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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. |
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Location:
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Caribbean,
islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic
Ocean, northeast of Venezuela |
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Geographic coordinates:
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11 00 N, 61 00 W |
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Map references:
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Central
America and the Caribbean |
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Area:
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total:
5,128 sq km
land: 5,128 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller
than Delaware |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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362 km |
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Climate:
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tropical; rainy
season (June to December) |
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Terrain:
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mostly plains
with some hills and low mountains |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: El Cerro del Aripo 940 m |
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Natural resources:
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petroleum,
natural gas, asphalt |
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Land use:
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arable land:
14.6%
permanent crops: 9.2%
other: 76.2% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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30 sq km (1998
est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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outside usual
path of hurricanes and other tropical storms |
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Environment - current issues:
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water pollution
from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and raw
sewage; oil pollution of beaches; deforestation; soil erosion |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of
the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
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Geography - note:
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Pitch Lake, on
Trinidad's southwestern coast, is the world's largest natural
reservoir of asphalt |
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Population:
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1,096,585 (July
2004 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
21.4% (male 120,153; female 114,205)
15-64 years: 70.6% (male 403,202; female 370,498)
65 years and over: 8.1% (male 39,762; female 48,765)
(2004 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
30.4 years
male: 30 years
female: 30.9 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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-0.71% (2004
est.) |
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Birth rate:
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12.75
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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9.02 deaths/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-10.83 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
24.64 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 22.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 26.58 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 69.28 years
male: 66.86 years
female: 71.82 years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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2.5% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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17,000 (2001
est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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1,200 (2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s)
adjective: Trinidadian, Tobagonian |
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Ethnic groups:
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East Indian (a
local term - primarily immigrants from northern India) 40.3%,
black 39.5%, mixed 18.4%, white 0.6%, Chinese and other 1.2% |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic
29.4%, Hindu 23.8%, Anglican 10.9%, Muslim 5.8%, Presbyterian
3.4%, other 26.7% |
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Languages:
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English
(official), Hindi, French, Spanish, Chinese |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.6%
male: 99.1%
female: 98% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
conventional short form: Trinidad and Tobago |
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Government type:
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parliamentary
democracy |
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Capital:
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Port-of-Spain |
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Administrative divisions:
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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 |
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Independence:
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31 August 1962
(from UK) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day,
31 August (1962) |
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Constitution:
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1 August 1976 |
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Legal system:
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based on English
common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme
Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Executive branch:
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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; election last held 14
February 2003 (next to be held in 2008); the president usually
appoints as prime minister the leader of the majority party in
the House of Representatives
election results: George Maxwell RICHARDS elected
president; percent of electoral college vote - 43% |
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Legislative branch:
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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 7
October 2002 (next to be held by October 2007)
note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly with 15
members serving four-year terms
election results: House of Representatives - percent of
vote - PNM 55.5%, UNC 44.5%; seats by party - PNM 20, UNC 16 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court of
Judicature (comprised of the High Court of Justice and the
Court of Appeals; the chief justice is appointed by the
president on the advice of 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; Court of Appeals the
highest court of appeal is the Privy Council in London |
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Political parties and leaders:
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National Alliance
for Reconstruction or NAR [Lennox SANKERSINGH]; People's
Empowerment Party or PEP [leader NA]; People's National
Movement or PNM [Patrick MANNING]; Team Unity or TUN [Ramesh
MAHARAJ]; United National Congress or UNC [Basdeo PANDAY] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Jamaat-al
Muslimeen [Yasin BAKR] |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Marina Annette VALERE
chancery: 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC
20036
consulate(s) general: Miami and New York
FAX: [1] (202) 785-3130
telephone: [1] (202) 467-6490 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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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) 622-6372 through 6376, 622-6176
FAX: [1] (868) 628-5462 |
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Economy - overview:
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Trinidad
and Tobago, the leading Caribbean producer of oil and gas, has
earned a reputation as an excellent investment site for
international businesses. Tourism is a growing sector,
although not proportionately as important as in many other
Caribbean islands. The economy benefits from low inflation and
a growing trade surplus. Prospects for growth in 2004 are good
