2008 Edition

Background

First colonized by the Spanish, the islands came under British control in the early 19th century. The islands' sugar industry was hurt by the emancipation of the slaves in 1834. Manpower was replaced with the importation of contract laborers from India between 1845 and 1917, which boosted sugar production as well as the cocoa industry. The discovery of oil on Trinidad in 1910 added another important export. Independence was attained 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. The government is coping with a rise in violent crime.

Area

total: 5,128 sq km land: 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

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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 0.31 cu km/yr (68%/26%/6%) per capita: 237 cu m/yr (2000)

Geographic coordinates

11 00 N, 61 00 W

Geography - note

Pitch Lake, on Trinidad's southwestern coast, is the world's largest natural reservoir of asphalt

Irrigated land

40 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 14.62% permanent crops: 9.16% other: 76.22% (2005)

Location

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

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

measured from claimed archipelagic baselines territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental margin

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

Total renewable water resources

3.8 cu km (2000)

Age structure

0-14 years: 19% (male 102,352/female 96,487) 15-64 years: 71.8% (male 396,352/female 356,080) 65 years and over: 9.2% (male 42,998/female 53,097) (2008 est.)

Birth rate

13.22 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate

10.93 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Education expenditures

4.2% of GDP (200)

Ethnic groups

Indian (South Asian) 40%, African 37.5%, mixed 20.5%, other 1.2%, unspecified 0.8% (2000 census)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

3.2% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

1,900 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

29,000 (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 23.59 deaths/1,000 live births male: 25.34 deaths/1,000 live births female: 21.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Languages

English (official), Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), French, Spanish, Chinese

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 67 years male: 66.07 years female: 67.98 years (2008 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98.6% male: 99.1% female: 98% (2003 est.)

Median age

total: 32.3 years male: 31.9 years female: 32.8 years (2008 est.)

Nationality

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

Net migration rate

-11.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

People - note

in 2007, the government of Trinidad and Tobago estimated the population to be 1.3 million

Population

1,047,366 (July 2008 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.891% (2008 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 26%, Hindu 22.5%, Anglican 7.8%, Baptist 7.2%, Pentecostal 6.8%, Muslim 5.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 4%, other Christian 5.8%, other 10.8%, unspecified 1.4%, none 1.9% (2000 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 11 years male: 11 years female: 11 years (2005)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.73 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Administrative divisions

9 regional corporations, 2 city corporations, 3 borough corporations, 1 ward regional corporations: Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo, Diego Martin, Mayaro/Rio Claro, Penal/Debe, Princes Town, Sangre Grande, San Juan/Laventille, Siparia, Tunapuna/Piarco city corporations: Port-of-Spain, San Fernando borough corporations: Arima, Chaguanas, Point Fortin ward: Tobago

Capital

name: Port-of-Spain geographic coordinates: 10 39 N, 61 31 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

1 August 1976

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago conventional short form: Trinidad and Tobago

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Roy L. AUSTIN embassy: 15 Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain mailing address: P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain telephone: [1] (868) 622-6371 through 6376

Diplomatic representation in the US

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

Executive branch

chief of state: President George Maxwell RICHARDS (since 17 March 2003) head of government: Prime Minister Patrick MANNING (since 24 December 2001) 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 (eligible for a second term); election last held on 11 February 2008 (next to be held by February 2013); the president usually appoints as prime minister the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives election results: George Maxwell RICHARDS reelected president; percent of electoral college vote - NA

FAX

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

[1] (868) 822-5905

Flag description

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

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Independence

31 August 1962 (from UK)

International organization participation

ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court of Judicature (comprised of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeals; the chief justice is appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister and the leader of the opposition; other justices are appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission); High Court of Justice; Caribbean Court of Appeals member; Court of Appeals; the highest court of appeal is the Privy Council in London

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; 16 members appointed by the ruling party, nine by the President, six by the opposition party to serve a maximum term of five years) and the House of Representatives (41 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: House of Representatives - last held on 5 November 2007 (next to be held in 2012) election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote - PNM 46%, UNC 29.7%; seats by party - PNM 26, UNC 15 note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly with 12 members serving four-year terms; last election held in January 2005; seats by party - PNM 11, DAC 1

National holiday

Independence Day, 31 August (1962)

Political parties and leaders

Congress of the People [Winston DOOKERAN]; Democratic Action Congress or DAC [Hochoy CHARLES] (only active in Tobago); Democratic National Alliance or DNA [Gerald YETMING] (coalition of NAR, DDPT, MND); Movement for National Development or MND [Garvin NICHOLAS]; National Alliance for Reconstruction or NAR [Dr. Carson CHARLES]; People's National Movement or PNM [Patrick MANNING]; United National Congress or UNC [Basdeo PANDAY]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Jamaat-al Muslimeen [Yasin BAKR]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

cocoa, rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; poultry

Budget

revenues: $6.332 billion expenditures: $5.969 billion (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate

10% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

11.75% (31 December 2007)

Currency (code)

Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TTD)

Currency code

TTD

Current account balance

$5.378 billion (2007 est.)

