Editing Geography of Puerto Rico (section)

== Overview ==
[[Geology|Geologically]] separated from the [[Greater Antilles]] island of [[Hispaniola]] by the [[Mona Passage]] and from the [[Lesser Antilles]] [[island arc]] by the [[Anegada Passage]], the main island of Puerto Rico, the [[Spanish Virgin Islands]] of Vieques and Culebra, the [[British Virgin Islands]], and the [[United States Virgin Islands|U.S. Virgin Islands]] except for the southernmost island of [[Saint Croix]] all lie on the same [[carbonate platform]] and [[Continental shelf|insular shelf]], the [[Puerto Rico Bank]], between the [[Puerto Rico Trench]] in the [[Atlantic Ocean|North Atlantic Ocean]] and the [[Muertos Trough]] in  the northeastern [[Caribbean Sea]]. The archipelagos of Puerto Rico and the [[Virgin Islands]] except for Saint Croix also lie on the same [[List of tectonic plates#Microplates|tectonic plate]], the [[Puerto Rico–Virgin Islands microplate]].  

[[File:ISS017-E-18779 - View of Puerto Rico.jpg|thumb|275x275px|Satellite image of Puerto Rico, 2008]]

Around 60% mountainous, the main island of Puerto Rico has one principal [[mountain range]] covering the central region of the island from west to east, the [[Cordillera Central (Puerto Rico)|Cordillera Central]]. It is divided into three subranges: the [[Eponym|eponymous]] main subrange of ''Cordillera Central'' in the center, the [[Sierra de Cayey]] in the southeast, and the [[Sierra de Luquillo]] in the northeast.<ref name="Geografía" /> The highest elevation point in Puerto Rico, [[Cerro de Punta]] ({{convert|4390|ft|m|0|disp=or|sp=us}}),<ref name="usgs">{{cite web| date =April 29, 2005 | url =https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/Elevations-Distances/elvadist.html#Highest| title =Elevations and Distances in the United States| publisher =U.S. Geological Survey| access-date = October 23, 2017}}</ref> is located in the ''Cordillera Central'', while [[El Yunque, Puerto Rico|El Yunque]], one of the most popular peaks in Puerto Rico, located in the Sierra de Luquillo and part of [[El Yunque National Forest]], has a maximum elevation of {{convert|3,540|ft|m}}.

The main island has seven [[valley]]s: [[Caguas Valley|Caguas]], [[Yabucoa Valley|Yabucoa]], [[Lajas Valley|Lajas]], [[Río Grande de Añasco|Añasco]], the Coloso and [[Culebrinas River|Culebrinas]], [[Cibuco River|Cibuco]], and [[Guanajibo River|Guanajibo]]. It has two narrow [[coastal plain]]s: one stretching alongside the northern coast, and the other alongside the southern coast. The capital, [[San Juan, Puerto Rico|San Juan]], and its [[San Juan–Bayamón–Caguas metropolitan area|metropolitan area]] are located on the northern coastal plain in the northeast. It also has one prominent [[karst]] formation in its northwestern central region called the [[Northern Karst Belt]], and two prominent [[batholith]]s, one in the southeastern [[Municipalities of Puerto Rico|municipality]] of [[San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico|San Lorenzo]], and the other in the western municipality of [[Utuado, Puerto Rico|Utuado]]. The island has 47 major rivers, of which the longest is [[Río de la Plata (Puerto Rico)|Río de la Plata]], and 26 [[Reservoir|reservoirs]], [[Lagoon|lagoons]], or [[Lake|lakes]], among which is ''Laguna Grande'' (<nowiki>''big lagoon''</nowiki>), one of three bioluminescent bays in the archipelago of Puerto Rico located in the far northeastern municipality of [[Fajardo, Puerto Rico|Fajardo]].<ref name="Geografía" />

The archipelago of Puerto Rico has numerous [[List of protected areas of Puerto Rico|protected nature areas]], including the [[Nature reserves in Puerto Rico|nature reserves]] of [[La Cordillera Reef Nature Reserve|La Cordillera]] in the ''Sonda de Vieques'' (Vieques [[Sound (geography)|Sound]]) and ''Media Luna'' (<nowiki>''half moon''</nowiki>) in [[Lajas, Puerto Rico|Lajas]], the [[National Wildlife Refuge|wildlife refuge]] in [[Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge|Cabo Rojo]] and [[Desecheo National Wildlife Refuge|Desecheo]], the [[National Estuarine Research Reserve|estuarine research reserve]] of [[Bahía de Jobos]] in [[Salinas, Puerto Rico|Salinas]], and the [[National Park Service|national park]] of the [[El Yunque National Forest|El Yunque]] forest in [[Río Grande, Puerto Rico|Rio Grande]].