Wikipedia:WikiProject Puerto Rico/Standards

The Territories of the United States have various types of relationships with the US. "Unincorporated territories are not integral
parts of the United States and no promise of
statehood or a status approaching statehood is
held out to them." See here for an explanation: Integrated Renewable Resource Management for U.S. (pdf)

Sometimes with viral situations, false information spreads quickly. Unfortunately, this has been the case with P.R., the property of the US, and Puerto Ricans, the people who live there.

Many people think the US territories are "in" or "part of" the U.S., but that is not the case. Specifically, the U.S. are 50 states and Washington DC. See a map of the United States here, and here, in the CIA World Fact Book which also states "note: includes only the 50 states and District of Columbia, no overseas territories."

While the US Congress does have final say in many of the territories' affairs that is not the same as saying that the territories are "part of" or "in" the US.

This is an encyclopedia, (encyclopaedia in the UK) and being precise here is important.

PR is "foreign in a domestic sense".^[1]

PR is a colony of the US.^{[2][3][4][5][6][1]}

PR is a territory of the US.^[5]

PR belongs^[7] to but is not part of the US.^[8]

PR is an insular area of the US.^[5]

The Encyclopedia Britannica says "PR is associated with the US."^[9]

That is why, aside from not using "Puerto Rico, United States" in addresses, sometimes it can be beneficial to point out that the territories of the US, including Puerto Rico, are not constituent parts of "the United States". This can be accomplished by inserting, in the proper place of the body of the article, the phrase "United States and its territories", to qualify that the territories are also included.

PR, being the most populated of the territories is often spoken of along with the 50 states and DC. Many times we hear the newscasters state, the 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico.

We do not want to continue to spread falsehoods "that PR is in the US or part of the US". WP has grappled with this issue for many, many years. Nowhere have we learned that P.R. is "part of" or "in" the United States. The Supreme Court of the United States has said that it is not part of the US.

Of course, it is easier to say it is, but WP:VERIFY.

Infobox

The following standards address the entries to be made for the display of the location of an entity (or place of birth of a person) in infoboxes.

Puerto Rico is not located in the United States, is not part of the United States and is not a U.S. state.^[10][11] Because Puerto Rico "belongs to but is not part of the United States",^[8] the United Nations states it is a colony of the United States.^[12][11][13] "...the Insular Cases produced the doctrine of territorial incorporation. This doctrine holds that fully incorporated territories are afforded all the rights and privileges of the Constitution, while unincorporated territories are only afforded the particular Constitutional rights and privileges as designated by Congress."^[14]

In most cases, there is no need to obfuscate the reader with the political relationship of the United States and Puerto Rico. In addition, information in the infobox "summarizes key features of the page's subject";^[15] thus, if the subject of the article is, say, a municipality, the infobox should not have facts that allude to the political relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico.^[16][17][18]

An official definition of what constitutes the United States can be found on the United States USGS website, on this USGS page.

In addition, the CIA World Factbook, a US Government publication, under the Geography section of the United States, gives the area of the United States and notes that it includes "no overseas territories":
Area

total: 9,833,517 sq km

land: 9,147,593 sq km

water: 685,924 sq km

"note: includes only the 50 states and District of Columbia, no overseas territories" (the emphasis is ours)^[19][20]

The US Social Security Administration defines Puerto Rico as being outside of the United States as well.^[21]

For these and other reasons argued in numerous Wikipedia discussions throughout years, the Infobox of Puerto Rico-related articles should not include "United States" (or "US"). (Note: The Wikipedia article List of sovereign states accurately details what "the United States" is, and we encourage editors to use it as a guide whenever a question raises over the topic of "Is Puerto Rico part of the United States?")

Regarding the inclusion of "United States" in the infobox, there have been many discussions over the years because Puerto Rico is not in the U.S. but is a place that belongs to the U.S. while not "a part of the U.S." "United States" thus shouldn't be included in addresses. Puerto Rico in many respects behaves as a country and is a country, but is not a sovereign state because it is a commonwealth, and an unincorporated territory of the United States.^[22][23]

The following examples reflect the proper handling of "location" and similar parameters (such as city/ state/ country, etc.) in infoboxes:

