Puerto Rico Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==Culture== {{Main|Culture of Puerto Rico}} Modern Puerto Rican culture is a unique mix of cultural antecedents: including European (predominantly Spanish, [[Corsican immigration to Puerto Rico|Italian]], [[French immigration to Puerto Rico|French]], [[German immigration to Puerto Rico|German]] and [[Irish immigration to Puerto Rico|Irish]]), African, and, more recently, some North American and many South Americans. Many Cubans and Dominicans have relocated to the island in the past few decades. From the Spanish, Puerto Rico received the Spanish language, the [[Catholic]] religion and the vast majority of their cultural and moral values and traditions. The United States added English-language influence, the university system and the adoption of some holidays and practices. On 12 March 1903, the [[University of Puerto Rico]] was officially founded, branching out from the "Escuela Normal Industrial", a smaller organization that was founded in Fajardo three years earlier. Much of Puerto Rican culture centers on the influence of music and has been shaped by other cultures combining with local and traditional rhythms. Early in the history of Puerto Rican music, the influences of Spanish and African traditions were most noticeable. The cultural movements across the Caribbean and North America have played a vital role in the more recent musical influences which have reached Puerto Rico.<ref>Giovannetti, Jorge L. "Popular Music and Culture in Puerto Rico: Jamaican and Rap Music as Cross-Cultural Symbols", in ''Musical Migrations: Transnationalism and Cultural Hybridity in the Americas'', ed. Frances R. Aparicio and Cándida F. Jáquez, 81–98.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.puertoricanmusictv.com/ |title=Puerto Rican Music TV |publisher=Puerto Rican Music TV |access-date=14 August 2010 |archive-date=22 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100722043541/http://www.puertoricanmusictv.com/ }}</ref> Puerto Rico has many symbols, but only the [[Thespesia grandiflora|Flor de Maga]] has been made official by the Government of Puerto Rico.<ref>{{cite web | title= Entre leyes y múltiples indultos |author-last=López Maldonado | author-first=Cesiach | publisher=Primera Hora | url=https://www.primerahora.com/noticias/gobierno-politica/notas/entre-leyes-y-multiples-indultos/ | date=21 August 2019 | access-date=16 March 2021 | language=es |trans-title=Between laws and multiple pardons}}</ref> Other popular, traditional, or unofficial symbols of Puerto Rico are the [[Puerto Rican spindalis]], the [[Ceiba pentandra|kapok tree]], the [[Coquí|coquí frog]], the [[Jíbaro (Puerto Rico)|jíbaro]], the [[Taíno|Taíno Indian]], and [[Cerro Las Tetas]] with its [[Monumento al Jíbaro Puertorriqueño|jíbaro culture monument]].<ref>{{cite web | title= Debate por el Ave Nacional (primera parte) |author-last=Pérez Rivera | author-first=Raúl | publisher=CienciaPR | url=https://www.cienciapr.org/es/external-news/debate-por-el-ave-nacional-primera-parte | date=2 December 2015 | access-date=16 March 2021 | language=es |trans-title=Debate for the National Bird (first part)}} </ref><ref>{{cite web | title=¿Tenemos o no un ave nacional? | author-last=Sánchez Martínez | author-first=Héctor | publisher=La Perla del Sur | url=https://www.periodicolaperla.com/tenemos-no-ave-nacional/ | date=20 January 2017 | access-date=16 March 2021 | language=es | trans-title=Do we or do we not have a national bird? | archive-date=5 May 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220505231620/https://www.periodicolaperla.com/tenemos-no-ave-nacional/ | url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref> ===Architecture=== {{main|Architecture of Puerto Rico}} The architecture of Puerto Rico demonstrates a broad variety of traditions, styles and national influences accumulated over four centuries of Spanish rule, and a century of American rule. [[Spanish colonial architecture]], [[Islamic architecture|Ibero-Islamic]], [[art deco]], [[Post-modern architecture|post-modern]], and