There is no place quite like a tropical volcanic island, and no island in the Caribbean quite like Puerto Rico. The geography of the island is very unusual, as it encompasses distinctly different kinds of topography and microclimates in a relatively small area. Puerto Rico is 100 long by 35 miles wide and as a result of its geographical position in the center of the arc of the Antilles.
		Puerto Rico is essentially a crossroads of Hispanic and Anglo cultures. The island has sheltered Indians, Spaniards, Africans and Anglos. The Spaniards had the earliest and greatest influence to the Island at
	their arrival in 1493. During their 400-year tenure the Spaniards laid the bedrock of the language and culture. They built cities and towns, fortresses and churches, lighthouses and roadways. They brought slaves from Africa to work in the fields, who, in turn, contributed the spice of their culture, enriching the language, music and diets. Despite it's very diverse influx of cultures, Puerto Rico has been a part of the United States since 1898 and Puerto Ricans have been U.S. citizens since 1917, yet they retain a decidedly Hispanic heritage. Close to 4 million people live on the "Island of Enchantment", with more than a million in the greater San Juan metropolitan area alone. It is a vibrant, modern, bilingual, multicultural society, The historic Old San Juan, with narrow cobblestone streets, colorful colonial buildings, centuries-old fortresses overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, fascinating museums and art galleries, handcrafts on the corners and everything bathed by a tropical breeze. These are some of the characteristics of legendary old spanish colonial city of San Juan.