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For other uses of the word Trinidad, see Trinidad (disambiguation).
The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is a nation located in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the coast of Venezuela. It consists of two islands, Trinidad and Tobago. The larger and more populated island is Trinidad, while the island of Tobago is smaller (about 6% of the total area) and less populous (about 4% of the total population). The tallest building in Trinidad and Tobago is the recently constructed Nicholas Tower.
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| National motto: Together we aspire, together we achieve | ||||
| Official language | English | |||
| Capital | Port of Spain | |||
| President | George Maxwell Richards | |||
| Prime minister | Patrick Manning | |||
| Area - Total - % water | Ranked 163st 5,128 km² Negligible | |||
| Population
- Density | Ranked 151th
215/km² | |||
| Independence | August 31, 1962 | |||
| Currency | Dollar | |||
| Time zone | UTC - 4 | |||
| National anthem | Forged From The Love of Liberty | |||
| Internet TLD | .TT | |||
| Calling Code | 1-868 | |||
Main article: History of Trinidad and Tobago, History of the Caribbean
Prior to European contact, the island of Trinidad is reported to have been occupied by various Amerindian nations some of whom were described as being Caribs while others were reportedly Arawaks. Tobago was inhabited by Island Caribs. The aboriginal name for Trinidad was Kairi or Iere which meant The Land of the Hummingbird. Christopher Columbus discovered the island of Trinidad on July 31, 1498 and named Trinidad after the Holy Trinity; Tobago was named Bella Forma by him, but this later became Tobago (probably derived from tobacco).
The Spanish settled on Trinidad, while Tobago frequently changed hands between the European sea powers, but the settlements on both islands were small and underdeveloped. The changing of hands of the European powers was mainly to keep Tobago free of pirates. After changing hands between the British, French, Dutch and Courlanders, Britain consolidated its hold on both islands during the Napoleonic Wars, and they were combined into the colony of Trinidad and Tobago in 1889.
Following World War II, when American naval bases were located on Trinidad, the islands became independent as part of the West Indies Federation in 1958. The federation was dissolved quickly, and the independent nation of Trinidad and Tobago was formed in 1962.
In 1976 the country severed its links with the British monarchy and became a republic within the Commonwealth.
At present, 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.
Main article: Politics of Trinidad and Tobago
Chief of state in Trinidad and Tobago is the president, Professor George Maxwell Richards, who is elected by the parliament. This parliament consists of two chambers, the Senate (31 seats) and the House of Representatives (36 seats). The members of the former are appointed by the president,the ruling party and the Opposition, while the members of the latter are chosen by the public in elections held every five years.
The Prime Minister is appointed by the President. The President is obligated to appoint the person with the most support in the House of Representatives to this post; usually this is the leader of the party which won the most seats in the previous election.
The present ruling party (2004) is the People's National Movement led by Patrick Manning; the Opposition party is the United National Congress led by Basdeo Panday.
Main article: Counties and Municipalities of Trinidad and Tobago
The local government bodies consist of eight counties and five municipalities in Trinidad and the Tobago House of Assembly in Tobago.
The five towns with municipality-status are:
The eight Couva-Tabaquite-Talparo Regional Corporation
Historically, Trinidad was divided into eight counties, and these counties were subdivided into Wards. Tobago was adminstered as a Ward of County Saint David.
The terrain of the islands is a mixture of mountains and plains. The highest point in the country is found on the Northern Range at Port of Spain, the capital, and San Fernando. Although not usually recognised as such, the largest town on the island is actually Chaguanas, which is also the fastest-growing region. The largest settlement on Tobago is Scarborough.
Trinidad is made up of a variety of soil types, the majority being fine sands and heavy clays. The alluvial valleys of the Northern Range and the soils of the "Economy of Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago has earned a reputation as an excellent investment site for international businesses. A leading performer the past four years has been the booming natural gas sector. Tourism is a growing sector, although not proportionately as important as in many other Caribbean islands. The economy benefits from low inflation and a trade surplus. The year 2002 was marked by solid growth in the oil sector, offset in part by domestic political uncertainty.
Main article: Demographics of Trinidad and Tobago
The two predominant ethnic groups are Indo-Trinidadians, the descendants of indentured labourers from India (40.3% of the population) and Afro-Trinidadians who descend from African slaves (39.5%). Together the two groups form about 79.8% of the population; most of the remainder are people of mixed descent, with small minorities of Europeans, Chinese, Syrian-Lebanese and Caribs (descendants of the indigenous inhabitants, not recognized as a distinct census category).
Many different religions are present in Trinidad and Tobago. The largest two are the Roman Catholics and Hindus; the Anglicans, Muslims, Prebyterians, Methodist are among the smaller faiths. Two Afro-Caribbean syncretic faiths, the Shouter or Spiritual Baptists and the Orisha faith (formerly called Shangos, a less than complementary term) are among the fastest growing religious groups, as are a host of American-style evangelical and fundamentalist churches usually lumped as "Pentecostal" by most Trinidadians (although this designation is often inaccurate). The Mormon Church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) has also expanded its presence in the country since the mid-1980s.
English is the country's only official language, but Hindi is also spoken by some Indo-Trinidadians and widely used in popular music. Patois (a dialect of French Creole) is rarely spoken. Due to Trinidad's location on the coast of South America, the country is slowly developing a connection with the Spanish-speaking peoples, and therefore many schools now teach Spanish to the locals. Conversely, Venezualans often come to Trinidad and Tobago to learn English.
Main article: Culture of Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago are famous as the birthplace of the calypso music, as well as the music of the steel pan (whose patent is held by someone in Maryland, United States). The diverse cultural and religious background allows for many festivities and ceremonies throughout the year. Other indigenous art forms include chutney, soca, Parang, and pichakarie (musical forms which blend the music of the Caribbean and India) and the famous limbo dance.
| Date | English Name | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| January 1 | New Year's Day | |
| Variable | Carnival | |
| Variable | Eid-ul-Fitr | |
| Variable | Easter | |
| March 30 | Spiritual Baptism Liberation Shouter Day | |
| Variable | Corpus Christi | |
| May 30 | Indian Arrival Day | |
| June 19 | Labour Day | |
| August 1 | Emancipation Day | |
| August 31 | Independence Day | |
| September 24 | Republic Day | |
| Variable | Divali | |
| December 25 | Christmas | |
| December 26 | Boxing Day |
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