One of the most unique rainforests on Earth is El Yunque, located in the tiny island of Puerto Rico. El Yunque is the only tropical rainforest and the US National Forest system but it is also a sacred place in Puerto Rican culture.

This rain forest has been notable since the pre-columbian era. It is home to several archeological sites related to the indigenous Tainos, although no evidence of permanent settlement has been found in the area which suggests that it was possibly avoided and mostly likely considered sacred.

For the indigenous Taino, El Yunque rainforest was an important part of their mythology and their day-to-day lives. Many attribute its name to the Taino God Yucahu who represented everything from agriculture, peace, tranquility, and fertility to the notion of goodness itself.

El Yunque rainforest stretches over 28,000 acres. Although it is a small rainforest, it has a diverse and densely populated habitat. It has thousands of plant species and over 240 species of trees. (26 of those species are found nowhere else)



El Yunque also contains rare wild life contributing to the beauty and diversity of the forest. Besides 13 spieces of the common Coqui, which is a national symbol, one of the most rare finds is the Puerto Rican Parrot, which is one of the ten most endangered species of birds in the world. The Puerto Rican parrot is a small amazon parrot, about a foot in length, bright green, with red forehead, blue primary wing feathers, and flesh-colored bill and feet. About 50 other bird species are also found in the forest.

El Yunque is also one of the rainiest of all national forests with up to 240 inches per year. (That's more than a 100 billion gallons of rainwater.) The climate is frost-free and ranges in moisture from semi-desert to Rainforest conditions within very short distances.

There are strong easterly trade winds and cool weather is normal at the higher elevations.

Also, eight major rivers originate in this rain forest and they supply water to 20% of the population.

El Yunque is also the object of Puerto Rican folklore and pop culture. Along with the Coqui and the Puerto Rican parrot El Yunque is considered a symbol of Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans.

#coquireport #elyunque #puertorico

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