THE CARIBBEAN - El Yunque Rainforest in Puerto Rico

EL YUNQUE RAINFOREST - The indigenous Taino people believed the tallest peak of the rainforest, El Yunque, to be the cloud-covered throne of Yuquiyu, the god of creation.Yuquiyu also meant a natural place so beautiful they could feel the presence of their god. With over 240 species (26 species are found nowhere else) of trees and plants, give reason to the government of Puerto Rico to spend a great deal of moneymaking to preserve floral species and animals - such as the endangered Puerto Rican Parrot- that are on the verge of extinction. The Eastern side of the Luquillo Mountains, which has the El Yunque rainforest at the top elevations, gets most of the rain. The winds must rise when they meet the mountains. This rising of the air mass causes the air to cool and release rain on the windward side. There is a wonderful book about the El Yunque Rainforest written by Kathryn Robinson called "Where Dwarfs Reign".