1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 5,130 km2 land area: 5,130 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than Delaware
Climate
tropical; rainy season (June to December)
Coastline
362 km
Environment
outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms
International disputes
none
Irrigated land
220 km2 (1989 est.)
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 14% permanent crops: 17% meadows and pastures: 2% forest and woodland: 44% other: 23%
Location
in the extreme southeastern Caribbean Sea, 11 km off the coast of Venezuela
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Standard Time Zones of the World
Maritime claims
contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or the outer edge of continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, asphalt
Terrain
mostly plains with some hills and low mountains
People and Society
Birth rate
20.08 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate
6.31 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Ethnic divisions
black 43%, East Indian 40%, mixed 14%, white 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1%
Infant mortality rate
16.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Labor force
463,900 by occupation: construction and utilities 18.1%, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 14.8%, agriculture 10.9%, other 56.2% (1985 est.)
Languages
English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 70.53 years male: 67.91 years female: 73.22 years (1993 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1980) total population: 95% male: 97% female: 93%
Nationality
noun: Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s) adjective: Trinidadian, Tobagonian
Net migration rate
-2.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Population
1,313,738 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate
1.1% (1993 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 32.2%, Hindu 24.3%, Anglican 14.4%, other Protestant 14%, Muslim 6%, none or unknown 9.1%
Total fertility rate
2.35 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
8 counties, 3 municipalities*, and 1 ward**; Arima*, Caroni, Mayaro, Nariva,, Port-of-Spain*,, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick, San
Capital
Port-of-Spain
Chief of State
President Noor Mohammed HASSANALI (since 18 March 1987)
Constitution
31 August 1976
Digraph
TD
Diplomatic representation in US
chief of mission: Ambassador Corinne BAPTISTE chancery: 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: (202) 467-6490
Executive branch
president, prime minister, Cabinet
FAX
(809) 628-5462
Fernando*, Tobago**, Victoria, Independence
31 August 1962 (from UK)
Flag
red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side
Head of Government
Prime Minister Patrick Augustus Mervyn MANNING (since 17 December 1991)
House of Representatives
last held 16 December 1991 (next to be held by December 1996); results - PNM 32%, UNC 13%, NAR 2%; seats - (36 total) PNM 21, UNC 13, NAR 2
Judicial branch
Court of Appeal, Supreme Court
Legal system
based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch
bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
Member of
ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Names
conventional long form: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago conventional short form: Trinidad and Tobago
National holiday
Independence Day, 31 August (1962)
Political parties and leaders
People's National Movement (PNM), Patrick MANNING; United National Congress (UNC), Basdeo PANDAY; National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR), Carson CHARLES; Movement for Social Transformation (MOTION), David ABDULLAH; National Joint Action Committee (NJAC), Makandal DAAGA
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Type
parliamentary democracy
US diplomatic representation
chief of mission: Ambassador Sally G. COWAL embassy: 15 Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain mailing address: P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain telephone: (809) 622-6372 through 6376, 6176
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 3% of GDP; highly subsidized sector; major crops - cocoa, sugarcane; sugarcane acreage is being shifted into rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; poultry sector most important source of animal protein; must import large share of food needs
Budget
revenues $1.6 billion; expenditures $1.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $158 million (1993 est.)
Currency
1 Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TT$) = 100 cents
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $373 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $518 million
Electricity
1,176,000 kW capacity; 3,480 million kWh produced, 2,680 kWh per capita (1992)
Exchange rates
Trinidad and Tobago dollars (TT$) per US$1 - 4.2500 (fixed rate since 1989)
Exports
$2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: includes reexports - petroleum and petroleum products 82%, steel products 9%, fertilizer, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus (1988) partners: US 49%, CARICOM 12%
External debt
$2.4 billion (1991)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Illicit drugs
transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US
Imports
$1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1991) commodities: raw materials and intermediate goods 48%, capital goods 29%, consumer goods 23% (1991) partners: US 39%, Venezuela 14%, UK 7%, CARICOM 5% (1991)
Industrial production
growth rate 2.3%, excluding oil refining (1986); accounts for 40% of GDP, including petroleum
Industries
petroleum, chemicals, tourism, food processing, cement, beverage, cotton textiles
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3.8% (1991)
National product
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $5 billion (1991)
National product per capita
$3,800 (1991)
National product real growth rate
2.6% (1991)
Overview
Trinidad and Tobago's petroleum-based economy has begun to emerge from a lengthy depression in the last few years. The economy fell sharply through most of the 1980s, largely because of the decline in oil prices. This sector accounts for 80% of export earnings and almost 20% of GDP. The government, in response to the oil revenue loss, pursued a series of austerity measures that pushed the unemployment rate as high as 22% in 1988. The economy showed signs of recovery in 1990 and 1991, however, helped along by rising oil prices. Agriculture employs only about 11% of the labor force and produces about 3% of GDP. Since this sector is small, it has been unable to absorb the large numbers of the unemployed. The government currently seeks to diversify its export base.
Unemployment rate
18.5% (1991)
Communications
Airports
total: 6 usable: 5 with permanent-surface runways: 2 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 1
Highways
8,000 km total; 4,000 km paved, 1,000 km improved earth, 3,000 km unimproved earth
Merchant marine
2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 12,507 GRT/21,923 DWT
Pipelines
crude oil 1,032 km, petroleum products 19 km, natural gas 904 km
Ports
Port-of-Spain, Pointe-a-Pierre, Scarborough
Railroads
minimal agricultural railroad system near San Fernando
Telecommunications
excellent international service via tropospheric scatter links to Barbados and Guyana; good local service; 109,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 4 FM, 5 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Military and Security
Branches
Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (including Ground Forces, Coast Guard, and Air Wing), Trinidad and Tobago Police Service
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $59 million, 1-2% of GDP (1989 est.)
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 351,183; fit for military service 253,084 (1993 est.)