Map of Trinidad and Tobago | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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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: in the extreme southeastern Caribbean Sea, 11 km off the coast of Venezuela

Geographic coordinates

Map reference:

Area
Total: 5,130 km²
Land: 5,130 km²

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 362 km
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or the outer edge of continental margin
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Maritime claims

Climate: tropical; rainy season (June to December)

Terrain

Elevation

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, asphalt

Land use
Arable land: 14%
Permanent crops: 17%
Meadows and pastures: 2%
Forest and woodland: 44%
Other: 23%

Irrigated land: 220 km² (1989 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 1,313,738 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 1.1% (1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s)
Adjective: Trinidadian, Tobagonian

Ethnic groups: black 43%, East Indian 40%, mixed 14%, white 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1%

Languages: English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish

Religions:

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.1% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 20.08 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 6.31 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.74 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 16.9 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 70.53 years
Male: 67.91 years
Female: 73.22 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.35 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
Male: 97%
Female: 93%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
Conventional short form: Trinidad and Tobago

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Port-of-Spain

Administrative divisions:

Dependent areas

Independence: 31 August 1962 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 31 August (1962)

Constitution: 31 August 1976

Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation:

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Corinne BAPTISTE
In the us chancery: 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,036
In the us telephone: (202) 467-6,490
In the us consulate general: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Sally G. COWAL
From the us embassy: 15 Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain
From the us telephone: (809) 622-6,372 through 6,376, 6,176
From the us fax: (809) 628-5,462

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Trinidad and Tobago's petroleum-based economy has begun to emerge from a lengthy depression in the last few years. The economy fell sharply through most of the 1980s, largely because of the decline in oil prices. This sector accounts for 80% of export earnings and almost 20% of GDP. The government, in response to the oil revenue loss, pursued a series of austerity measures that pushed the unemployment rate as high as 22% in 1988. The economy showed signs of recovery in 1990 and 1991, however, helped along by rising oil prices. Agriculture employs only about 11% of the labor force and produces about 3% of GDP. Since this sector is small, it has been unable to absorb the large numbers of the unemployed. The government currently seeks to diversify its export base.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 2.6% (1991)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 3% of GDP; highly subsidized sector; major crops - cocoa, sugarcane; sugarcane acreage is being shifted into rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; poultry sector most important source of animal protein; must import large share of food needs

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

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate 2.3%, excluding oil refining (1986; accounts for 40% of GDP, including petroleum

Labor force: 463,900
By occupation constructionandutilities: 18.1%
By occupation andquarrying: 14.8%
By occupation agriculture: 10.9%
By occupation other: 56.2% (1985est.)

Unemployment rate: 18.5% (1991)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $1.6 billion; expenditures $1.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $158 million (1993 est.)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports
Commodoties: includes reexports - petroleum and petroleum products 82%, steel products 9%, fertilizer, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus (1988)
Partners: US 49%, CARICOM 12%

Imports: $1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1991)
Commodoties: raw materials and intermediate goods 48%, capital goods 29%, consumer goods 23% (1991)
Partners: US 39%, Venezuela 14%, UK 7%, CARICOM 5% (1991)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Trinidad and Tobago dollars (TT$) per US$1 - 4.2500 (fixed rate since 1989)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 1,176,000 kW capacity; 3,480 million kWh produced, 2,680 kWh per capita (1992)

Electricity consumption

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $59 million, 1-2% of GDP (1989 est.)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 6
With permanentsurface runways: 2
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 2
With runways 1220-2439 m: 1

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil 1,032 km, petroleum products 19 km, natural gas 904 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine:

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US