Puerto Rico And Guam Flashcards, test questions and answers
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What is Puerto Rico And Guam?
Puerto Rico and Guam are two islands in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, respectively, that have a rich history and culture. Both islands were colonized by Spain in the 16th century and both were ceded to the United States following the Spanish-American War in 1898. Despite their similar histories, Puerto Rico and Guam have significant differences that make them unique destinations for travelers. For starters, Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States while Guam is an organized but unincorporated United States territory. This means that while Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens who can freely travel throughout U.S., residents of Guam do not enjoy these same rights due to their status as a non-self-governing territory; they must obtain visas to enter the mainland United States or other U.S.-controlled territories such as American Samoa or Northern Mariana Islands. In addition, there are some major cultural differences between Puerto Rico and Guam even though both areas were heavily influenced by Spanish colonization during colonial times; for example, whereas Spanish remains dominant in Puerto Rico alongside English today, Chamorro (the native language of Guam) has been largely supplanted by English on the island since its acquisition by the United States more than 100 years ago. Furthermore, Catholicism is still widely practiced in both regions yet Protestantism has become increasingly popular in recent decades on Guam while it remains only marginally present on Puerto Rico’s predominantly Catholic population base. Finally, what really sets apart these two Caribbean/Pacific destinations is their respective governments; unlike most other US territories which remain under federal control with limited autonomy over local affairs, Puerto Rico enjoys greater self-government through its own constitution with authority over public education policy and other matters normally determined by Congress or state legislatures elsewhere within US jurisdiction though not taxation or immigration laws yet due to its current status as an unincorporated US territory governed from Washington DC instead of San Juan (the capital city). Meanwhile Guam’s government works similarly but with less overall autonomy since it lacks a constitution like those found among other states and commonwealths within America proper thus necessitating more direct federal oversight when it comes to certain aspects of local politics including budgeting decisions regarding education spending etc.