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Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory because it has been an unincorporated territory of the United States since the Spanish-American War in 1898. As a territory, Puerto Rico has its own local government and constitution, but the residents are U.S. citizens, although they cannot vote in presidential elections and have limited representation in Congress. Understanding U.S. territories is important because they are under U.S. jurisdiction and subject to U.S. law, but they have different rights and responsibilities compared to the states.

In contrast, Wyoming, Kentucky, and Florida are all states within the United States, meaning they have full representation in Congress and their residents have the ability to vote in federal elections. Each of these states has the same rights and responsibilities as other states, making them significantly different from territories like Puerto Rico.