have greater freedom to make and keep your wealth. Believe it or not, in some countries, a person cannot obtain wealth without someone taking it from them.

Is California a commonwealth state?

Which Caribbean island became independent first?

Haiti

the former French colony of Saint-Domingue on Hispaniola, was the first Caribbean nation to gain independence from a European power in 1804.