Spanish Puerto Rico

Spanish Puerto Rico was a colony in Caribbean (Mesoamerica and Caribbean) that lasted from 1508 to 1898 CE, about 390 years. Its people spoke Latin and Romance languages (Latin, Italic, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Romanian).

Colonised by Juan Ponce de León from 1508, it guarded the entrance to the Caribbean with the fortress of El Morro. Spain ceded it to the United States after the war of 1898.

See Spanish Puerto Rico on the interactive timeline

Facts

Dates

1508 to 1898 CE

Duration

390 years

Type

Colony

Region

Caribbean, Mesoamerica and Caribbean

Language family

Latin and Romance

Capital

San Juan

Became

• Puerto Rico (US territory) 1898 CE to the present

Events in Mesoamerica and Caribbean during its time

• 1521 Fall of Tenochtitlan
• 1545 Cocoliztli epidemic
• 1697 Fall of Nojpetén
• 1791 Haitian Revolution begins
• 1810 Grito de Dolores
• 1847 Caste War of Yucatán begins
• 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

Neighbours in Mesoamerica and Caribbean

• New Spain 1521 to 1821 CE
• Haiti 1804 CE to the present
• Aztec Empire (Triple Alliance) 1428 to 1521 CE
• Mixtec kingdoms c. 900 to 1522 CE
• Spanish Cuba 1511 to 1898 CE
• British West Indies 1624 to 1983 CE
• Captaincy General of Santo Domingo 1493 to 1821 CE
• Colony of Jamaica 1655 to 1962 CE
• K'iche' kingdom c. 1225 to 1524 CE
• Captaincy General of Guatemala 1543 to 1821 CE

Elsewhere in the world at the same time

• Republic of Venice c. 697 to 1797 CE, Europe
• Swahili city-states c. 800 to 1700 CE, Central and Southern Africa
• Holy Roman Empire 962 to 1806 CE, Europe
• Ethiopian Empire (Solomonic dynasty) 1270 to 1974 CE, North and West Africa
• Ottoman Empire 1299 to 1922 CE, Europe
• Ottoman Empire 1299 to 1922 CE, Middle East
• Portuguese Empire 1415 to 1999 CE, Europe
• Kingdom of Kongo c. 1390 to 1914 CE, Central and Southern Africa
• Mali Empire c. 1235 to 1670 CE, North and West Africa
• Ayutthaya Kingdom 1351 to 1767 CE, Southeast Asia

Questions