machinery, and clothing. Finance and
tourism are major service industries.
Farms produce sugarcane, tropical fruits,
coffee, beef, pork, chickens, milk, and
eggs.
Arawak Indians known as the Taino
arrived in what is now Puerto Rico by
AD 1000. The first European to reach
the island was Christopher Columbus.
He claimed it for Spain in 1493. In the
late 1700s the Spanish started to set up
large farms called plantations. They
brought in Africans to work on the plantations
as slaves. Sugarcane, coffee, and
tobacco were the major crops.
In 1898 Spain gave Puerto Rico to the
United States after losing the Spanish-
AmericanWar. In 1917 the U.S. government
made the people of Puerto Rico
People celebrate a religious festival in
Puerto Rico by putting on costumes and
masks.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Puerto Rico 165
citizens of the United States. Puerto
Rico became a commonwealth in 1951.
Puerto Ricans have most of the benefits
of U.S. citizenship. However, they cannot
vote for the U.S. president.
#More to explore
Arawak • Caribbean Sea • San Juan
• Spanish-AmericanWar • United States
•West Indies
Pulaski, Casimir
Casimir Pulaski was born in Poland, but
he became a military hero in the American
Revolution. He stated his reasons
for joining the revolution in a letter to
General GeorgeWashington: “I came
here, where freedom is being defended,
to serve it, and to live or die for it.” He
paid for his beliefs with his life.
Early Life
Pulaski was born on March 4, 1747, in
Winiary, Poland. In his 20s he fought
against the Russians, who threatened his
homeland. Pulaski later moved to
France.
Pulaski met Benjamin Franklin in Paris,
France, in December 1776. Franklin was
looking for experienced volunteers to
help fight for American independence
from Great Britain. Pulaski agreed to
help and sailed to America. He arrived
in June 1777.
Military Career
During the American Revolution
Pulaski impressed other soldiers with his
skills as a cavalryman. A cavalryman is a
soldier who fights on horseback. Pulaski
showed great courage at the battle of
Brandywine in Pennsylvania in September
1777. Pulaski led a cavalry charge
against the British, who were winning.
His actions allowed GeneralWashington
to escape with his troops.
In 1778 Pulaski formed a cavalry group
known as the Pulaski Legion. The division
included French, Irish, Polish, and
German soldiers. Pulaski trained them
in battle drills on horseback. He later
became known as the Father of the
American Cavalry.
Pulaski’s last battle was the battle of
Savannah in 1779. On October 9, 1779,
Pulaski was shot in the leg. He died two
days later on a ship on its way to
Charleston, South Carolina.
#More to explore
American Revolution •Washington,
George
Casimir Pulaski
166 Pulaski, Casimir BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Puma
The puma is a large cat of North and
South America. It is also commonly
called a mountain lion, cougar, or panther.
It is about the same size as a jaguar.
Its scientific name is Puma concolor.
Pumas live in a wide variety of habitats
from southern Alaska to southern
Argentina. Most of the pumas in North
America live in the mountains of the
western United States and Canada.
Some pumas live in Florida.
Pumas can be up to 6 feet (1.8 meters)
long, not including the tail. They stand
about 2 to 3 feet (0.6 to 0.9 meter) tall
at the shoulder and weigh about 80 to
220 pounds (36 to 100 kilograms).
They may be yellowish tan, reddish
brown, bluish gray, or some other color.
Pumas are powerful jumpers who attack
their prey by leaping onto its back. From
the ground, pumas can jump to heights
of more than 18 feet (5.5 meters).
Pumas mainly eat deer, but their diet
also includes other small or mediumsized
animals.
For many years people killed pumas
because they sometimes attacked livestock.
Now pumas are protected in
many places by laws that limit or ban
hunting of the animals.
#More to explore
Cat • Jaguar
Pumpkin
Pumpkins are fruits that are commonly
grown for food. The inside is cooked
and eaten or used to make breads, soups,
and pies. Pumpkins are related to
squashes, gourds, cucumbers, and melons.
Some types of pumpkin are called
squashes.
Pumpkins are grown throughout North
America and Europe. They grow on
plants that have very long vines. The
plant has rough, heart-shaped leaves and
large yellow flowers.
Pumpkins usually weigh 9 to 18 pounds
(4 to 8 kilograms). The largest varieties
may weigh 75 pounds (34 kilograms) or
more. Pumpkins are generally round.
The puma is sometimes called the mountain
lion because it is at home in the mountains.
Pumpkins grow on long vines.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Pumpkin 167
But some may be flattened or stretched
out on the top and bottom. The color is
usually yellowish to orange. The rind, or
skin, is smooth. Ridges run from the top
to the bottom.
Pumpkins are picked in autumn. They
can be stored for a few months in a dry
place. In addition to using pumpkins in
cooking, people roast and eat pumpkin
seeds. They also feed pumpkins to animals.
In some countries a carved pumpkin,
called a jack-o’-lantern, is a familiar
Halloween decoration.
#More to explore
