Legend:
 Definition
 Field Listing
 Rank Order
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Background:
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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. The government is coping with a rise in violent crime.
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Location:
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Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
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Geographic coordinates:
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11 00 N, 61 00 W
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Map references:
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Central America and the Caribbean
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Area:
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total: 5,128 sq km
land: 5,128 sq km
water: 0 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Delaware
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Land boundaries:
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0 km
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Coastline:
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362 km
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Maritime claims:
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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
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Climate:
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tropical; rainy season (June to December)
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Terrain:
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mostly plains with some hills and low mountains
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: El Cerro del Aripo 940 m
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, natural gas, asphalt
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Land use:
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arable land: 14.62%
permanent crops: 9.16%
other: 76.22% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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40 sq km (2003)
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Total renewable water resources:
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3.8 cu km (2000)
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total: 0.31 cu km/yr (68%/26%/6%)
per capita: 237 cu m/yr (2000)
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Natural hazards:
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outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms
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Environment - current issues:
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water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and raw sewage; oil pollution of beaches; deforestation; soil erosion
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Environment - international agreements:
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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
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Geography - note:
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Pitch Lake, on Trinidad's southwestern coast, is the world's largest natural reservoir of asphalt
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Population:
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1,229,953 (July 2009 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 19.6% (male 123,214/female 117,584)
15-64 years: 72.6% (male 457,868/female 434,486)
65 years and over: 7.9% (male 41,467/female 55,334) (2009 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 32.1 years
male: 31.6 years
female: 32.7 years (2009 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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-0.102% (2009 est.)
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Birth rate:
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14.36 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
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Death rate:
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7.99 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
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Net migration rate:
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-7.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
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Urbanization:
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urban population: 13% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 29.93 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 31.14 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 28.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 70.86 years
male: 67.98 years
female: 73.82 years (2009 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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1.72 children born/woman (2009 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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1.5% (2007 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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14,000 (2007 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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1,900 (2003 est.)
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Nationality:
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noun: Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s)
adjective: Trinidadian, Tobagonian
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Ethnic groups:
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Indian (South Asian) 40%, African 37.5%, mixed 20.5%, other 1.2%, unspecified 0.8% (2000 census)
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Religions:
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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)
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Languages:
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English (official), Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), French, Spanish, Chinese
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.6%
male: 99.1%
female: 98% (2003 est.)
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School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
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total: 11 years
male: 11 years
female: 11 years (2005)
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Education expenditures:
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4.2% of GDP (2002)
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People - note:
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in 2007, the government of Trinidad and Tobago estimated the population to be 1.3 million
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
conventional short form: Trinidad and Tobago
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Government type:
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parliamentary democracy
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Capital:
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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)
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Administrative divisions:
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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
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Independence:
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31 August 1962 (from the UK)
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 31 August (1962)
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Constitution:
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1 August 1976
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Legal system:
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based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal
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Executive branch:
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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 11 February 2008 (next to be held by February 2013); the president usually appoints as prime minister the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives
election results: George Maxwell RICHARDS reelected president; percent of electoral college vote - NA
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Legislative branch:
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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 (41 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held on 5 November 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote - PNM 46%, UNC 29.7%; seats by party - PNM 26, UNC 15
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
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Judicial branch:
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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); the highest court of appeal is the Privy Council in London; member of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)
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Political parties and leaders:
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Congress of the People [Winston DOOKERAN]; Democratic Action Congress or DAC [Hochoy CHARLES] (only active in Tobago); 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]
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Jamaat-al Muslimeen [Yasin BAKR]
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International organization participation:
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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, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Glenda MOREAN-PHILLIP
chancery: 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 467-6490
FAX: [1] (202) 785-3130
consulate(s) general: Miami, New York
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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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) 822-5905
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Flag description:
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red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side to the lower fly side
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Economy - overview:
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Trinidad and Tobago has earned a reputation as an excellent investment site for international businesses and has one of the highest growth rates and per capita incomes in Latin America. Economic growth for the past seven years has averaged slightly over 8%, significantly above the regional average of about 3.7% for that same period; however, it has slowed down this year to about 5% and is expected to slow further with the global downturn. Growth has been fueled by investments in liquefied natural gas (LNG), petrochemicals, and steel. Additional petrochemical, aluminum, and plastics projects are in various stages of planning. Trinidad and Tobago is the leading Caribbean producer of oil and gas, and its economy is heavily dependent upon these resources but it also supplies manufactured goods, notably food and beverages, as well as cement to the Caribbean region. Oil and gas account for about 40% of GDP and 80% of exports, but only 5% of employment. The country is also a regional financial center, and 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. The MANNING administration has benefited from fiscal surpluses fueled by the dynamic export sector; however, declines in oil and gas prices have reduced government revenues which will challenge his government's commitment to maintaining high levels of public investment.