as prices for oil, petrochemicals, and liquified natural gas
are expected to remain high, and foreign direct investment
continues to grow to support expanded capacity in the energy
sector. The government is coping with a rise in violent crime. |
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GDP:
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purchasing
power parity - $10.6 billion (2003 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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4.5%
(2003 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing
power parity - $9,600 (2003 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
1.6%
industry: 43.2%
services: 55.2% (2000 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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21%
(1992 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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3.7%
(2003 est.) |
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Labor force:
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564,000
(2000) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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construction
and utilities 12.4%, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 14%,
agriculture 9.5%, services 64.1% (1997 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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10.9%
(2003) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$1.54 billion
expenditures: $1.6 billion, including capital
expenditures of $117.3 million (1998) |
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Industries:
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petroleum,
chemicals, tourism, food processing, cement, beverage, cotton
textiles |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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5.2%
(2003 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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5.315
billion kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 99.8%
hydro: 0%
other: 0.2% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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4.943
billion kWh (2001) |
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Oil - production:
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136,200
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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24,000
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - production:
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25
billion cu m (2003 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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13.76
billion cu m (2003 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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cocoa,
sugarcane, rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; poultry |
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Exports:
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$4.9
billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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petroleum
and petroleum products, chemicals, steel products, fertilizer,
sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus, flowers |
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Exports - partners:
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US
54.4%, Jamaica 6.7%, France 4.2% (2002) |
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Imports:
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$3.917
billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery,
transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, live
animals |
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Imports - partners:
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US
35.8%, Venezuela 12.7%, Brazil 5.1%, Cote d'Ivoire 4.7%, UK
4.3% (2002) |
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Debt - external:
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$2.7
billion (2003 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$24
million (1999 est.) |
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Currency:
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Trinidad
and Tobago dollar (TTD) |
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Currency code:
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TTD |
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Exchange rates:
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Trinidad
and Tobago dollars per US dollar - 6.29 (2003), 6.25 (2002),
6.23 (2001), 6.3 (2000), 6.3 (1999) |
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Fiscal year:
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1
October - 30 September |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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325,100 (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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361,900 (2002) |
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Telephone system:
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general
assessment: excellent international service; good local
service
domestic: NA
international: country code - 1-868; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to
Barbados and Guyana |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 4, FM 18,
shortwave 0 (2004) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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2 (2004) |
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Internet country code:
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.tt |
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Internet hosts:
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7,209 (2002) |
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Internet users:
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138,000 (2002) |
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Railways:
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minimal
agricultural railroad system near San Fernando; common carrier
railway service was discontinued in 1968 (2001) |
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Highways:
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total:
8,320 km
paved: 4,252 km
unpaved: 4,068 km (1999 est.) |
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Waterways:
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none |
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Pipelines:
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condensate 253
km; gas 1,117 km; oil 478 km (2003) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Pointe-a-Pierre,
Point Fortin, Point Lisas, Port-of-Spain, Scarborough,
Tembladora |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 5
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 7,178 GRT/3,633 DWT
by type: cargo 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1,
petroleum tanker 1, short-sea/passenger 1
registered in other countries: 4 (2003 est.)
foreign-owned: United States 1 |
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Airports:
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6 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2003 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Trinidad and
Tobago Defense Force: Ground Force, Coast Guard, and Air Wing |
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Military manpower - availability:
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males age
15-49: 326,447 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males age
15-49: 232,234 (2004 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$66.7 million
(2003) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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0.6% (2003) |
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Disputes - international:
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Barbados will
assert its claim before UNCLOS that the northern limit of
Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela extends
into its waters; Guyana has also expressed its intention to
challenge this boundary as it may extend into its waters as
well |
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Illicit drugs:
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transshipment
point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe;
producer of cannabis |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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