Debt - external

$2.869 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$200,000 (2007 est.)

Economy - overview

Trinidad and Tobago has earned a reputation as an excellent investment site for international businesses and has one of the highest growth rates and per capita incomes in Latin America. Recent growth has been fueled by investments in liquefied natural gas (LNG), petrochemicals, and steel. Additional petrochemical, aluminum, and plastics projects are in various stages of planning. Trinidad and Tobago is the leading Caribbean producer of oil and gas, and its economy is heavily dependent upon these resources but it also supplies manufactured goods, notably food and beverages, as well as cement to the Caribbean region. Oil and gas account for about 40% of GDP and 80% of exports, but only 5% of employment. The country is also a regional financial center, and tourism is a growing sector, although it is not proportionately as important as in many other Caribbean islands. The economy benefits from a growing trade surplus. Economic growth reached 12.6% in 2006 and 5.5% in 2007 as prices for oil, petrochemicals, and LNG remained high, and as foreign direct investment continued to grow to support expanded capacity in the energy sector.

Electricity - consumption

7.083 billion kWh (2007)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production

7.704 billion kWh (2007)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 99.8% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0.2% (2001)

Exchange rates

Trinidad and Tobago dollars (TTD) per US dollar - 6.3275 (2007), 6.3107 (2006), 6.2842 (2005), 6.299 (2004), 6.2951 (2003)

Exports

$13.39 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities

petroleum and petroleum products, liquefied natural gas (LNG), methanol, ammonia, urea, steel products, beverages, cereal and cereal products, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus fruit, vegetables, flowers

Exports - partners

US 57.5%, Jamaica 6.5%, Spain 3.9% (2007)

Fiscal year

1 October - 30 September

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 0.6% industry: 62% services: 37.5% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$25,400 (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

5.5% (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$20.7 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$26.79 billion (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$7.67 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities

mineral fuels, lubricants, machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, live animals, grain

Imports - partners

US 28.2%, Brazil 11%, Venezuela 8.2%, Colombia 5.4%, Gabon 4.9%, China 4.2% (2007)

Industrial production growth rate

6.5% (2007 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

7.9% (2007 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

16.7% of GDP (2007 est.)

Labor force

622,000 (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 4%, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 12.9%, construction and utilities 17.5%, services 65.6% (2006 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$15.57 billion (2006)

Natural gas - consumption

20.8 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports

18.1 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - production

39 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

531.5 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Oil - consumption

28,730 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports

218,800 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports

72,780 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - production

163,300 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

728.3 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Population below poverty line

17% (2007 est.)

Public debt

27.9% of GDP (2007 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$6.745 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$1.419 billion (2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$12.44 billion (2007)

Stock of domestic credit

$3.721 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of money

$2.646 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money

$5.707 billion (31 December 2007)

Unemployment rate

4.5% (2007 est.)

Internet country code

.tt

Internet hosts

155,722 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

17 (2000)

Internet users

430,800 (2007)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 4, FM 18, shortwave 0 (2001)

Radios

680,000 (1997)

Telephone system

general assessment: excellent international service; good local service domestic: mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 125 telephones per 100 persons international: country code - 1-868; submarine cable systems provide connectivity to US and parts of the Caribbean and South America; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Barbados and Guyana

Telephones - main lines in use

323,800 (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1.008 million (2007)

Television broadcast stations

6 (2005)

Televisions

425,000 (1997)

Airports

6 (2007)

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 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2007)

Merchant marine

total: 9 by type: passenger 2, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 2 foreign-owned: 1 (US 1) registered in other countries: 2 (Bahamas 1, unknown 1) (2008)

Pipelines

condensate 245 km; gas 1,320 km; oil 563 km (2007)

Ports and terminals

Point Fortin, Point Lisas, Port-of-Spain

Roadways

total: 8,320 km paved: 4,252 km unpaved: 4,068 km (2000)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 301,561 females age 16-49: 264,225 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 215,310 females age 16-49: 180,526 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 8,671 female: 8,153 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures

0.3% of GDP (2006)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service (16 years of age with parental consent); no conscription (2008)

Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (TTDF)

Trinidad and Tobago Regiment, Coast Guard, Air Guard (2008)

Disputes - international

in April 2006, the Permanent Court of Arbitration issued a decision that delimited a maritime boundary with Trinidad and Tobago and compelled Barbados to enter a fishing agreement that limited Barbadian fishermen's catches of flying fish in Trinidad and Tobago's exclusive economic zone; in 2005, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago agreed to compulsory international arbitration under UNCLOS challenging whether the northern limit of Trinidad and Tobago's and Venezuela's maritime boundary extends into Barbadian waters; Guyana has also expressed its intention to include itself in the arbitration as the Trinidad and Tobago-Venezuela maritime boundary may extend into its waters as well

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; producer of cannabis This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008