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$24.19 billion (2008 est.)
$23.37 billion (2007)
$26.57 billion (2006)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$24.16 billion (2008 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
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3.5% (2008 est.)
5.5% (2007 est.)
12.2% (2006 est.)
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
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$18,600 (2008 est.)
$22,700 (2007 est.)
$21,500 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 0.5%
industry: 47.9%
services: 51.6% (2008 est.)
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Labor force:
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620,800 (2008 est.)
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 3.8%, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 12.8%, construction and utilities 20.4%, services 62.9% (2007 est.)
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Unemployment rate:
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5.3% (2008 est.)
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
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Investment (gross fixed):
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17.1% of GDP (2008 est.)
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Budget:
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revenues: $8.317 billion
expenditures: $8.311 billion (2008 est.)
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Public debt:
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28% of GDP (2008 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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14.5% (2008 est.)
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Central bank discount rate:
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6.94% (31 December 2008)
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Commercial bank prime lending rate:
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11.75% (31 December 2007)
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Stock of money:
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$2.39 billion (31 December 2008)
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Stock of quasi money:
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$3.506 billion (31 December 2008)
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Stock of domestic credit:
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$3.423 billion (31 December 2008)
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Market value of publicly traded shares:
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$15.61 billion (31 December 2007)
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Agriculture - products:
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cocoa, rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; poultry
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Industries:
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petroleum, chemicals, tourism, food processing, cement, beverage, cotton textiles
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Industrial production growth rate:
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4.4% (2008 est.)
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Electricity - production:
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7.704 billion kWh (2007)
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Electricity - consumption:
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7.083 billion kWh (2007)
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2007 est.)
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Oil - production:
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163,300 bbl/day (2007 est.)
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Oil - consumption:
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28,730 bbl/day (2006 est.)
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Oil - exports:
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38,990 bbl/day (2007)
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Oil - imports:
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72,780 bbl/day (2005)
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Oil - proved reserves:
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728.3 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)
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Natural gas - production:
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39 billion cu m (2007 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption:
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20.8 billion cu m (2007 est.)
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Natural gas - exports:
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18.1 billion cu m (2007 est.)
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Natural gas - imports:
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0 cu m (2007 est.)
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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481.3 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)
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Current account balance:
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$5.721 billion (2008 est.)
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Exports:
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$16.73 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)
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Exports - commodities:
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petroleum and petroleum products, liquefied natural gas (LNG), methanol, ammonia, urea, steel products, beverages, cereal and cereal products, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus fruit, vegetables, flowers
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Exports - partners:
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US 57.5%, Jamaica 6.5%, Spain 3.9% (2007)
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Imports:
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$10.26 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)
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Imports - commodities:
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mineral fuels, lubricants, machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals, live animals
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Imports - partners:
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US 28.2%, Brazil 11%, Venezuela 8.2%, Colombia 5.4%, Gabon 4.9%, China 4.2% (2007)
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$8.765 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
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Debt - external:
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$3.4 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
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$12.44 billion (2007)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
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$3.829 billion (2007)
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Exchange rates:
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Trinidad and Tobago dollars (TTD) per US dollar - 6.2896 (2008 est.), 6.3275 (2007), 6.3107 (2006), 6.2842 (2005), 6.299 (2004)
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Airports:
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6 (2008)
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2008)
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2008)
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Pipelines:
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gas 659 km; oil 336 km (2008)
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Roadways:
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total: 8,320 km
paved: 4,252 km
unpaved: 4,068 km (2000)
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Merchant marine:
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total: 9
by type: passenger 2, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 2
foreign-owned: 1 (US 1)
registered in other countries: 2 (Bahamas 1, unknown 1) (2008)
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Ports and terminals:
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Point Fortin, Point Lisas, Port-of-Spain
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This page was last updated on 14 May 2009
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