many other architectural forms are visible throughout the island. From town to town, there are also many regional distinctions. [[File:The Colors of Old San Juan (28488284470).jpg|thumb|Street-lined homes in [[Old San Juan]]]] Old San Juan is one of the two ''barrios'', in addition to [[Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico|Santurce]], that made up the [[municipality]] of San Juan from 1864 to 1951, at which time the former independent municipality of [[Río Piedras]] was annexed. With its abundance of shops, historic places, museums, open air cafés, restaurants, gracious homes, tree-shaded plazas, and its old beauty and architectonical peculiarity, Old San Juan is a main spot for local and internal tourism. The district is also characterized by numerous public plazas and churches including [[San José Church]] and the [[Catedral Metropolitana Basílica de San Juan Bautista (San Juan, Puerto Rico)|Cathedral of San Juan Bautista]], which contains the tomb of the Spanish explorer [[Juan Ponce de León]]. It also houses the oldest Catholic school for elementary education in Puerto Rico, the Colegio de Párvulos, built in 1865. The oldest parts of the district of Old San Juan remain partly enclosed by massive walls. Several defensive structures and notable [[fort]]s, such as the emblematic [[Fort San Felipe del Morro]], [[Castillo San Cristóbal (San Juan)|Fort San Cristóbal]], and [[El Palacio de Santa Catalina]], also known as [[La Fortaleza]], acted as the primary defenses of the settlement which was subjected to numerous attacks. [[La Fortaleza]] continues to serve also as the executive mansion for the [[governor of Puerto Rico]]. Many of the historic fortifications are part of [[San Juan National Historic Site]]. During the 1940s, sections of Old San Juan fell into disrepair, and many renovation plans were suggested. There was even a strong push to develop Old San Juan as a "small [[Manhattan]]". Strict remodeling codes were implemented to prevent new constructions from affecting the common colonial Spanish architectural themes of the old city. When a project proposal suggested that the old Carmelite Convent in San Juan be demolished to erect a new hotel, the Institute had the building declared as a historic building, and then asked that it be converted to a hotel in a renewed facility. This was what became the ''Hotel El Convento'' in Old San Juan. The paradigm to reconstruct and renovate the old city and revitalize it has been followed by other cities in the Americas, particularly [[Havana]], [[Lima]] and [[Cartagena de Indias]]. [[File:Parque de Bombas - Ponce Puerto Rico.jpg|thumb|[[Parque de Bombas]], a landmark of [[Ponce, Puerto Rico|Ponce]], a former fire station built in 1882.]] [[Ponce Creole]] is a unique [[architectural style]] created in [[Ponce, Puerto Rico]], in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This style of Puerto Rican buildings is found predominantly in residential homes in Ponce that developed between 1895 and 1920. Ponce Creole architecture borrows heavily from the traditions of France, Spain and the Caribbean vernacular to create houses that were especially built to withstand the hot and dry climate of the region, and to take advantage of the sun and sea breezes characteristic of the southern Puerto Rico's [[Caribbean Sea]] coast.<ref>{{cite book|author=Randall Peffer|title=Puerto Rico, a Travel Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MjXG2vg5YFsC&pg=PA225|year=2002|publisher=Lonely Planet|isbn=978-1-74059-274-1|page=225}}</ref> It is a blend of wood and masonry, incorporating architectural elements of other styles, from [[Classical revival]] and [[Spanish Revival]] to [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler/articles/1056puerto_rico.