First colonized by the Spanish, the islands came under British control in the early 19th century. The islands' sugar industry was hurt by the emancipation of the slaves in 1834. Manpower was replaced with the importation of contract laborers from India between 1845 and 1917, which boosted sugar production as well as the cocoa industry. The discovery of oil on Trinidad in 1910 added another important export. Independence was attained in 1962. The country is one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean thanks largely to petroleum and natural gas production and processing. Tourism, mostly in Tobago, is targeted for expansion and is growing.
Location
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
Geographic coordinates
11 00 N, 61 00 W
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Area
total
5,128 sq km
land
5,128 sq km
water
0 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Delaware
Land boundaries
0 km
Coastline
362 km
Maritime claims
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental margin
Climate
tropical; rainy season (June to December)
Terrain
mostly plains with some hills and low mountains
Elevation extremes
lowest point
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point
El Cerro del Aripo 940 m
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, asphalt
Land use
arable land
14.62%
permanent crops
9.16%
other
76.22% (2005)
Irrigated land
40 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards
outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms
Environment - current issues
water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and raw sewage; oil pollution of beaches; deforestation; soil erosion
Environment - international agreements
party to
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified
none of the selected agreements
Geography - note
Pitch Lake, on Trinidad's southwestern coast, is the world's largest natural reservoir of asphalt
Population
1,056,608 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
19.5% (male 105,994/female 100,156)
15-64 years
71.6% (male 397,699/female 358,755)
65 years and over
8.9% (male 42,039/female 51,965) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
31.8 years
male
31.3 years
female
32.3 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
-0.883% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
13.07 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
10.76 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
-11.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.058 male(s)/female
15-64 years
1.109 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.809 male(s)/female
total population
1.068 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
24.33 deaths/1,000 live births
male
26.15 deaths/1,000 live births
female
22.43 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
66.85 years
male
65.87 years
female
67.87 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.74 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
3.2% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
29,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
1,900 (2003 est.)
Nationality
noun
Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s)
adjective
Trinidadian, Tobagonian
Ethnic groups
Indian (South Asian) 40%, African 37.5%, mixed 20.5%, other 1.2%, unspecified 0.8% (2000 census)
Religions
Roman Catholic 26%, Hindu 22.5%, Anglican 7.8%, Baptist 7.2%, Pentecostal 6.8%, Muslim 5.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 4%, other Christian 5.8%, other 10.8%, unspecified 1.4%, none 1.9% (2000 census)
Languages
English (official), Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), French, Spanish, Chinese
Literacy
definition
age 15 and over can read and write
total population
98.6%
male
99.1%
female
98% (2003 est.)
Country name
conventional long form
Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
conventional short form
Trinidad and Tobago
Government type
parliamentary democracy
Capital
name
Port-of-Spain
geographic coordinates
10 39 N, 61 31 W
time difference
UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
regional corporations: Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo, Diego Martin, Mayaro/Rio Claro, Penal/Debe, Princes Town, Sangre Grande, San Juan/Laventille, Siparia, Tunapuna/Piarco
city corporations: Port-of-Spain, San Fernando
borough corporations: Arima, Chaguanas, Point Fortin
ward: Tobago
Independence
31 August 1962 (from UK)
National holiday
Independence Day, 31 August (1962)
Constitution
1 August 1976
Legal system
based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state
President George Maxwell RICHARDS (since 17 March 2003)
head of government
Prime Minister Patrick MANNING (since 24 December 2001)
cabinet
Cabinet appointed from among the members of Parliament
elections
president elected by an electoral college, which consists of the members of the Senate and House of Representatives, for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 14 February 2003 (next to be held by January 2008); the president usually appoints as prime minister the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives
election results
George Maxwell RICHARDS elected president; percent of electoral college vote - 43%
Legislative branch
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (31 seats; 16 members appointed by the ruling party, nine by the President, six by the opposition party to serve a maximum term of five years) and the House of Representatives (36 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held on 7 October 2002 (next to be held by October 2007)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote - PNM 55.5%, UNC 44.5%; seats by party - PNM 20, UNC 16
note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly with 12 members serving four-year terms; last election held in January 2005; seats by party - PNM 11, DAC 1
Judicial branch
