Map of Trinidad and Tobago | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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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 struggling to reverse a surge in violent crime.


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

Geographic coordinates: 11 00 N, 61 00 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 5,128 km²
Land: 5,128 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Delaware

Land boundaries
Total: 0 km

Coastline: 362 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf:

Climate: tropical; rainy season (June to December)

Terrain: mostly plains with some hills and low mountains

Elevation
Highest point: El Cerro del Aripo 940 m
Lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Mean elevation: 83 m

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, asphalt

Land use
Agricultural land: 10.6% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 4.9% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 4.3% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 1.4% (2018 est.)
Forest: 44% (2018 est.)
Other: 45.4% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 70 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 240 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 130 million cubic meters (202 est.)
Agricultural: 20 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 3.84 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Natural hazards: outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms

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


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Population
Distribution: population on Trinidad is concentrated in the western half of the island, on Tobago in the southern half: 1,407,460 (2023 est.)
Growth rate: 0.12% (2023 est.)
Below poverty line: 20% (2014 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s)
Adjective: Trinidadian, Tobagonian
Note: Trinbagonian is used on occasion to describe a citizen of the country without specifying the island of origin

Ethnic groups: East Indian 35.4%, African descent 34.2%, mixed - other 15.3%, mixed - African/East Indian 7.7%, other 1.3%, unspecified 6.2% (2011 est.)

Languages: English (official), Trinidadian Creole English, Tobagonian Creole English, Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Trinidadian Creole French, Spanish, Chinese

Religions: Protestant 32.1% (Pentecostal/Evangelical/Full Gospel 12%, Baptist 6.9%, Anglican 5.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 4.1%, Presbyterian/Congregational 2.5%, other Protestant 0.9%), Roman Catholic 21.6%, Hindu 18.2%, Muslim 5%, Jehovah's Witness 1.5%, other 8.4%, none 2.2%, unspecified 11.1% (2011 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 19.04% (male 136,733/female 131,316)
15-64 years: 67.4% (male 482,427/female 466,200)
65 years and over: 13.56% (2023 est.) (male 88,531/female 102,253)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 43.7
Youth dependency ratio: 29.3
Elderly dependency ratio: 16.8
Potential support ratio: 7.4 (2021 est.)

Median age
Total: 38 years (2023 est.)
Male: 37.5 years
Female: 38.4 years

Population growth rate: 0.12% (2023 est.)

Birth rate: 10.6 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate: 8.5 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate: -1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution: population on Trinidad is concentrated in the western half of the island, on Tobago in the southern half

Urbanization
Urban population: 53.4% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.23% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 545,000 PORT-OF-SPAIN (capital) (2023)

Environment
Current issues: water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and raw sewage; widespread pollution of waterways and coastal areas; illegal dumping; deforestation; soil erosion; fisheries and wildlife depletion
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands
International agreements signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 10.26 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 43.87 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 1.35 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio: 27 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 15.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Male: 17.5 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 13.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 76.2 years (2023 est.)
Male: 74.3 years
Female: 78.2 years

Total fertility rate: 1.63 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: NA

Drinking water source
Improved urban: NA
Improved rural: NA
Improved total: 100% of population
Unimproved urban: NA
Unimproved rural: NA
Unimproved total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure: 7.3% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density: 4.48 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

Hospital bed density: 3 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban:
Unimproved urban:

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 18.6% (2016)

Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 5.81 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 2.92 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 0.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 2.65 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 0.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 4.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 99%
Male: 99.2%
Female: 98.7% (2015)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 12.7% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 12.8%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 12.6%


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
Conventional short form: Trinidad and Tobago
Etymology: explorer Christopher COLUMBUS named the larger island "La Isla de la Trinidad" (The Island of the Trinity) on 31 July 1498 on his third voyage; the tobacco grown and smoked by the natives of the smaller island or its elongated cigar shape may account for the "tobago" name, which is spelled "tobaco" in Spanish

Government type: parliamentary republic

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)
Etymology: the name dates to the period of Spanish colonial rule (16th to late 18th centuries) when the city was referred to as "Puerto de Espana"; the name was anglicized following the British capture of Trinidad in 1797

Administrative divisions: 9 regions, 3 boroughs, 2 cities, 1 ward

Dependent areas

Independence: 31 August 1962 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 31 August (1962)

Constitution
History: previous 1962; latest 1976
Amendments: proposed by Parliament; passage of amendments affecting constitutional provisions, such as human rights and freedoms or citizenship, requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the membership of both houses and assent of the president; passage of amendments, such as the powers and authorities of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government, and the procedure for amending the constitution, requires at least three-quarters majority vote by the House membership, two-thirds majority vote by the Senate membership, and assent of the president; amended many times, last in 2007