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100302194306/http://www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler/articles/1056puerto_rico.html|title=National Geographic Traveler Article: Puerto Rico|archive-date=2 March 2010|website=www.nationalgeographic.com}}</ref> ===Arts=== {{main|Puerto Rican art}} [[File:José Campeche (Puerto Rican, 1751-1809). Doña María de los Dolores Gutiérrez del Mazo y Pérez, ca. 1796..jpg|upright|thumb|[[Criollo people|Criolla]] María de los Dolores Gutiérrez, in colonial Puerto Rico, in 1796, by the [[mulatto]] Rococo painter [[José Campeche]]. Painting currently housed in the [[Brooklyn Museum]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/209953|title=Doña María de los Dolores Gutiérrez del Mazo y Pérez|author=[[José Campeche]]|year=1796|website=[[Brooklyn Museum]] website|location=New York}}</ref>]] Puerto Rican art reflects many influences, much from its ethnically diverse background. A form of [[folk art]], called ''santos'' evolved from the Catholic Church's use of [[sculpture]]s to convert indigenous Puerto Ricans to [[Christianity]]. ''Santos'' depict figures of saints and other religious icons and are made from native wood, clay, and stone. After shaping simple, they are often finished by painting them in vivid colors. ''Santos'' vary in size, with the smallest examples around eight inches tall and the largest about twenty inches tall. Traditionally, santos were seen as messengers between the earth and Heaven. As such, they occupied a special place on household [[altar]]s, where people prayed to them, asked for help, or tried to summon their protection. Also popular, ''caretas'' or ''vejigantes'' are masks worn during [[carnival]]s. Similar masks signifying evil spirits were used in both Spain and Africa, though for different purposes. The Spanish used their masks to frighten lapsed [[Christians]] into returning to the church, while tribal Africans used them as protection from the evil spirits they represented. True to their historic origins, Puerto Rican ''caretas'' always bear at least several horns and fangs. While usually constructed of [[papier-mâché]], coconut shells and fine metal screening are sometimes used as well. Red and black were the typical colors for ''caretas'' but their palette has expanded to include a wide variety of bright hues and patterns. ===Cuisine=== {{main|Puerto Rican cuisine}} [[File:Arroz con gandules.jpg|thumb|260px|[[Arroz con gandules]], widely regarded as "Puerto Rico's national dish"<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/image/555749450/ ''Reporter's Notebook.''] York Daily Record (York, Pennsylvania). 15 December 2003. Page 35. Accessed 24 January 2021.</ref><ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/image/655608371 ''El Gusto Boricua en el Sur de la Florida.''] Yined Ramírez-Hendrix. El Nuevo Herald (Miami, Florida). 27 July 2011. Page D12. Accessed 24 January 2021.</ref><ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/image/641731265/ ''Sofrito, imprescindible para latinos.''] Viviana Caraballo. El Nuevo Herald (Miami, Florida). 6 January 1999. p. 19. Accessed 24 January 2021.</ref>]] Puerto Rican cuisine has its roots in the cooking traditions and practices of Europe (Spain), Africa and the native [[Taíno]]s. Basic ingredients include [[grain]]s and [[legume]]s, [[herb]]s and [[spice]]s, starchy tropical [[tuber]]s, vegetables, meat and poultry, seafood and shellfish, and fruits. Main dishes include ''[[mofongo]]'', ''[[arroz con gandules]]'', ''[[pasteles]]'', and [[pig roast]] (or [[Suckling pig|lechón]]). Beverages include ''[[mauby|maví]]'' and ''[[piña colada]]''. Desserts include flan, ''arroz con dulce'' (sweet [[rice pudding]]), ''[[Piragua (food)|piraguas]]'', ''[[brazo gitano]]s'', ''[[tembleque]]'', ''[[Polvorón|polvorones]]'', and ''[[dulce de leche]]''. From the diet of the [[Taíno]] people come many tropical roots and tubers like ''[[taro|yautía]]'' (taro) and especially ''Yuca'' (cassava), from which thin cracker-like ''[[casabe]]'' bread is made. Ajicito or cachucha pepper, a slightly hot habanero pepper, ''[[culantro|recao/culantro]]'' (spiny leaf), ''[[annatto|achiote]]'' (annatto), ''[[Capsicum|peppers]]'', [[allspice]], ''[[ají caballero]]'' (the hottest pepper native to Puerto Rico), peanuts, [[guava]]s, [[pineapple]]s, ''[[cocoplum|jicacos]]'' (cocoplum), ''[[mamoncillo|quenepas]]'' (mamoncillo), ''[[Calathea