2000 Edition

Background

The islands came under British control in the 19th century; independence was granted 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.

Area

land

5,128 sq km

total

5,128 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Delaware

Climate

tropical; rainy season (June to December)

Coastline

362 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

El Cerro del Aripo 940 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 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%

forests and woodland

46%

other

28% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

9%

permanent pastures

2%

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 25% (male 151,736; female 146,135) 15-64 years: 68% (male 410,668; female 389,303) 65 years and over: 7% (male 34,559; female 43,122) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

13.84 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

8.84 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

black 39.5%, East Indian (a local term - primarily immigrants from northern India) 40.3%, mixed 18.4%, white 0.6%, Chinese and other 1.2%

Infant mortality rate

25.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish, Chinese

Life expectancy at birth

female

70.59 years (2000 est.)

male

65.45 years

total population

67.97 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

97% (1995 est.)

male

98.8%

total population

97.9%

Nationality

adjective

Trinidadian, Tobagonian

noun

Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s)

Net migration rate

-9.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

1,175,523 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.49% (2000 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 29.4%, Hindu 23.8%, Anglican 10.9%, Muslim 5.8%, Presbyterian 3.4%, other 26.7%

Sex ratio

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female

total population

1.03 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.83 children born/woman (2000 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

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Trinidad and Tobago

conventional short form

Trinidad and Tobago

Data code

TD

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

telephone

(809) 622-6372 through 6376, 6176

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

chief of mission

Ambassador Michael A. ARNEAUD

telephone

(202) 467-6490

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed from among the members of Parliament

chief of state

President Arthur Napoleon Raymond ROBINSON (since 19 March 1997)

election results

Arthur Napoleon Raymond ROBINSON elected president; percent of electoral college vote - 69%

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 November 1995 (next to be held by November 2000); 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

head of government

Prime Minister Basdeo PANDAY (since 9 November 1995)

FAX

(202) 785-3130

(809) 628-5462

consulate(s) general

Miami and New York

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

Judicial branch

Supreme Court comprised of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeals, 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 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)

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

elections

House of Representatives - last held 6 November 1995 (next to be held by December 2000)

note

Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly, with 15 members serving four-year terms

National holiday

Independence Day, 31 August (1962)

Political parties and leaders

Movement for Social Transformation or MOTION ; Movement for Unity and Progress or MUP ; National Alliance for Reconstruction or NAR [leader NA]; National Development Party or NDP ; National Joint Action Committee or NJAC ; People's National Movement or PNM ; United National Congress or UNC

Political pressure groups and leaders

Jamaat Al Musilmeen

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

expenditures

$1.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $117.3 million (1998)

revenues

$1.54 billion

Currency

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

Debt - external

$2.2 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. Persistently high unemployment remains one of the chief challenges of the government. The petrochemical sector has spurred growth in other related sectors, reinforcing the government's commitment to economic diversification. Tourism is growing, especially in the pleasure boat sector.

Electricity - consumption

4.43 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

4.763 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

99.27%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0.73% (1998)

Exchange rates

Trinidad and Tobago dollars (TT$) per US$1 - 6.2697 (January 2000), 6.2963 (1999), 6.2983 (1998), 6.2517 (1997), 6.0051 (1996), 5.9478 (1995)

Exports

$2.4 billion (f.o.b., 1998)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

US 36.9%, Caricom countries 29.4%, Central and South America 9.7%, EU 6.3% (1998)

Fiscal year

1 October - 30 September

GDP

purchasing power parity - $9.41 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

2%

industry

44%

services

54% (1998 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $8,500 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

5% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$3 billion (c.i.f., 1998)

Imports - commodities

machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, live animals

Imports - partners

US 44.7%, Latin America 18.9%, EU 13.7%, Japan 4.8% (1998)

Industrial production growth rate

7.5% (1995)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.5% (1999 est.)

Labor force

558,700 (1998)

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

14.2% (1998)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

5 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 10, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

680,000 (1997)

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 - main lines in use

209,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular

5,615 (1995)

Television broadcast stations

4 (1997)

Televisions

425,000 (1997)

Airports

6 (1999 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 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

4,252 km

total

8,320 km

unpaved

4,068 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine

ships by type

cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1 (1999 est.)

total

2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,439 GRT/4,040 DWT

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 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 (FY94)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA%

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 342,980 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 245,253 (2000 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

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

TROMELIN ISLAND