is puerto rico part of the united states

Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States. It is not a U.S. state but is legally part of the U.S. Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens with many constitutional rights, but they cannot vote in U.S. presidential elections or elect voting representatives to the U.S. Congress. The island has its own local government and a degree of autonomy but remains subject to the plenary powers of the U.S. Congress under the U.S. Constitution's Territorial Clause. Puerto Rico became a U.S. territory in 1898 after the Spanish-American War and its political status is distinct from both U.S. states and sovereign nations.