WBC question

[Vintagedeputy]

Why does Puerto Rico have its own team if PR is part of the United States?

[suave1477]

PR is not part of the United States.

They are there own country.

They are just a common wealth of the U.S.

[GarkoCollector]

Commonwealth's are part of the US, Territories-like Puerto Rico- are not part of the US

[Vintagedeputy]

PR is not part of the United States.

They are there own country.

They are just a common wealth of the U.S.

What?

Puerto Rico is a U.S Territory and is most certainly part of the United States.

whew!

[suave1477]

What?

Puerto Rico is a U.S Territory and is most certainly part of the United States.

whew!

Vintage they are not a state of the U.S. is what I meant.

They are there own country

Puerto Rico (pronounced /ˌpwɛrtə ˈriːkoʊ/ or /ˌpɔrtə ˈriːkoʊ/), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (Spanish: "Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" [literally, English: "Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"]), is a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States

[Vintagedeputy]

Vintage they are not a state of the U.S. is what I meant.

They are there own country

Puerto Rico (pronounced /ˌpwɛrtə ˈriːkoʊ/ or /ˌpɔrtə ˈriːkoʊ/), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (Spanish: "Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" [literally, English: "Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"]), is a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States

But its not its own country, its a US territory and part of the US which still doesnt explain why they field their own team.

[the3lads]

This link will resolve ALL of the issues. Let's just say that the PR/USA relationship is akin to that of England/Scotland under the umbrella of the UK.

Thank you.

http://welcome.topuertorico.org/government.shtml

[Vintagedeputy]

Still doesnt answer the question.....they are part of the US and as such, shouldnt field their own team.

[Metsfan808]

The WBC follows Olympic guidelines and Puerto Rico has a team because it is a political entity which has its own National Olympic Committee. Even though it is not an independent country, and for most purposes it is equivalent to the 50 states and the District Columbia, it is distinct enough politically and culturally to be able to have its own Olympic team. Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa and the US Virgin Islands are all territories of the US however they retain the status of an independent country for Olympic purposes.

Puerto Rico can send athletes to Olympics because the International Olympic Committee, the governing body that makes all decisions about the administration and operation of the games, has recognized the island's National Olympic Committee. Such committees are the official representatives of each Olympic delegation and are approved only after meeting criteria established by the IOC. But while the standards such national committees must meet are clear, the rules governing who can form them are considerably murkier. The Olympic Charter explains that "the expression 'country' means an independent State recognized by the international community," and the IOC recognized Puerto Rico as such an entity in 1948. Although the United States granted the island the right to elect its own governor in the same year, that power is nothing like full independence. The U.S. Department of the Interior still classifies Puerto Rico as an "insular area" of the United States—a "jurisdiction that is neither a part of one of the several States nor a Federal district." But apparently the IOC considers insular areas sufficiently independent to participate in the games; the committee recognized the U.S. Virgin Islands in 1967, Guam in 1986, and American Samoa in 1987.

[joelsabi]

i think it has to do with nation versus country. a country is a geographic territory and a nation is a group of people. i guess any nation can field a team.