allouia|lerenes]]'' (Guinea arrowroot), ''[[calabaza]]s'' (tropical pumpkins), and ''[[soursop|guanabanas]]'' (soursops) are all Taíno foods. Spanish / European influence can be seen in the use of wheat, [[chickpea]]s, [[caper]]s, [[olive]]s, onions, garlic, rice, [[cilantro]], [[oregano]], [[basil]], [[sugarcane]], [[citrus]], [[eggplant]], [[Chicken (food)|chicken]], salted cod, beef, pork, lamb, dairy and a variety of other fruits, herbs and spices all came to Puerto Rico from Spain. ===Literature=== {{main|Puerto Rican literature}} [[File:Retrato de EMdeHostos por Francisco Oller.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Eugenio María de Hostos]]]] Puerto Rican literature evolved from the art of [[oral literature|oral story telling]] to its present-day status. Written works by the native islanders of Puerto Rico were prohibited and repressed by the Spanish colonial government. Only those who were commissioned by the Spanish Crown to document the chronological history of the island were allowed to write. [[Diego de Torres Vargas]] was allowed to circumvent this strict prohibition for three reasons: he was a priest, he came from a prosperous Spanish family, and his father was a Sergeant Major in the Spanish Army, who died while defending Puerto Rico from an invasion by the [[Dutch people|Dutch]] armada. In 1647, Torres Vargas wrote {{lang|es|Descripción de la Ciudad e Isla de Puerto Rico}} ("Description of the Island and City of Puerto Rico"). This historical book was the first to make a detailed geographic description of the island.<ref name="DT">{{cite web |url=http://newdeal.feri.org/pr/pr03.htm |title=Puerto Rico in the Great Depression |publisher=Newdeal.feri.org |access-date=18 April 2014}}</ref> The book described all the fruits and commercial establishments of the time, mostly centered in the towns of San Juan and Ponce. The book also listed and described every mine, church, and hospital in the island at the time. The book contained notices on the State and Capital, plus an extensive and erudite bibliography. {{lang|es|Descripción de la Ciudad e Isla de Puerto Rico}} was the first successful attempt at writing a comprehensive history of Puerto Rico.<ref name="DT"/> Some of Puerto Rico's earliest writers were influenced by the teachings of [[Rafael Cordero (educator)|Rafael Cordero]]. Among these was [[Manuel A. Alonso]], the first Puerto Rican writer of notable importance. In 1849 he published {{lang|es|El Gíbaro}}, a collection of verses whose main themes were the poor Puerto Rican country farmer. [[Eugenio María de Hostos]] wrote {{lang|es|La peregrinación de Bayoán}} in 1863, which used [[Bartolomé de las Casas]] as a springboard to reflect on Caribbean identity. After this first novel, Hostos abandoned fiction in favor of the essay which he saw as offering greater possibilities for inspiring social change. In the late 19th century, with the arrival of the first printing press and the founding of the Royal Academy of Belles Letters, Puerto Rican literature began to flourish. The first writers to express their political views in regard to Spanish colonial rule of the island were journalists. After the United States invaded Puerto Rico during the Spanish–American War and the island was ceded to the Americans as a condition of the Treaty of Paris of 1898, writers and poets began to express their opposition to the new colonial rule by writing about patriotic themes. [[Alejandro Tapia y Rivera]], also known as the Father of Puerto Rican Literature, ushered in a new age of [[historiography]] with the publication of ''The Historical Library of Puerto Rico''. [[Cayetano Coll y Toste]] was another Puerto Rican historian and writer. His work ''The Indo-Antillano Vocabulary'' is valuable in understanding the way the [[Taínos]] lived. [[Manuel Zeno Gandía]] in 1894 wrote {{lang|es|La Charca}} and talked about the harsh life in the remote and mountainous coffee regions in Puerto Rico. [[Antonio S. Pedreira]], described in his work {{lang|es|Insularismo}} the