Puerto Ricans
Puerto Ricans
the main population of Puerto Rico, numbering 2.7 million persons (1970, estimate).
Puerto Ricans are descended from Spanish colonists who came to the island from the 16th to the 19th century. The colonists intermarried with the Carib Indians in the 16th century and later with the Negroes brought from Africa as slaves. With respect to race Puerto Ricans include Negroes, mulattoes, and whites. They speak Spanish, and about one-third speak English as well. Most are Catholics. A large number of Puerto Ricans have emigrated, mainly to the USA, where they numbered 1.3 million in 1970.