Barrios, subbarrios and communities in Puerto Rico

Example: In the Infobox of barrios, such as the barrio of Pueblo Viejo, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico,
Do use:

| subdivision_type1 = [[Commonwealth (U.S. insular area)|Commonwealth]]

| subdivision_name1 = {{flag|Puerto Rico}}

| subdivision_type2 = [[List of municipalities in Puerto Rico|Municipality]]

| subdivision_name2 = {{flagicon image|Flag of Guaynabo.svg}} [[Guaynabo, Puerto Rico|Guaynabo]]

which renders as:

Commonwealth:  Puerto Rico

Municipality:        Guaynabo

Biographies on people born in Puerto Rico - "Place of Birth" parameter

Example: In the Infobox of biographies (such as baseball biography, politician, and others) such as José Hernández (baseball),
Do use:

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1969|07|14}}

| birth_place = [[Río Piedras, Puerto Rico]]

which renders as:

Born: July 14, 1969 (age 50)

      Río Piedras, Puerto Rico

Cays and Islets of Puerto Rico

The U.S. Library of Congress shows places in P.R., including the location of cays and islets of Puerto Rico as being in Puerto Rico.^[24]

Companies based in Puerto Rico

Example: In the Infobox "company", such as Martex Farms,
Do use:

| location = [[Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico|Santa Isabel]], [[Puerto Rico]]

which renders as:

Location: Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico

Geologic formations of Puerto Rico

Example: In the Infobox of "rockunit", such as Lares Limestone,
Do use:

| region = [[Caribbean]]

| country = [[Puerto Rico]]

which renders as:

Region:  Caribbean

Country: Puerto Rico

Rationale: Geological formations follow regional geology natural boundaries; they do not obey political powers of sovereign states. "Puerto Rico" is included, as with other world geologic regions, as a location within the geological region, not as a political entity.

Hospitals in Puerto Rico

Example: In the Infobox of hospitals, such as Professional Hospital Guaynabo,
Do use:

| location = [[Guaynabo, Puerto Rico|Guaynabo]], [[Puerto Rico]]

which renders as:

Location:       Guaynabo, Puerto Rico

Libraries in Puerto Rico

Example: In the Infobox of libraries, such as Biblioteca Municipal Mariana Suárez de Longo,
Do use:

| location = [[Ponce, Puerto Rico|Ponce]], [[Puerto Rico]]

which renders as:

Location:       Ponce, Puerto Rico

Military installations of the United States in Puerto Rico

Example:

In the infobox of military installations such as Campamento Santiago,
Do use:

| location = [[Salinas, Puerto Rico]]

which renders as:

Salinas, Puerto Rico

Rationale: Location of base is in Puerto Rico.

Municipalities of Puerto Rico

Example: In the infobox of municipalities, such as the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico,
Do use:

| subdivision_type = [[Commonwealth (U.S. insular area)|Commonwealth]]

| subdivision_name = {{flag|Puerto Rico}}

which renders as:

Commonwealth:  Puerto Rico

Museums in Puerto Rico

Example: In the Infobox of museums, such as Museo del Autonomismo Puertorriqueño,
Do use:

| location = [[Ponce]], [[Puerto Rico]]

which renders as:

Location:       Ponce, Puerto Rico

Organizations in Puerto Rico

Example: In the Infobox "organization", such as Centro Ponceño de Autismo,
Do use:

| location = [[Ponce, Puerto Rico|Ponce]], [[Puerto Rico]]

which renders as:

Location:       Ponce, Puerto Rico

Status:  Not done?

Parks and Plazas (squares) in Puerto Rico

Example: In the Infobox of parks, such as Parque Luis Muñoz Rivera,
Do use:

| location = [[San Juan, Puerto Rico]]

which renders as:

Location:       San Juan, Puerto Rico

Rivers in Puerto Rico

Example: In the Infobox of rivers, such as Chiquito de Cibao River,
Do use:

| subdivision_type1 = [[Commonwealth (U.S. insular area)|Commonwealth]]

| subdivision_name1 = [[Puerto Rico]]

| subdivision_type2 = [[Municipalities of Puerto Rico|Municipality]]

| subdivision_name2 = [[Lares, Puerto Rico|Lares]]

which renders as:

Commonwealth: Puerto Rico

Municipality:       Lares

Universities in Puerto Rico

Example: In the Infobox of universities, such as UPRRP College of Natural Sciences,
Do use:

| location = [[San Juan, Puerto Rico|San Juan]], [[Puerto Rico]]

which renders as:

Location:       San Juan, Puerto Rico