cultural survival of the Puerto Rican identity after the American invasion. With the Puerto Rican diaspora of the 1940s, Puerto Rican literature was greatly influenced by a phenomenon known as the [[Nuyorican Movement]]. Puerto Rican literature continued to flourish, and many Puerto Ricans have since distinguished themselves as authors, journalists, poets, novelists, playwrights, essayists, and screenwriters. The influence of Puerto Rican literature has transcended the boundaries of the island to the United States and the rest of the world. Over the past fifty years, significant writers include [[Ed Vega]] ([[The Lamentable Journey of Omaha Bigelow into the Impenetrable Loisaida Jungle|Omaha Bigelow]]), [[Miguel Piñero]] ([[Short Eyes (play)|Short Eyes]]), [[Piri Thomas]] ([[Down These Mean Streets]]), [[Giannina Braschi]] ([[Yo-Yo Boing!]]), [[Rosario Ferré|Rosario Ferrer]] (Eccentric Neighborhoods). and [[Esmeralda Santiago]] (''[[When I was Puerto Rican]]).''<ref>{{Cite book|last=Acosta Cruz|first=María|title=Dream Nation: Puerto Rican Culture and the Fictions of Independence|year=2014 |isbn=978-1-4619-5820-8|location=New Brunswick, New Jersey |publisher=Rutgers University Press |oclc=871424250}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Zimmerman|first=Marc|title=Defending Their Own in the Cold: The Cultural Turns of U.S. Puerto Ricans|date=2020|publisher=University of Illinois Press|isbn=978-0-252-08558-1|oclc=1142708953}}</ref> ===Media=== {{main|Media in Puerto Rico}} The [[mass media]] in Puerto Rico includes local [[radio stations]], [[television stations]] and [[newspapers]], the majority of which are conducted in [[Spanish language|Spanish]]. There are also three stations of the [[American Forces Network|U.S. Armed Forces Radio and Television Service]]. Newspapers with daily distribution are {{lang|es|[[El Nuevo Día]]}}, {{lang|es|[[El Vocero]]}} and {{lang|es|[[Índice (newspaper)|Índice]]}}, {{lang|es|[[Metro (Puerto Rico)|Metro]]}}, and {{lang|es|[[Primera Hora (Puerto Rico)|Primera Hora]]}}. {{lang|es|El Vocero}} is distributed free of charge, as are {{lang|es|Índice}} and {{lang|es|Metro}}. Newspapers distributed on a weekly or regional basis include {{lang|es|[[Claridad]]}}, {{lang|es|[[La Perla del Sur]]}}, {{lang|es|[[La Opinión]]}}, {{lang|es|[[Visión (Puerto Rico)|Visión]]}}, and {{lang|es|[[La Estrella del Norte]]}}, among others. Several television channels provide local content in the island. These include [[WIPR-TV]], {{lang|es|[[Telemundo Puerto Rico (TV channel)|Telemundo]]}}, Univision affiliate [[WLII-DT]] ({{lang|es|Teleonce}}), [[WAPA-TV]], and [[WKAQ-TV]]. ===Music=== {{main|Music of Puerto Rico}} [[File:Bomba-1.ogv|thumb|A dancer performs typical ''[[bomba (Puerto Rico)|bomba]]'' choreography.]] The music of Puerto Rico has evolved as a heterogeneous and dynamic product of diverse cultural resources. The most conspicuous musical sources have been Spain and West Africa, although many aspects of Puerto Rican music reflect origins elsewhere in Europe and the Caribbean and, over the last century, from the U.S. Puerto Rican music culture today comprises a wide and rich variety of genres, ranging from indigenous genres like [[Bomba (Puerto Rico)|bomba]], [[plena]], [[aguinaldo (music)|aguinaldo]], [[danza]] and the popular [[Salsa music|salsa]] to recent hybrids like [[reggaeton]]. Puerto Rico has some national instruments, like the [[Puerto Rican cuatro|cuatro]] (Spanish for "four"). The cuatro is a local instrument that was made by the "Jibaro" or people from the mountains. Originally, the Cuatro consisted of four steel strings, hence its name, but currently the Cuatro consists of five double steel strings. It is easily confused with a guitar, even by locals. When held upright, from right to left, the strings are G, D, A, E, B. In the realm of [[classical music]], the island hosts two main orchestras, the [[Orquesta Sinfónica de Puerto Rico]] and the Orquesta Filarmónica de Puerto Rico. The [[Casals Festival]] takes place annually in San Juan, drawing in classical musicians