Columbus arrived in Puerto Rico on Nov. 19, 1493, during his second voyage, but an indigenous culture had already thrived here for thousands of years. Recent archeological finds suggest human beings were on the Island as early as 3,000 B.C.

The Taínos, who numbered 30,000 when the Spanish came, called their island Borinquén, and to this day Puerto Ricans occasionally refer to themselves as Boricuas. Other Taíno contributions to island life that are still evident include hammocks, musical instruments such as the maraca and güiro, and the familiar method of slow-roasting chicken first employed by the Taínos on a type of mute dog that is now extinct.

The peaceful Taínos quickly fell prey to Spanish aggression and disease. Others committed suicide or fled. No pure-blooded Taínos remain, as the survivors mixed with the Spanish and the African slaves brought here to mine gold and later to work in agriculture.

The Island was initially colonized by Juan Ponce de León, the Island's first governor who died from wounds received during the conquest of Florida in 1521. The same year, the Spanish settlement was moved from Caparra to its present site in Old San Juan. The Island's strategic location prompted the Spaniards to fortify the settlement here, and it later withstood attacks from the English, French and Dutch.

Life under Spanish rule was not always pleasant. For a time, when trade with Spain slackened, Puerto Rico took to dealing with enemies of the Crown, and with a bustling contraband business developing, the Island became a host to an assortment of pirates and other colorful characters. One of the more famous was the 33-year-old Puerto Rican Roberto Cofresí, who is said to have shared his spoils with the poor until he was executed in San Juan for his crimes.

With Spain clamping down on individual liberties, a separatist movement was born, flamed by the likes of Ramón Emeterio Betances, a courageous doctor who fought against slavery and risked his life in a cholera epidemic. In 1868, the Grito de Lares uprising took place, but was quickly smashed back by the Spanish. Other Puerto Rican patriots include Eugenio María de Hostos, José de Diego, and Luis Muñoz Rivera, all of whom fought for Puerto Rico's independence.

Spain eventually granted some degree of autonomy to Puerto Rico, but less than a year later in 1898, the United States invaded the Island during the Spanish-American War. Upon victory, the U.S. seized the Island as war booty. In 1900, the pro-statehood Republican Party was formed by José Celso Barbosa.

The Jones Act granted U.S. citizenship to islanders in 1917, but political freedom was still lacking, as Puerto Rico was ruled by a governor appointed by the U.S. president. The Great Depression hit the island hard, creating widespread hunger and unemployment. The 1930s also saw the rise of Pedro Albizu Campos, a mesmerizing orator and Harvard-educated lawyer. As leader of the Nationalist Party, he fought for a "free, sovereign and independent republic" and subsequently spent years behind prison bars. Violence erupted during a party rally in 1937, which is still remembered today as the Ponce Massacre.

Life began improving during the 1940s, as Luis Muñoz Marín, the seminal Puerto Rican leader of the 20th century, rose to power. He focused on economic development and social progress, patiently lobbying Washington for greater autonomy. In 1948, Puerto Ricans first elected their own governor -- Muñoz Marín. Three years later Muñoz created the commonwealth status. Puerto Rico's constitution was drafted in 1952.

While Puerto Rico's economy and standard of living have markedly improved under commonwealth, the Island's political status remains a source of tension. A majority of voters backed commonwealth in the 1967 and 1993 status plebiscites and rejected statehood in a 1998 vote, but the referendums barely interrupted the constant debate swirling on the Island over which political road to take.