Puerto Rico is a self-governing unincorporated island territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean Sea, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands. The archipelago includes the main island of Puerto Rico and a number of smaller islands, such as Vieques, Culebra, and Mona. The main island is approximately rectangular in shape and is the smallest of the Greater Antilles. It is characterized by a mountainous interior, with the Cordillera Central range running east-west, surrounded by a narrow coastal plain where the majority of the population resides and the primary agricultural and industrial activities are concentrated.

The political status of Puerto Rico is that of a Commonwealth, or Estado Libre Asociado. Under this arrangement, Puerto Ricans are natural-born citizens of the United States, but the island remains a territory under the ultimate jurisdiction of the U.S. Congress. While residents are subject to U.S. federal laws, they do not have a voting representative in Congress, being instead represented by a non-voting Resident Commissioner. Furthermore, while they pay federal payroll taxes (Social Security and Medicare), they generally do not pay federal income tax on income earned within the territory. Residents can vote in presidential primaries but not in the general presidential elections unless they reside in one of the 50 states.

Governance on the island is modeled after the U.S. federal system, as established by the Constitution of Puerto Rico of 1952. The executive branch is led by a Governor, elected by popular vote every four years. The legislative branch is bicameral, consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives, with members also elected every four years. The judicial branch is headed by the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico, with judges appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. This local autonomy allows Puerto Rico to manage its own internal affairs, including its Department of Education, Department of Health, and local police force, the Puerto Rico Police Bureau.