1996 Edition

Description

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

Location

11 00 N, 61 00 W -- Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly smaller than Delaware

land area

5,130 sq km

total area

5,130 sq km

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

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, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity

natural hazards

outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms

Geographic coordinates

11 00 N, 61 00 W

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

220 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

14%

forest and woodland

44%

meadows and pastures

2%

other

23%

permanent crops

17%

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

highest point

El Cerro del Aripo 940 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 30% (male 193,134; female 186,649) 15-64 years: 64% (male 413,426; female 404,175) 65 years and over: 6% (male 33,791; female 41,210) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

16.25 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

6.9 deaths/1,000 population (1996 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

18.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish

Life expectancy at birth

female

72.77 years (1996 est.)

male

67.91 years

total population

70.3 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)

female

97%

male

98.8%

total population

97.9%

Nationality

adjective

Trinidadian, Tobagonian

noun

Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s)

Net migration rate

-8.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

1,272,385 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

0.08% (1996 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 32.2%, Hindu 24.3%, Anglican 14.4%, other Protestant 14%, Muslim 6%, none or unknown 9.1%

Sex ratio

all ages

1.01 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years

1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

1.99 children born/woman (1996 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

Data code

TD

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

chief of mission

Ambassador Corinne Averille McKNIGHT

telephone

[1] (202) 467-6490

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet was appointed from among the members of Parliament

chief of state

President Noor Mohammed HASSANALI (since 18 March 1987) was elected by an electoral college of members of the Senate and House of Representatives

head of government

Prime Minister Basdeo PANDAY (since 9 November 1995) was appointed from among the members of Parliament

FAX

[1] (202) 785-3130

[1] (809) 628-5462

consulate(s) general

New York

Flag

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

House of Representatives

elections last held 6 November 1995 (next to be held by December 2001); results - PNM 52%, UNC 42.2%, NAR 5.2%; seats - (36 total) PNM 17, UNC 17, NAR 2; the UNC formed a coalition with the NAR

Independence

31 August 1962 (from UK)

International organization participation

ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, 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, UNMIH, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal, judges are appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister; Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister

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

Name of country

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), A. N. R. ROBINSON; 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 of government

parliamentary democracy

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission

Ambassador Brian J. DONNELLY

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

cocoa, sugarcane, rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; poultry

Budget

expenditures

$1.61 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1996 est.)

revenues

$1.65 billion

Currency

1 Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TT$) = 100 cents

Economic aid

recipient

ODA, $10 million (1993)

Economic overview

Trinidad and Tobago's oil- and petrochemical-dependent economy enjoys a high per capita income, although living standards have declined since the boom years of 1973-82. The country managed to record a second successive year of economic growth in 1995, the first period of substantial expansion since the early 1980s. A broad economic reform program, including the floating of the exchange rate, trade and capital market liberalization, and an extensive privatization program by the previous administration has left the incoming PANDAY government in a relatively sound economic position. Trinidad and Tobago's economic prospects continue to depend heavily on world petroleum prices, however, and further progress toward diversification will be an important challenge in the medium term.

Electricity

capacity

1,150,000 kW

consumption per capita

2,740 kWh (1993)

production

3.9 billion kWh

Exchange rates

Trinidad and Tobago dollars (TT$) per US$1 - 5.9412 (January 1996), 5.9192 (1995), 5.9249 (1994), 5.3511 (1993), 4.2500 (fixed rate 1989-1992); note - effective 13 April 1993, the exchange rate of the TT$ is market-determined as opposed to the prior fixed relationship to the US dollar

Exports

$2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1995)

commodities

petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, steel products, fertilizer, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus, flowers

partners

US 48%, Caricom countries15%, Latin America 9%, EU 5% (1994)

External debt

$2 billion (1994)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $16.2 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

4.8%

industry

44.5%

services

50.7% (1995 est.)

GDP per capita

$12,100 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

3.5% (1995 est.)

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 47.7%, Venezuela 10%, UK 8.3%, other EU 8% (1994)

Industrial production growth rate

1% (1994 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.4% (1995)

Labor force

404,500

by occupation

construction and utilities 13%, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 14%, agriculture 11%, services 62% (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate

17.8% (December 1995)

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, NA% of GDP (1994)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

351,835

males fit for military service

252,532 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 0

Radios

700,000 (1993 est.)

Telephone system

excellent international service; good local service

domestic

NA

international

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Barbados and Guyana

Telephones

170,000 (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations

5 (1987 est.)

Televisions

400,000 (1992 est.) Defense

Airports

total

5

with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

1

with paved runways over 3 047 m

1

with paved runways under 914 m

2

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

1 (1995 est.)

Highways

paved

3,978 km

total

8,352 km

unpaved

4,374 km (1987 est.)

Merchant marine

ships by type

cargo 1, oil tanker 1 (1995 est.)

total

2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,928 GRT/5,571 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

Railways

note

minimal agricultural railroad system near San Fernando; railway service was discontinued in 1968