Statistical information Trinidad and Tobago 1995

Trinidad and Tobago in the World
top of pageBackground: 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.
top of pageLocation: Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
Geographic coordinatesMap reference:
Central America and the CaribbeanAreaTotal area total: 5,130 km²
Land: 5,130 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Delaware
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 362 km
Maritime claimsContiguous 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
Climate: tropical; rainy season (June to December)
Terrain: mostly plains with some hills and low mountains
ElevationNatural resources: petroleum, natural gas, asphalt
Land useArable land: 14%
Permanent crops: 17%
Meadows and pastures: 2%
Forest and woodland: 44%
Other: 23%
Irrigated land: 220 km² (1989 est.)
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulation: 1,271,159 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 0.12% (1995 est.)
NationalityNoun: Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s)
Adjective: Trinidadian, Tobagonian
Ethnic groups: black 43%, East Indian (a local term - primarily immigrants from northern India) 40%, mixed 14%, white 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1%
Languages: English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish
Religions: Roman Catholic 32.2%, Hindu 24.3%, Anglican 14.4%, other Protestant 14%, Muslim 6%, none or unknown 9.1%
Demographic profileAge structure0-14 years: 31% (female 191,627; male 198,225)
15-64 years: 64% (female 399,726; male 407,495)
65 years and over: 5% (female 40,577; male 33,509) (July 1995 est.)
Dependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: 0.12% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 16.62 births/1000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 6.88 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -8.59 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and raw sewage; oil pollution of beaches; deforestation; soil erosion
Current issues natural hazards: outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms
Current issues international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 18.5 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 70.14 years
Male: 67.75 years
Female: 72.6 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.01 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
Total population: 97%
Male: 98%
Female: 96%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
Conventional short form: Trinidad and Tobago
Government type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Port-of-Spain
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
Dependent areasIndependence: 31 August 1962 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 31 August (1962)
Constitution: 1 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 participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branchChief of state: President Noor Mohammed HASSANALI (since 18 March 1987)
Head of government: Prime Minister Patrick Augustus Mervyn MANNING (since 17 December 1991)
Cabinet: Cabinet; responsible to parliament
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament
Senate: consists of a 31-member body appointed by the president
House of Representatives: elections last held 16 December 1991 (next to be held by December 1996); results - PNM 32%, UNC 13%, NAR 2%; seats - (36 total) PNM 21, UNC 13, NAR 2
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, Supreme Court
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation: ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representationIn the us chief of mission: Ambassador Corinne Averille McKNIGHT
In the us chancery: 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,036
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 467-6,490
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 785-3,130
In the us consulates general: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Brian DONNELLY (since September 1994)
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: [1] (809) 622-6,372 through 6,376, 6,176
From the us FAX: [1] (809) 628-5,462
Flag description
: red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: Trinidad and Tobago's petroleum-based economy still enjoys a high per capita income by Latin American standards, even though output and living standards are substantially below the boom years of 1973-82. The country suffers from widespread unemployment, large foreign-debt payments, and periods of low international oil prices. The government has begun to make progress in its efforts to diversify exports and to liberalize its trade regime, making 1994 the first year of substantial growth since the early 1980s.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: 3% (1994 est.)
Real gdp per capita: $11,280 (1994 est.)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: accounts for 3% of GDP; 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: 1% (1994 est.), accounts for 39% 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: 18.1% (1994 )
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudgetRevenues: $1.6 billion
Expenditures: $1.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $158 million (1993 est.)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1994)
Commodoties: petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, steel products, fertilizer, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus, flowers
Partners: US 44%, CARICOM 15%, Latin America 9%, EC 5% (1993)
Imports: $996 million (c.i.f., 1994)
Commodoties: machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, live animals
Partners: US 43%, Venezuela 10%, UK 8%, other EC 8% (1993)
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $2 billion (1994)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Trinidad and Tobago dollars (TT$) per US$1 - 5.8758 (January 1995), 5.9160 (1994), 5.3511 (1993), 4.2500 (fixed rate 1989-1992; note - effective 13 April 1993, the exchange rate of the TT dollar is market-determined as opposed to the prior fixed relationship to the US dollar
top of pageElectricityCapacity: 1,150,000 kW
Production: 3.9 billion kWh
Production consumption per capita: 2,740 kWh (1993)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone system: 109,000 telephones; excellent international service via tropospheric scatter links to Barbados and Guyana; good local service
Local: NA
Intercity: NA
International: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station; linked to Barbados and Guyana by tropospheric scatter system
Broadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresDollar figure: $83 million, 1.5% of GDP (1994)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 6
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
HeliportsPipelines: crude oil 1,032 km; petroleum products 19 km; natural gas 904 km
RailwaysRoadwaysWaterwaysMerchant marine: total:2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 12,507 GRT/21,923 DWT
Ports and terminalstop of pageDisputes international: none
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs: transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe and producer of cannabis