from around the world. With respect to [[opera]], the legendary Puerto Rican tenor [[Antonio Paoli]] was so celebrated, that he performed private recitals for [[Pope Pius X]] and Tsar [[Nicholas II of Russia]]. In 1907, Paoli was the first operatic artist in world history to record an entire opera – when he participated in a performance of ''[[Pagliacci]]'' by [[Ruggiero Leoncavallo]] in [[Milan, Italy]]. ===Philately=== {{main|Puerto Rico on stamps}} [[File:San Juan 1971 U.S. stamp.1.jpg|thumb|upright|San Juan 450th 1971 issue, depicting one of the [[:File:Lookout Station.JPG|garitas]] of El Morro]] Puerto Rico has been commemorated on four U.S. postal stamps and four personalities have been featured. Insular Territories were commemorated in 1937, the third stamp honored Puerto Rico featuring '[[La Fortaleza]]', the Spanish Governor's Palace.<ref>[http://arago.si.edu/index.asp?con=1&cmd=1&img=&mode=1&pg=1&tid=2033211 3-cent Puerto Rico Issue] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140317194928/http://arago.si.edu/index.asp?con=1&cmd=1&img=&mode=1&pg=1&tid=2033211 |date=17 March 2014 }} Arago: people, postage & the post. Viewed 4 March 2014.</ref> The first free election for governor of the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico was honored on 27 April 1949, at San Juan, Puerto Rico. 'Inauguration' on the 3-cent stamp refers to the election of [[Luis Muñoz Marín]], the first democratically elected governor of Puerto Rico.<ref name="Puerto Rico Election Issue">Rod, Steven J. [http://arago.si.edu/index.asp?con=1&cmd=1&img=&mode=1&pg=1&tid=2028823 Puerto Rico Election Issue] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728043302/https://postalmuseum.si.edu/search-the-collection |date=28 July 2020 }} Arago: people, postage & the post. Viewed 4 March 2014.</ref> San Juan, Puerto Rico was commemorated with an 8-cent stamp on its 450th anniversary issued 12 September 1971, featuring a sentry box from [[Castillo San Felipe del Morro]].<ref>[http://arago.si.edu/index.asp?con=1&cmd=1&tid=2038993 San Juan Issue] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140317211951/http://arago.si.edu/index.asp?con=1&cmd=1&tid=2038993 |date=17 March 2014 }} Arago: people, postage & the post. Viewed 17 March 2014.</ref> In the "Flags of our nation series" 2008–2012, of the fifty-five, five territorial flags were featured. Forever stamps included the [[Flags of Puerto Rico|Puerto Rico Flag]] illustrated by a bird issued 2011.<ref>"Flags of our nation series 2008–2012, Arago: people, postage & the post", National Postal Museum. Viewed 7 March 2014.</ref> Four Puerto Rican personalities have been featured on U.S. postage stamps. These include [[Roberto Clemente]] in 1984 as an individual and in the Legends of Baseball series issued in 2000.<ref>"Roberto Clemente (1934–1972)" p. 178, "Legends of Baseball" p. 254, Scott's Specialized Catalogue, 2013, {{ISBN|0-89487-475-6}}</ref> [[Luis Muñoz Marín]] in the Great Americans series,<ref>"Great Americans Issue" Scott's Specialized Catalogue, 2013, {{ISBN|0-89487-475-6}}, p. 183</ref> on 18 February 1990,<ref name="Puerto Rico Election Issue"/> [[Julia de Burgos]] in the Literary Arts series, issued 2010,<ref>"Literary Arts" Scott's Specialized Catalogue, 2013, {{ISBN|0-89487-475-6}}, p. 308</ref> and [[José Ferrer]] in the Distinguished American series, issued 2012.<ref>"Distinguished Americans" Scott's Specialized Catalogue, 2013, {{ISBN|0-89487-475-6}}, p. 317</ref> ===Sports=== [[File:DR_vs_PR._World_Baseball_Classic.jpg|thumb|250px|[[2013 World Baseball Classic championship]] between [[Puerto Rico national baseball team|Puerto Rico]] and [[Dominican Republic national baseball team|Dominican Republic]], March 20, 2013]] {{Main|Sports in Puerto Rico}} [[Baseball]] was one of the first sports to gain widespread popularity in Puerto Rico. The [[Puerto Rico Baseball League]] serves as the only active professional league, operating as a winter league. No [[Major League Baseball]] franchise or affiliate plays in Puerto Rico; however, San Juan hosted the [[Montreal