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  Trinidad and Tobago  
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 Introduction
 Geography
 People
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 Economy
 Communications
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This page was last updated on 8 March, 2007


Map of Trinidad and Tobago



Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Trinidad and Tobago Top of Page
Background:
Definition Field Listing
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.
   Geography    Trinidad and Tobago Top of Page
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
11 00 N, 61 00 W
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 5,128 sq km
land: 5,128 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
slightly smaller than Delaware
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
0 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
362 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
tropical; rainy season (June to December)
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
mostly plains with some hills and low mountains
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: El Cerro del Aripo 940 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
petroleum, natural gas, asphalt
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 14.62%
permanent crops: 9.16%
other: 76.22% (2005)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
40 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and raw sewage; oil pollution of beaches; deforestation; soil erosion
Environment - international agreements:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
Pitch Lake, on Trinidad's southwestern coast, is the world's largest natural reservoir of asphalt
   People    Trinidad and Tobago Top of Page
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1,065,842 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 20.1% (male 109,936/female 104,076)
15-64 years: 71.3% (male 398,657/female 361,093)
65 years and over: 8.6% (male 41,162/female 50,918) (2006 est.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing
total: 31.2 years
male: 30.8 years
female: 31.7 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
-0.87% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
12.9 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
10.57 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
-11.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 25.05 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 26.86 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 23.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 66.76 years
male: 65.71 years
female: 67.86 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.74 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3.2% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
29,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1,900 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s)
adjective: Trinidadian, Tobagonian
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
Indian (South Asian) 40%, African 37.5%, mixed 20.5%, other 1.2%, unspecified 0.8% (2000 census)
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish, Chinese
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.6%
male: 99.1%
female: 98% (2003 est.)
   Government    Trinidad and Tobago Top of Page
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
conventional short form: Trinidad and Tobago
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
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)
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
9 regional corporations, 2 city corporations, 3 borough corporations, 1 ward
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:
Definition Field Listing
31 August 1962 (from UK)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Independence Day, 31 August (1962)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
1 August 1976
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
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 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:
Definition Field Listing
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (31 seats; 16 members appointed by the ruling party, 9 by the President, 6 by the opposition party for 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 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 January 2005; seats by party - PNM 11, DAC 1
Judicial branch:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
Congress of the People [Winston Dookeran]; Democratic National Alliance or DNA (coalition of NAR, DDPT, MND) [Gerald YETMING]; 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], note - only active in Tobago
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
Jamaat-al Muslimeen [Yasin BAKR]
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador Marina Annette VALERE
chancery: 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:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side to the lower fly side
   Economy    Trinidad and Tobago Top of Page
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
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 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):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$20.99 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
Definition Field Listing
$14.99 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
12.6% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$19,700 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 0.7%
industry: 57.7%
services: 41.5% (2006 est.)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
618,000 (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture 9.5%, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 9.5%, construction and utilities 12.4%, services 14% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
7% (2006 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
21% (1992 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
8% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
19.1% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $6.591 billion
expenditures: $5.649 billion; including capital expenditures of $117.3 million (2006 est.)
Public debt:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
36.6% of GDP (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
cocoa, rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; poultry
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
petroleum, chemicals, tourism, food processing, cement, beverage, cotton textiles
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
17% (2006 est.)
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
6.049 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
5.626 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2004)
Oil - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
150,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
34,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA bbl/day
Oil - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA bbl/day
Oil - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
990 million bbl (1 January 2004)
Natural gas - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
28.09 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
14.15 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
13.94 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
733 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
Current account balance:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$3.259 billion (2006 est.)
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$12.5 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, steel products, fertilizer, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus, flowers
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
US 68.6%, Jamaica 5.4%, Barbados 2.9% (2005)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$8.798 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, live animals
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
US 27.2%, Venezuela 13.1%, Brazil 13.1%, Japan 5.4%, Canada 4.1% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$6.888 billion (2006 est.)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$2.838 billion (2006 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
$24 million (1999 est.)
Currency (code):
Definition Field Listing
Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TTD)
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
Trinidad and Tobago dollars per US dollar - 6.3107 (2006), 6.2842 (2005), 6.299 (2004), 6.2951 (2003), 6.2487 (2002)
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
1 October - 30 September
   Communications    Trinidad and Tobago Top of Page
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
323,500 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
800,000 (2005)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
AM 4, FM 18, shortwave 0 (2004)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
6 (2005)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.tt
Internet hosts:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
30,732 (2006)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
160,000 (2005)
   Transportation    Trinidad and Tobago Top of Page
Airports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
6 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2006)
Pipelines:
Definition Field Listing
condensate 253 km; gas 1,278 km; oil 571 km (2006)
Roadways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 8,320 km
paved: 4,252 km
unpaved: 4,068 km (1999)
Merchant marine:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
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:
Definition Field Listing
Pointe-a-Pierre, Point Lisas, Port-of-Spain
   Military    Trinidad and Tobago Top of Page
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing
Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force: Ground Force, Coast Guard (includes air wing) (2004)
Military service age and obligation:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2001)
Manpower available for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 290,715
females age 18-49: 258,410 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 202,958
females age 18-49: 173,797 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0.4% (2006 est.)
   Transnational Issues    Trinidad and Tobago Top of Page
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
In April 2006, the Permanent Court of Arbitration issues a decision that delimits a maritime boundary with Trinidad and Tobago and compels Barbados to enter a fishing agreement that limits 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:
Definition Field Listing
transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; producer of cannabis

This page was last updated on 8 March, 2007


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