Importance of Puerto Rico to the United States

Many mainland US citizens visit Puerto Rico and recreate in its tropical environment. (USDA Forest Service) The rainforest in Puerto Rico account for much of it's exporting and are some of the most exotic rainforest in the world. Some of the rainforest in Puerto Rico are the only ones of their kind on Unites States terriority. Besides the fruits, nuts, vegetables and spices we get from the rainforest, over 121 prescription drugs currently sold worldwide come from plant-derived sources in rainforest. One such tropical rainforest in Puerto Rico is under the management of the U.S. Forest Service under the formal name of Caribbean Nation Forest, also know as El Yungue. El Yungue has over 225 species of trees native to the region that grow nowhere else. It also is the home of many indangered species, including the Puerto Rican Parrot, Puerto Rican Boa constrictor and the tody, which is a colorful bird with a rudy colored patch on it's throat, only the size of a person's thumb. Unfornately today, rainforest only occcupy 2% of the entire earth's surface and 6% of the world's surface, yet they provide half of the world's wild plants, trees and wildlife. (Rainforest: Medical Cures and Medicines) The rainforest also helps us in curing diseases. The U.S. National Cancer Institute has identified 3000 plants that are active against cancer cells, over 70% of these are found in rainforest. Over twenty five percent of of the active ingredients in today's cancer-fighting drugs come from organisms found only in the rainforests. (Pharmacy to the World) Since 1983 when there were no U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturers involved in research programs, today there are over 100 companies and several branches of U.S. government like The National Cancer Institure that are engaged in plant research projects for possible drugs, cures for virsues and infections, cancer and even AIDS. Most people are not aware of the importance of the rainforest, such as much of the earth's oxygen is produced because of tropical rainforest and they help stabilize the world's climate.