Expos]] for several series in 2003 and 2004 before they moved to Washington, D.C., and became the [[Washington Nationals]]. The [[Puerto Rico national baseball team]] has participated in the [[World Cup of Baseball]] winning one gold (1951), four silver and four bronze medals, the [[Caribbean Series]] (winning fourteen times) and the [[World Baseball Classic]]. In {{Nowrap|March 2006}}, San Juan's [[Hiram Bithorn Stadium]] hosted the opening round as well as the second round of the newly formed [[World Baseball Classic]]. Puerto Rican baseball players include [[Hall of Fame]]rs [[Roberto Clemente]], [[Orlando Cepeda]] and [[Roberto Alomar]], enshrined in 1973, 1999, and 2011 respectively.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://baseballhall.org/hof/clemente-roberto |title=Baseball Hall of Fame entry for Roberto Clemente |publisher=Baseballhall.org |access-date=30 October 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://baseballhall.org/hof/cepeda-orlando |title=Baseball Hall of Fame entry for Orlando Cepeda |publisher=Baseballhall.org |access-date=30 October 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://baseballhall.org/hof/alomar-roberto |title=Baseball Hall of Fame entry for Roberto Alomar |newspaper=Baseball Hall of Fame |publisher=Baseballhall.org |access-date=30 October 2011}}</ref> [[Boxing]], [[basketball]], and [[volleyball]] are considered popular sports as well. [[Wilfredo Gómez]] and [[McWilliams Arroyo]] have won their respective divisions at the [[World Amateur Boxing Championships]]. Other medalists include [[José Pedraza (boxer)|José Pedraza]], who holds a silver medal, and three boxers who finished in third place, José Luis Vellón, [[Nelson Dieppa]] and [[McJoe Arroyo]]. In the professional circuit, Puerto Rico has the third-most [[List of Puerto Rican boxing world champions|boxing world champions]] and it is the global leader in champions per capita. These include [[Miguel Cotto]], [[Félix Trinidad]], [[Wilfred Benítez]] and Gómez among others. The [[Puerto Rico national basketball team]] joined the [[International Basketball Federation]] in 1957. Since then, it has won more than 30 medals in international competitions, including gold in three [[FIBA Americas Championship]]s and the 1994 [[Goodwill Games]] 8 August 2004, became a landmark date for the team when it became the first team to defeat the [[United States men's national basketball team|United States]] in an Olympic tournament since the integration of [[National Basketball Association]] players. Winning the inaugural game with scores of 92–73 as part of the [[2004 Summer Olympics]] organized in [[Athens]], Greece.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics_2004/basketball/3567344.stm |title=Olympics 2004 – Basketball – Shock defeat for USA |work=BBC News |date=15 August 2004 |access-date=30 October 2011}}</ref> [[Baloncesto Superior Nacional]] acts as the top-level professional basketball league in Puerto Rico and has experienced success since its beginning in 1930. [[File:Orangestarsultra.jpg|thumb|[[Puerto Rico Islanders]] fans at a soccer game|alt=|left]] [[Puerto Rico national football team|Puerto Rico]] is also a member of [[FIFA]] and [[CONCACAF]]. In 2008, the archipelago's first unified league, the [[Puerto Rico Soccer League]], was established. Other sports include [[professional wrestling]] and [[road running]]. The [[World Wrestling Council]] and [[International Wrestling Association (Puerto Rico)|International Wrestling Association]] are the largest wrestling promotions in the main island. The [[World's Best 10K]], held annually in San Juan, has been ranked among the 20 most competitive races globally. The "Puerto Rico All Stars" team, which has won twelve world championships in unicycle basketball.