PROGRESS ISLAND USA

an American democracy island of old-world elegance rich in its heritage of art and culture a wealth of historic grandeur and beauty year-round Sun makes this island a vacation paradise and today it is also a land of progress building into the clean blue skies the island is on the move apartment complexes bilingual schools modern hospitals luxury hotels progress can be seen everywhere this is Puerto Rico progress island USA [Music] Puerto Rico a thousand miles southeast of Florida where the Atlantic meets the Caribbean a land the size of Rhode Island it is just as American in its way of life for Torito is permanently associated with the United States it's 3 million people are US citizens and like other Americans enjoy a representative form of government the capital in San Juan where the Senate and House of Representatives form the legislature la Fortaleza built by the Spanish in 1540 it is the oldest governor's mansion in the Western Hemisphere the promise of this land is fostered through education institutions like the University of Puerto Rico contribute to continuing progress here one third of the entire population is in schools the islands educational system attracts young people from around the world [Music] and one international airport crossroads of a global network of air transportation Travel from anywhere in the world in a matter of hours [Music] for the visitor progress island offers a tremendous variety of experiences beginning with the rich and colorful heritage of the Caribbean [Applause] the fortress of San Felipe del Morro constructed in 1591 it withstood the attacks of Sir Francis Drake and witnessed many battles throughout its proud history [Music] the streets of Old San Juan once the cornerstone of Spain's Caribbean Empire [Music] Casa Blanca home of Ponce a de Leon who sailed with Columbus and established the first permanent settlement on the island [Music] in the rooms and courtyards of Casa Blanca one can still hear the echoes of the Spanish Main the Ballet Folklorico authentic costume dance and music of Old San Juan [Music] [Music] [Applause] the Museum of Art in Ponce a a perfect setting for a family outing the virtuoso Pablo Casals founder of the islands famous music festival the museum collection represents five centuries of American and European art the cultural institutions of Puerto Rico enjoy an international reputation all over the island abundant recreational facilities await the visitor old and young Championship golf courses the finest to be found anywhere and the tennis season year-round Puerto Rico is an indoor playground - there's non-stop excitement both night and day [Music] with sunshine 360 days a year Puerto Rico offers something for everyone a fun-filled lifestyle whatever your pleasure [Music] graceful palms an abundance of beautiful beaches Puerto Rico is indeed a vacation paradise resorts like Palmas Del Mar blend old-world charm with modern convenience [Music] condominiums leisure villages and a complete range of outdoor activities make progress island an ideal place to live for every member of the family a band concert under warm tropical skies [Music] for the people here the quality of life is being fulfilled with each coming year it is formed a continuing pattern of progress that all started more than a quarter of a century ago in the beginning the economy was based on the land itself from the time of Columbus Puerto Rico has been praised for the beauty of her landscape hibiscus and bougainvillea flourished throughout the year [Music] the mild tropical climate encourages many forms of agriculture green bananas and young pineapples ripen in the Caribbean Sun [Music] the largest crop is sugarcane which has been cultivated here for centuries [Music] special refineries process the cane into sugar and molasses and thus is born Berto Rico's most famous product rum [Music] the rooms of Puerto Rico many different brands all with flavors that are remarkably light and dry almost all of the rums sold in the US is produced here and its export is vital to the economy [Applause] [Music] within this building is the heartbeat of that economy the economic development administration which has achieved remarkable progress through industrial growth operation bootstrap a pioneering program for self-help developed by the agency has created an investment environment which attracts industry from around the world [Music] a skilled workforce makes Puerto Rico the largest manufacturer of many computers and a leader in solid-state technology Pharmaceuticals that demand the highest standards of quality and control with the help of a generous tax incentive program hundreds of businesses both large and small have grown and prospered here manufacturing includes everything from apparel to high technology products for the home and industry one of the most important operations on progress island is petrochemicals nearly 2 billion dollars has been invested in plants and facilities [Music] [Applause] [Music] whatever the industry order Rico's greatest natural resource is her people a growing volume of goods from the continental United States arrives in Puerto Rico now the fifth largest market in the world for us products and services [Music] customers here on progress island mean over 130,000 jobs throughout all the 50 states and thus contribute billions of dollars to the nation's economy Puerto Rico and the United States a partnership for progress an American democracy island of old-world elegance rich in its heritage of art and culture a wealth of historic grandeur and beauty the Spaniards named it Otto Rico today we call it progress island USA [Music] [Applause] [Music]