Trinidad and Tobago

The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is a southern Caribbean island nation. Tobago is the smaller island, comprising 6% of the total area and 4% of the population. Port of Spain is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago. It is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.

HISTORY:- Trinidad was inhabited by the Arawaks and Tobago was inhabited by the Carib Indians before the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1498. Trinidad was occupied by the Spanish while Tobago was occupied by Britain and France simultaneously in several times. Trinidad was ceded to Britain in 1802 and Tobago was ceded to Britain in 1814. After slavery was outlawed, thousands of workers were brought from India to work on sugarcane plantations in the colonies. In 1889, Trinidad and Tobago were unified into one single colony by the British. In 1925, the colony was granted with a partial autonomy. In 1958, it joined the West Indies Federation and remained with the federation until its dissolution in 1962. In the same year, Trinidad and Tobago gained independence. In 1976, it became a republic within the Commonwealth. Eric Williams ruled the country from 1956 until his death in 1981.

GEOGRAPHY:- Apart form the main two islands-  Trinidad and Tobago, there are 21 smaller islands in the archipelago. Trinidad and Tobago is located at 11 00 N, 61 00 W in the Oceania. The islands occupy total 5,128 sq km area in which there is no major interval water source. The coastline is 362 km long along with the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. The lowest point is Caribbean Sea (0 m) and the highest point is El Cerro del Aripo (940 m). Trinidad and Tobago is mainly composed of plains with some hills and low mountains around.

CLIMATE:- The climate of Trinidad and Tobago is mostly tropical. The rainy season persists from June to December.

GOVERNMENT:- Trinidad and Tobago has a parliamentary democracy. The constitution was adopted on 1st August 1976. The legal system is based on the English common law. The three principal branches of the government and their higher officials are as follows:

Executive branch comprises the President (chief of state), the Prime Minister (head of government), and the cabinet ministers. The electoral college of the President comprises the members of the Senate and House of Representatives. The president is elected on a 5-year term. The leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives is usually appointed the prime minister by the president. The cabinet ministers are appointed from among the members of Parliament.

Legislative branch comprises the bicameral Parliament, which consists of the Senate (31 seats) and the House of Representatives (41 seats).

Judicial branch comprises the Supreme Court of Judicature, which consists of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeals. The chief justice of the Supreme Court is appointed by the president after consulting with the prime minister and the leader of the opposition parties while other justices are appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission. The Privy Council in London is the highest court of appeal. Other courts include the High Court of Justice, the Caribbean Court of Appeals member, and the Court of Appeals.

The three major political parties of Trinidad and Tobago are People's National Movement (PNM), United National Congress (UNC), and Congress of the People (COP). Other minor parties include the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR).

President             George Maxwell Richards

Prime Minister      Patrick Manning

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:- Trinidad and Tobago is divided into:

9 regional corporations: Talparo, Diego Martin, Rio Claro, Penal, Princes Town, Sangre Grande, San Juan, Siparia, and Piarco.

2 city corporations: Port-of-Spain and San Fernando.

3 borough corporations: Arima, Chaguanas, and Point Fortin.

1 ward: Tobago.

CULTURE:- Trinidad and Tobago celebrates many festivities and ceremonies through the year. It is the birthplace of calypso music and the steelpan. The Limbo dance is also very famous. Football and cricket are the most popular sports of Trinidad and Tobago.

ECONOMY:- Trinidad and Tobago has been emerged as the excellent investment site for foreign businesses. It has one of the highest growth rates and per capita incomes among the Latin American nations. Oil and gas are the pillars of the economy of the nation, accounting for 40% of GDP and 80% of exports. Trinidad and Tobago is the highest oil and gas producer in the Caribbean region.

GDP/PPP (2007 est.): $23.79 billion; per capita $18,300.

Real growth rate: 5.5%.

Inflation: 7.9%.

Unemployment: 6.5%.

Arable land: 15%.

Agriculture: Cocoa, rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; poultry.

Labor force: 615,000; construction and utilities 17.5%, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 12.9%, agriculture 4%, services 65.6% (2006 est.).

Budget:  

Revenues: $6.415 billion

Expenditures: $6.214 billion (2007 est.)

Public debt: 26.6% of GDP (2007 est.)

Debt - external: $2.826 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Industries: Petroleum, chemicals, tourism, food processing, cement, beverage, cotton textiles.

Natural resources: Petroleum, natural gas, asphalt.

Exports: $9.161 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, steel products, fertilizer, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus, flowers.

Imports: $6.011 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, live animals.

Major trading partners: U.S., Jamaica, France, Venezuela, Germany, Brazil, Spain, Italy (2004).

Monetary unit: Trinidad and Tobago dollar

LANGUAGE:- English is the official language of Trinidad and Tobago. Other languages include Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), French, Spanish, and Chinese.

CITIES:- The Capital of the nation is Port of Spain whilst the largest city is San Fernando. Other major cities are Chaguanas, Arima, Scarborough (Tobago).

POPULATION:- The estimated population is 1,056,608 with a growth rate of –0.9%.

Density per sq mi: 533

Literacy rate: 99% (2003 est.)

RACE:-

Indian (South Asian) 40%

African 37.5%

Mixed 20.5%

Other 1.2%

Unspecified 0.8% (2000)

RELIGION:-

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)

HEALTH:-

Birth rate: 13.22 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 10.93 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 23.59 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 67 years

Total fertility rate: 1.73 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 1,900 (2003 est.)

Total expenditure on health per capita (Intl $, 2005): 763

UNICEF:- UNICEF in Trinidad and Tobago mainly focuses on children health, children and women protection, provision of basic education, and HIV awareness and prevention.

TRANSPORTATION:-

Railways: Railway service was discontinued in 1968 (2001).

Highways: total: 8,320 km; paved: 4,252 km; unpaved: 4,068 km (1999 est.).

Ports and harbors: Pointe-a-Pierre, Point Fortin, Point Lisas, Port-of-Spain, Scarborough, Tembladora.

Airports: 6 (2002).