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.primerahora.com/boricuasluciosenunarueda-boricuazo-especial-nota-243205.html |title=Boricuas lucíos en una rueda |author=Jesús Omar Rivera |newspaper=Primera Hora |language=es |date=29 October 2008 |access-date=16 October 2010 |archive-date=14 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514223446/http://www.primerahora.com/boricuasluciosenunarueda-boricuazo-especial-nota-243205.html }}</ref> Organized [[Streetball]] has gathered some exposition, with teams like "Puerto Rico Street Ball" competing against established organizations including the [[Arecibo Captains|Capitanes de Arecibo]] and [[AND1]]'s [[AND1 Mixtape Tour|Mixtape Tour Team]]. Six years after the first visit, AND1 returned as part of their renamed Live Tour, losing to the Puerto Rico Streetballers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.boricuasballers.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=2542:and1-and-pr-streetball-put-on-a-show |title=AND1 & PR Streetball Put on a Show! |author=Raul Sosa |publisher=BoricuaBallers.com |date=27 July 2012 |access-date=31 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016022449/http://www.boricuasballers.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=2542%3Aand1-and-pr-streetball-put-on-a-show |archive-date=16 October 2015 }}</ref> Consequently, practitioners of this style have earned participation in international teams, including [[Orlando Melendez|Orlando "El Gato" Meléndez]], who became the first Puerto Rican born athlete to play for the [[Harlem Globetrotters]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/hispanicheritage2008/news/story?id=3641638 |title=Melendez adds a new country to Globetrotters' resume |author=Joshua Hammann |publisher=[[ESPN]] |date=14 October 2008 |access-date=7 November 2008}}</ref> [[Orlando Antigua]], whose mother is Puerto Rican, in 1995 became the first Latino and the first non-black in 52 years to play for the Harlem Globetrotters.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9900E3DD1239F93BA15751C1A963958260 |title=A Non-Black Player Joins Globetrotters |location=Antigua & Barbuda |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=28 December 1995 |access-date=14 August 2010}}</ref> Puerto Rico has representation in all international competitions including the [[Summer Olympics|Summer]] and [[Winter Olympics]], the [[Pan American Games]], the [[Caribbean World Series]], and the [[Central American and Caribbean Games]]. Puerto Rico hosted the Pan Am Games in 1979 (officially in San Juan), and The [[Central American and Caribbean Games]] were hosted in [[1993 Central American and Caribbean Games|1993]] in [[Ponce, Puerto Rico|Ponce]] and in [[2010 Central American and Caribbean Games|2010]] in [[Mayagüez]]. Puerto Rican athletes have won ten medals in Olympic competition (two gold, two silver, six bronze), the first one in 1948 by boxer [[Juan Evangelista Venegas]]. [[Monica Puig]] won the first gold medal for Puerto Rico in the Olympic Games by winning the [[Tennis at the 2016 Summer Olympics#Medal events|Women's Tennis singles title in Rio 2016]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rio2016.com/en/news/who-is-monica-puig-the-puerto-rico-puerto-rican-tennis-player-at-rio-2016-olympic-games |title=Who is Mónica Puig the Puerto Rico player who won the gold medal in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games women's tennis final? |date=14 August 2016 |website=Rio2016.com |publisher=[[Rio 2016 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games]] |access-date=14 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826095633/https://www.rio2016.com/en/news/who-is-monica-puig-the-puerto-rico-puerto-rican-tennis-player-at-rio-2016-olympic-games |archive-date=26 August 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/26/sports/tennis/monica-puig-puerto-rico-olympics-gold-medalist.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826101224/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/26/sports/tennis/monica-puig-puerto-rico-olympics-gold-medalist.html |archive-date=2016-08-26 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Monica Puig, Puerto Rico's Favorite Daughter (and Only Gold Medalist) |first=David |last=Waldstein |date=25 August 2016 |website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page