1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Area
total: 5,130 sq km land: 5,130 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area--comparative
slightly smaller than Delaware
Climate
tropical; rainy season (June to December)
Coastline
362 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: El Cerro del Aripo 940 m
Environment--current issues
water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and raw sewage; oil pollution of beaches; deforestation; soil erosion
Environment--international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geographic coordinates
11 00 N, 61 00 W
Irrigated land
220 sq km (1993 est.)
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 15% permanent crops: 9% permanent pastures: 2% forests and woodland: 46% other: 28% (1993 est.)
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 hazards
outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, asphalt
Terrain
mostly plains with some hills and low mountains
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 27% (male 150,862; female 144,589) 15-64 years: 66% (male 377,894; female 346,375) 65 years and over: 7% (male 37,001; female 45,375) (1999 est.)
Birth rate
14.46 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate
8.14 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups
black 40%, East Indian (a local term--primarily immigrants from northern India) 40.3%, mixed 14%, white 1%, Chinese 1%, other 3.7%
Infant mortality rate
18.56 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Languages
English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 70.66 years male: 68.19 years female: 73.19 years (1999 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97.9% male: 98.8% female: 97% (1995 est.)
Nationality
noun: Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s) adjective: Trinidadian, Tobagonian
Net migration rate
-19.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Population
1,102,096 (July 1999 est.)
Population growth rate
-1.35% (1999 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 32.2%, Hindu 24.3%, Anglican 14.4%, other Protestant 14%, Muslim 6%, none or unknown 9.1%
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate
2.06 children born/woman (1999 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 Fernando*, Tobago**, Victoria
Capital
Port-of-Spain
Constitution
1 August 1976
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago conventional short form: Trinidad and Tobago
Data code
TD
Executive branch
chief of state: President Arthur Napoleon Raymond ROBINSON (since 19 March 1997) head of government: Prime Minister Basdeo PANDAY (since 9 November 1995) 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; election last held NA February 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); prime minister appointed from among the members of Parliament; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives is usually appointed prime minister election results: Arthur Napoleon Raymond ROBINSON elected president; percent of electoral college vote--69%
Flag description
red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side
Government type
parliamentary democracy
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, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Michael A. ARNEAUD chancery: 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 consulate(s) general: Miami and New York Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Edward E. SHUMAKER, III embassy: 15 Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain mailing address: P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain
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) Political parties and leaders: People's National Movement or PNM
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 the Senate (31 seats; members appointed by the president 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 6 November 1995 (next to be held by December 2000) election results: House of Representatives--percent of vote--PNM 52%, UNC 42.2%, NAR 5.2%; seats by party--PNM 15, UNC 19, NAR 1, independent 1; note--the UNC formed a coalition with the NAR note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly, with 15 members serving four-year terms
National holiday
Independence Day, 31 August (1962)
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture--products
cocoa, sugarcane, rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; poultry
Budget
revenues: $1.59 billion expenditures: $1.54 billion, including capital expenditures of $165.8 million (1997)
Currency
1 Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TT$) = 100 cents
Debt--external
$2.8 billion (1997 est.)
Economic aid--recipient
$121.4 million (1995)
Economy--overview
Trinidad and Tobago has earned a reputation as an excellent investment site for international businesses. Successful economic reforms were implemented in 1995, and foreign investment and trade are flourishing. Unemployment--a main cause of the country's socioeconomic problems--is high, but has decreased to its lowest point in six years. An investment boom in the energy sector led to a surge in imports in 1997. The resulting trade deficit is expected to return to a surplus once construction is completed and the plants come on line. The petrochemical sector has spurred growth in other related sectors, reinforcing the government's commitment to economic diversification. Tourism is a major foreign exchange earner, with 260,000 arrivals in 1995, 80% from Europe.
Electricity--consumption
4 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--production
4 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Exchange rates
Trinidad and Tobago dollars (TT$) per US$1--6.2761 (January 1999), 6.2840 (1998), 6.2517 (1997), 6.0051 (1996), 5.9478 (1995), 5.9249 (1994)
Exports
$2.4 billion (f.o.b., 1997)
Exports--commodities
petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, steel products, fertilizer, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus, flowers
Exports--partners
US 39.7%, Caricom countries 24.5%, Latin America 10.3%, EU 8.2% (1997)
Fiscal year
1 October-30 September
GDP
purchasing power parity--$8.85 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector
agriculture: 2.2% industry: 44% services: 53.8% (1997 est.)
GDP--per capita
purchasing power parity?$8,000 (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate
4.3% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$3.3 billion (c.i.f., 1997)
Imports--commodities
machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, live animals
Imports--partners
US 52.2%, Latin America 16.5%, EU 13.8%, Japan 3.6% (1997)
Industrial production growth rate
7.5% (1995)
Industries
petroleum, chemicals, tourism, food processing, cement, beverage, cotton textiles
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3.7% (1997)
Labor force
541,000 (1997 est.)
Labor force--by occupation
construction and utilities 12.4%, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 14%, agriculture 9.5%, services 64.1% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line
21% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate
14% (June 1998)
Communications
Radio broadcast stations
AM 1, FM 10, 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
4 (1997)
Televisions
400,000 (1992 est.)
Transportation
Airports
6 (1998 est.) Airports--with paved runways: total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1998 est.) Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (1998 est.)
Highways
total: 8,320 km paved: 4,252 km unpaved: 4,068 km (1996 est.)
Merchant marine
total: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,336 GRT/2,567 DWT (1998 est.)
Pipelines
crude oil 1,032 km; petroleum products 19 km; natural gas 904 km Ports and harbors: Pointe-a-Pierre, Point Fortin, Point Lisas, Port-of-Spain, Scarborough, Tembladora
Railways
minimal agricultural railroad system near San Fernando; railway service was discontinued in 1968
Military and Security
Military branches
Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (includes Ground Forces, Coast Guard, and Air Wing), Trinidad and Tobago Police Service
Military expenditures--dollar figure
$83 million (1994)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP
NA%
Military manpower--availability
males age 15-49: 312,870 (1999 est.) Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 223,200 (1999 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international
none
Illicit drugs
transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; producer of cannabis