San Juan–Bayamón–Caguas metropolitan area in the context of "West Indies"

Puerto Rico (abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a self-governing Caribbean archipelago and island organized as an unincorporated territory of the United States under the designation of commonwealth. Located about 1,000 miles (1,600 km) southeast of Miami, Florida, between the Dominican Republic in the Greater Antilles and the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Lesser Antilles, it consists of the eponymous main island and numerous smaller islands, including Vieques, Culebra, and Mona. With approximately 3.2 million residents, it is divided into 78 municipalities, of which the most populous is the capital municipality of San Juan, followed by those within the San Juan metropolitan area. Spanish and English are the official languages of the government, though Spanish predominates.

Puerto Rico was settled by a succession of Amerindian peoples beginning 2,000 to 4,000 years ago; these included the Ortoiroid, Saladoid, and Taíno. It was claimed by Spain following the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1493 and subsequently colonized by Juan Ponce de León in 1508. Puerto Rico was contested by other European powers into the 18th century but remained a Spanish possession for the next 400 years. The decline of the Indigenous population, followed by an influx of Spanish settlers, primarily from the Canary Islands and Andalusia, and African slaves vastly changed the cultural and demographic landscape of the archipelago. Within the Spanish Empire, Puerto Rico played a secondary but strategically significant role compared to larger and wealthier colonies like Peru and New Spain. By the late 19th century, a distinct Puerto Rican identity began to emerge, centered on a fusion of European, African, and Indigenous elements. In 1898, following the Spanish–American War, Puerto Rico was acquired by the United States.

Bayamón (Spanish pronunciation: [baʝaˈmon], locally [baʝaˈmoŋ]) is a city and municipality in Puerto Rico. Located on the northeastern coastal plain, it is bounded by Guaynabo to the east, Toa Alta and Naranjito to the west, Toa Baja and Cataño to the north, and Aguas Buenas and Comerío to the south. Part of the San Juan metropolitan area, Bayamón is spread over 11 barrios and the downtown area and administrative center of Bayamón Pueblo. With a population of 185,187 as of the 2020 census, it is the second most populated municipality in the archipelago and island after the capital of San Juan.

Caguas (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈkaɣwas], locally [ˈkawaʔ]) is a city and municipality in central eastern Puerto Rico. Located in the eponymous Caguas Valley between the Sierra de Cayey and Sierra de Luquillo of the Central Mountain Range, it is bordered by San Juan and Trujillo Alto to the north, Gurabo and San Lorenzo to the west, Aguas Buenas, Cidra and Cayey to the east, and Patillas to the south. With a population of 127,244 as of the 2020 census, Caguas is the fifth most populated municipality in the archipelago and island and a principal city of the San Juan metropolitan area.

Since 2009, Caguas is the only municipality in Puerto Rico recognized as a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation.

Carolina (/ˌkæroʊˈliːnə/; Spanish pronunciation: [kaɾoˈlina]) is a city and municipality on the northeastern coastal plain of Puerto Rico, immediately east of San Juan and Trujillo Alto, north of Gurabo and Juncos, and west of Canóvanas and Loíza. Part of the San Juan metropolitan area, Carolina is spread over 12 barrios and the downtown area and administrative center of Carolina Pueblo. In the coastal region of the municipality lies the resort and residential district of Isla Verde, where the main international airport of Puerto Rico, the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, is located. Carolina is the third most populated municipality in the archipelago and island.

San Juan Bay (Spanish: Bahía de San Juan) is a semi-enclosed bay, estuary, and harbor connected to the North Atlantic Ocean in the northeastern coastal plain of the main island of Puerto Rico. Surrounded by the capital municipality of San Juan and adjacent municipalities within its metropolitan area, namely Guaynabo, Cataño, and Toa Baja, the bay is home to Port of San Juan, the primary seaport in the archipelago and island. About 3.5 miles (5.6 km) in length and 0.55 to 2 miles (0.89 to 3.22 km) in width, it is the largest body of water of several interconnected lagoons, channels, rivers, and creeks in the San Juan Bay Estuary, which covers about 83 square miles (215 km) of land and 14 square miles (36 km) of water in the San Juan metropolitan area in northeastern Puerto Rico.

Named after John the Baptist, whose name explorer Christopher Columbus gave to the main island of Puerto Rico as San Juan Bautista (Saint John Baptist) upon its discovery during his second vovage in 1493, San Juan Bay was first discovered and explored by Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León, who began the European colonization of the archipelago along its shorelines.

Guaynabo (Spanish pronunciation: [ɡwajˈnaβo], locally [wajˈnaβo]) is a city and municipality on the northeastern coastal plain of Puerto Rico. Located west of the capital San Juan, east of Bayamón, south of Cataño and San Juan Bay, and north of Aguas Buenas, Guaynabo is spread over 9 barrios and the downtown area and administrative center of Guaynabo Pueblo. With a land area of 27.13 square miles (70.3 km) and a population of 89,780 as of the 2020 census, it is part of the San Juan metropolitan area. The studios of WAPA-TV, the most watched television station in Puerto Rico, are located in Guaynabo.

Cataño (Spanish pronunciation: [kaˈtaɲo]) is a town and municipality on the northeastern coastal plain of Puerto Rico. It is west of the capital San Juan, east of Toa Baja, north of Bayamón and Guaynabo, and south of San Juan Bay. Part of the San Juan metropolitan area, Cataño is spread over 7 barrios and the downtown area and administrative center of Cataño Pueblo. It is the smallest municipality of Puerto Rico by land area.

Trujillo Alto (Spanish pronunciation: [tɾuˈxiʝo ˈalto]) is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico. Located on the northeastern coastal plain on the boundary between the Northern Karst Belt and Sierra de Luquillo, it is north of Caguas and Gurabo, southeast of San Juan, and west of Carolina. Its geography features river lowlands and mountains. Part of the San Juan metropolitan area, Trujillo Alto is spread over 6 barrios and the downtown area and administrative center of Trujillo Alto Pueblo.

Trujillo Alto was officially founded in 1801, but gained more importance during the 20th century. Due to its proximity to the capital, San Juan, the city has become a suburb of the metropolitan area, which has sparked its growth during recent years. The population of Trujillo Alto has increased through the last century from 9,576 (1930) to 74,482 (2010). According to the 2010 Census, it is Puerto Rico's tenth-most populated municipality. The urban setting of Trujillo Alto is compact, being divided into the barrios Carraízo, Cuevas, Dos Bocas, La Gloria, Quebrada Grande, Quebrada Negrito, Saint Just and Pueblo.

Loíza (pronounced [loˈisa]) is a town and municipality on the northeastern coast of Puerto Rico, located east of Carolina, west of Río Grande, and north of Canóvanas. An outer municipality within the San Juan metropolitan area, it is spread over 5 barrios and the downtown area and administrative center of Loíza Pueblo. Loíza is renowned for its rich Afro-Puerto Rican culture and heritage. The vendors of Puerto Rican street food in kiosks, the unrestricted beaches, and the Australian pine and mangrove state forest in the district of Piñones in the barrio of Torrecilla Baja are popular destinations among domestic and foreign tourists.