Supreme Court of Judicature (comprised of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeals; the chief justice is appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister and the leader of the opposition; other justices are appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission); High Court of Justice; Caribbean Court of Appeals member; Court of Appeals; the highest court of appeal is the Privy Council in London
Political parties and leaders
Congress of the People [Winston DOOKERAN]; Democratic National Alliance or DNA [Gerald YETMING] (coalition of NAR, DDPT, MND); Movement for National Development or MND [Garvin NICHOLAS]; National Alliance for Reconstruction or NAR [Dr. Carson CHARLES]; People's National Movement or PNM [Patrick MANNING]; United National Congress or UNC [Basdeo PANDAY]; Democratic Action Congress or DAC [Hochoy CHARLES] (only active in Tobago)
1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone
[1] (202) 467-6490
FAX
[1] (202) 785-3130
consulate(s) general
Miami, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission
Ambassador Roy L. AUSTIN
embassy
15 Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain
mailing address
P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain
telephone
[1] (868) 622-6371 through 6376
FAX
[1] (868) 628-5462
Flag description
red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side to the lower fly side
Economy - overview
Trinidad and Tobago, the leading Caribbean producer of oil and gas, has earned a reputation as an excellent investment site for international businesses. Tourism is a growing sector, although it is not proportionately as important as in many other Caribbean islands. The economy benefits from a growing trade surplus. Economic growth in 2006 reached 12.6% as prices for oil, petrochemicals, and liquefied natural gas remained high, and foreign direct investment continued to grow to support expanded capacity in the energy sector. The government is coping with a rise in violent crime.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$21.12 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$14.9 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
11.9% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$19,800 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
0.7%
industry
57.7%
services
41.5% (2006 est.)
Labor force
618,000 (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture 9.5%, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 14%, construction and utilities 12.4%, services 64.1% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate
7% (2006 est.)
Population below poverty line
21% (1992 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
NA%
highest 10%
NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
8% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed)
19.1% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget
revenues
$6.591 billion
expenditures
$5.649 billion; including capital expenditures of $117.3 million (2006 est.)
machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, live animals
Imports - partners
US 26.9%, Venezuela 14.5%, Brazil 14.2%, Gabon 4.2%, Colombia 4.1% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$6.888 billion (2006 est.)
Debt - external
$2.838 billion (2006 est.)
Economic aid - recipient
$24 million (1999 est.)
Currency (code)
Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TTD)
Currency code
TTD
Exchange rates
Trinidad and Tobago dollars per US dollar - 6.3107 (2006), 6.2842 (2005), 6.299 (2004), 6.2951 (2003), 6.2487 (2002)
Fiscal year
1 October - 30 September
Telephones - main lines in use
323,500 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular
800,000 (2005)
Telephone system
general assessment
excellent international service; good local service
domestic
NA
international
country code - 1-868; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Barbados and Guyana
Radio broadcast stations
AM 4, FM 18, shortwave 0 (2001)
Radios
680,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations
6 (2005)
Televisions
425,000 (1997)
Internet country code
.tt
Internet hosts
30,732 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
17 (2000)
Internet users
160,000 (2005)
Airports
6 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
3
over 3,047 m
1
2,438 to 3,047 m
1
1,524 to 2,437 m
1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
3
914 to 1,523 m
1
under 914 m
2 (2006)
Pipelines
condensate 253 km; gas 1,278 km; oil 571 km (2006)
Roadways
total
8,320 km
paved
4,252 km
unpaved
4,068 km (1999)
Merchant marine
total
8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 16,760 GRT/7,941 DWT
by type
liquefied gas 1, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 2
foreign-owned
1 (US 1)
registered in other countries
1 (Panama 1) (2006)
Ports and terminals
Pointe-a-Pierre, Point Lisas, Port-of-Spain
Military branches
Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force: Ground Force, Coast Guard (includes air wing) (2004)
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2001)
Manpower available for military service
males age 18-49
290,715
females age 18-49
258,410 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 18-49
202,958
females age 18-49
173,797 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
0.3% (2006)
Disputes - international
in April 2006, the Permanent Court of Arbitration issued a decision that delimited a maritime boundary with Trinidad and Tobago and compelled Barbados to enter a fishing agreement that limited Barbadian fishermen's catches of flying fish in Trinidad and Tobago's exclusive economic zone; in 2005, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago agreed to compulsory international arbitration under UNCLOS challenging whether the northern limit of Trinidad and Tobago's and Venezuela's maritime boundary extends into Barbadian waters; Guyana has also expressed its intention to include itself in the arbitration as the Trinidad and Tobago-Venezuela maritime boundary may extend into its waters as well
Illicit drugs
transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; producer of cannabis
