1995 Edition

Area

total area: 5,130 sq km land area: 5,130 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Delaware

Climate

tropical; rainy season (June to December)

Coastline

362 km

Environment

current issues: water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and raw sewage; oil pollution of beaches; deforestation; soil erosion natural hazards: outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

220 sq km (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

Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the 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

Age structure

0-14 years: 31% (female 191,627; male 198,225) 15-64 years: 64% (female 399,726; male 407,495) 65 years and over: 5% (female 40,577; male 33,509) (July 1995 est.)

Birth rate

16.62 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate

6.88 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Ethnic divisions

black 43%, East Indian (a local term - primarily immigrants from northern India) 40%, mixed 14%, white 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1%

Infant mortality rate

18.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 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: 70.14 years male: 67.75 years female: 72.6 years (1995 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 97% male: 98% female: 96%

Nationality

noun: Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s) adjective: Trinidadian, Tobagonian

Net migration rate

-8.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Population

1,271,159 (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate

0.12% (1995 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

2.01 children born/woman (1995 est.)

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 Fernando*, Tobago**, Victoria

Capital

Port-of-Spain

Constitution

1 August 1976

Digraph

TD

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Corinne Averille McKNIGHT chancery: 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 467-6490

Executive branch

chief of state: President Noor Mohammed HASSANALI (since 18 March 1987) head of government: Prime Minister Patrick Augustus Mervyn MANNING (since 17 December 1991) cabinet: Cabinet; responsible to parliament

FAX

[1] (202) 785-3130 consulate(s) general: New York

[1] (809) 628-5462

Flag

red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side

House of Representatives

elections 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

Independence

31 August 1962 (from UK)

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

Member of

ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, 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), Selby WILSON; Movement for Social Transformation (MOTION), David ABDULLAH; National Joint Action Committee (NJAC), Makandal DAAGA; Republican Party, Nello MITCHELL; National Development Party (NDP), Carson CHARLES; Movement for Unity and Progress (MUP), Hulsie BHAGGAN

Senate

consists of a 31-member body appointed by the president

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type

parliamentary democracy

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Brian DONNELLY (since September 1994) embassy: 15 Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain mailing address: P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain telephone: [1] (809) 622-6372 through 6376, 6176

Agriculture

accounts for 3% of GDP; 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

recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $373 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $518 million

Electricity

capacity: 1,150,000 kW production: 3.9 billion kWh consumption per capita: 2,740 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates

Trinidad and Tobago dollars (TT$) per US$1 - 5.8758 (January 1995), 5.9160 (1994), 5.3511 (1993), 4.2500 (fixed rate 1989-1992); note - effective 13 April 1993, the exchange rate of the TT dollar is market-determined as opposed to the prior fixed relationship to the US dollar

Exports

$1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, steel products, fertilizer, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus, flowers partners: US 44%, CARICOM 15%, Latin America 9%, EC 5% (1993)

External debt

$2 billion (1994)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe and producer of cannabis

Imports

$996 million (c.i.f., 1994) commodities: machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, live animals partners: US 43%, Venezuela 10%, UK 8%, other EC 8% (1993)

Industrial production

growth rate 1% (1994 est.); accounts for 39% of GDP, including petroleum

Industries

petroleum, chemicals, tourism, food processing, cement, beverage, cotton textiles

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

10.1% (1994 est.)

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $15 billion (1994 est.)

National product per capita

$11,280 (1994 est.)

National product real growth rate

3% (1994 est.)

Overview

Trinidad and Tobago's petroleum-based economy still enjoys a high per capita income by Latin American standards, even though output and living standards are substantially below the boom years of 1973-82. The country suffers from widespread unemployment, large foreign-debt payments, and periods of low international oil prices. The government has begun to make progress in its efforts to diversify exports and to liberalize its trade regime, making 1994 the first year of substantial growth since the early 1980s.

Unemployment rate

18.1% (1994 )

Radio

broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 0 radios: NA

Telephone system

109,000 telephones; excellent international service via tropospheric scatter links to Barbados and Guyana; good local service local: NA intercity: NA international: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station; linked to Barbados and Guyana by tropospheric scatter system

Television

broadcast stations: 5 televisions: NA

Airports

total: 6 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 2 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1

Highways

total: 8,000 km paved: 4,000 km unpaved: improved earth 1,000 km; unimproved earth 3,000 km

Merchant marine

total: 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

Pointe-a-Pierre, Point Fortin, Point Lisas, Port-of-Spain, Scarborough, Tembladora

Railroads

note: minimal agricultural railroad system near San Fernando

Branches

Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (includes Ground Forces, Coast Guard, and Air Wing), Trinidad and Tobago Police Service

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $83 million, 1.5% of GDP (1994) ________________________________________________________________________ TROMELIN ISLAND (possession of France)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 347,841; males fit for military service 249,904 (1995 est.)