What U.S. territory has the highest population?
What U.S. territory has the highest population?
Answer:
The U.S. territory with the highest population is Puerto Rico. As of the latest estimates in 2021, Puerto Rico has a population of approximately 3.2 million residents.
Detailed Explanation:
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Geographical and Political Status:
- Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean Sea, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands.
- It has the official status as a commonwealth and its residents are U.S. citizens, though they do not have the right to vote in U.S. presidential elections unless they reside in one of the states.
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Population Statistics:
- The population of Puerto Rico has seen significant changes over recent decades. Due to economic challenges and natural disasters such as Hurricane Maria in 2017, many residents have relocated to the mainland United States.
- Despite these changes, Puerto Rico remains the most populous U.S. territory, with around 3.2 million inhabitants as of the latest data.
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Comparison with Other U.S. Territories:
- Other U.S. territories, such as Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands, have significantly smaller populations.
- For instance, Guam has a population of around 170,000, the U.S. Virgin Islands have approximately 104,000 residents, American Samoa has about 55,000, and the Northern Mariana Islands have around 48,000.
Final Answer:
Puerto Rico is the U.S. territory with the highest population, with an estimated 3.2 million residents.