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Puerto rico is a unincorporated territory with commonwealth status
Territory
Puerto Rico, along with Guam, the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and a few other islands, is a US Territory. It is considered a part of the United States but is not a state. It's people have all the standard benefits of living in the US, such as the rights guaranteed but the US Constitution, but they are not legal citizens of the US, so they cannot vote in federal elections. Hawaii and Oklahoma were once territories of the United States.
Puerto Rico is a territory of the U.S., which is a far cry from a state. Basically, Puerto Rico runs itself, with some input from the U.S., though, if you look into U.S. political debates, Puerto Rico has very little to do with us outside of trading.
Puerto Rico is technically under the military protection of the U.S., but it will take a special situation for them to even ask for it. The main reason Puerto Rico was under U.S. claims was because we used Viecas, a tiny island off its coast, for bomb testing. When Puerto Rico said, Enough of this - you're hurting tourism by closing off the majority of Viecas, and kicked the Navy out, we don't have a huge amount to do with them.
It's a U.S. territory, which means that it is under the sovereignty of the United States federal government, but is not a state. Depending on what factors one looks at, Puerto Rico's situation is kinda-like-a-state, kinda-like-less-than-a-state, and kinda-like an independent country.
First off, like the 50 United States and DC, Puerto Rico uses the U.S. dollar as its currency and Puerto Rico is protected by the U.S. armed forces.
Persons born in Puerto Rico (unless born to diplomats with diplomatic immunity), like persons born in a U.S. state, are U.S. citizens. But this is due to an act of Congress which bestowed this status. For the 50 U.S. states, the 14th amendment of the U.S. constitution guarantees that all born within them and under the jurisdiction of the U.S. are citizens. Because Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, they are eligible to receive U.S. passports, and they can travel freely between Puerto Rico and the U.S. mainland, just as U.S. folks can travel freely betweeen the mainland and Puerto Rico.
However, because Puerto Ricans are not citizens of a specific U.S. state, or residents of DC, Puerto Ricans cannot vote for U.S. president or members of Congress. However, they can move freely to the mainland U.S., and upon moving here they can vote just like any other U.S. citizen.
Puerto Ricans, however, do elect a nonvoting delgate to Congress. This delegate is said to "have a voice but no vote." The delegate can address Congress and participate in debate, but cannot vote on the floor of congress (but can vote in a Congressional committee should they be elected to one).
Puerto Ricans do not have to pay U.S. income tax.
Puerto Ricans also compete as a separate nation in the Olympics (i recall watching their bobsled team one, and no, I'm not thinking about Jamaica).
Hopes this answers a few of your questions
Chris
a US territory
I wonder if most Puerto Ricans would rather be the 51 st state or be their own country?
It's a U S territory.
It is a territory. They vote in our national elections too.
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