San Juan: Puerto Rico's Vibrant Capital!

San Juan is the capital as well as the most populous city of Puerto Rico. Christopher Columbus discovered Puerto Rico on November 19, 1493, during his second voyage to the new world. There are around 3.2 million people in Puerto Rico, and close to 5 million Puerto Ricans living in the U.S. During his two-day stay, Columbus renamed the island San Juan Bautista (for St. John the Baptist) and claimed it for Spain. On March 2, 1917, United States granted Puerto Ricans U.S. statutory citizenship. Puerto Rico is roughly the size of Connecticut but is one of the most densely populated islands in the world. The Island has almost 300 miles of coastline and nearly the same number of beaches. Puerto Rico has the largest shopping center in the Caribbean, Plaza Las Américas, and the most extensive rum factory globally, Casa Bacardí. The piña colada was invented in Puerto Rico.