Legal system: English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: yes
Citizenship by descent only: yes
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 8 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Christine KANGALOO (since 20 March 2023)
Head of government: Prime Minister Keith ROWLEY (since 9 September 2015)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed from among members of Parliament
Elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by an electoral college of selected Senate and House of Representatives members for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 20 January 2023 (next to be held by February 2,028); the president usually appoints the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives as prime minister
Election results: Christine KANGALOO elected president by the electoral college on 20 January 2023; Christine KANGALOO (PNM) - 48 votes, Israel KHAN (UNC) 22 

Legislative branch
Description:
Elections:
Election results:
Note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly (19 seats; 15 assemblymen directly elected by simple majority vote and 4 appointed councilors - 3 on the advice of the chief secretary and 1 on the advice of the minority leader; members serve 4-year terms)

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court of the Judicature (consists of a chief justice for both the Court of Appeal with 12 judges and the High Court with 24 judges); note - Trinidad and Tobago can file appeals beyond its Supreme Court to the Caribbean Court of Justice, with final appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister and the parliamentary leader of the opposition; other judges appointed by the Judicial Legal Services Commission, headed by the chief justice and 5 members with judicial experience; all judges serve for life with mandatory retirement normally at age 65
Subordinate courts: Courts of Summary Criminal Jurisdiction; Petty Civil Courts; Family Court

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club (associate), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Anthony Wayne Jerome PHILLIPS-SPENCER, Brig. Gen. (Ret.) (since 27 June 2016)
In the us chancery: 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,036-1975
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 467-6,490
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 785-3,130
In the us email address and website:
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Candace A. BOND (since 8 December 2022)
From the us embassy: 15 Queen's Park West, Port of Spain
From the us mailing address: 3,410 Port of Spain Place, Washington DC 20,521-3,410
From the us telephone: (868) 622-6,371
From the us FAX: (868) 822-5,905
From the us email address and website:

Flag description: red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side to the lower fly side; the colors represent the elements of earth, water, and fire; black stands for the wealth of the land and the dedication of the people; white symbolizes the sea surrounding the islands, the purity of the country's aspirations, and equality; red symbolizes the warmth and energy of the sun, the vitality of the land, and the courage and friendliness of its people

National symbols: scarlet ibis (bird of Trinidad), cocrico (bird of Tobago), Chaconia flower; national colors: red, white, black

National anthem
Name: "Forged From the Love of Liberty"
Lyrics/music: Patrick Stanislaus CASTAGNE
Note: adopted 1962; song originally created to serve as an anthem for the West Indies Federation; adopted by Trinidad and Tobago following the Federation's dissolution in 1962

National heritage


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Economy overview: high-income Caribbean economy; major hydrocarbon exporter; key tourism and finance sectors; high inflation and growing public debt; long foreign currency access delays; large foreign reserves and sovereign wealth fund

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 78.9% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 16.4% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 8.2% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.6% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 45.4% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -48.7% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 0.4% (2017 est.)
Industry: 47.8% (2017 est.)
Services: 51.7% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: poultry, fruit, coconuts, citrus fruit, milk, plantains, maize, oranges, eggs, gourds

Industries: petroleum and petroleum products, liquefied natural gas, methanol, ammonia, urea, steel products, beverages, food processing, cement, cotton textiles

Industrial production growth rate: -0.99% (2021 est.)

Labor force: 702,900 (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate:

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 12.7% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 12.8%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 12.6%

Population below poverty line: 20% (2014 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10%: NA
Highest 10%: NA

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $4.939 billion (2020 est.)
Expenditures: $7.528 billion (2020 est.)
Surplus  or deficit: -8.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 19.52% (of GDP) (2018 est.)

Public debt:

Revenue
From forest resources: 0.05% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September

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:
Partners: United States 37%, Guyana 6%, China 5%, Mexico 4%, Belgium 4% (2021)
Commodities: ammonia, industrial alcohols, natural gas, crude petroleum, iron products, fertilizers, refined petroleum (2021)

Imports:
Partners: United States 37%, China 9%, Mexico 6%, Brazil 5%, Canada 4% (2021)
Commodities: refined petroleum, iron, excavation machinery, ships, cars (2021)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

Debt external:

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification-total population: 100% (2021)
Installed generating capacity: 2.123 million kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 8,213,020,000 kWh (2019 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 424 million kWh (2019 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 99.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources solar: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Coal
Production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 1,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 1,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 81,000 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 35,500 bbl/day (2019 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate exports: 22,100 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate imports: 64,700 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 243 million barrels (2021 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 134,700 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports: 106,100 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 30,886,691,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)
Consumption: 16,247,415,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)
Exports: 14,662,269,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)
Imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Proven reserves: 298.063 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 39.652 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 10,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 4.631 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 35.011 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 326,483 (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 21 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 1,999,029 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 131 (2022 est.)

Telephone system

Broadcast media: 6 free-to-air TV networks, 2 of which are state-owned; 24 subscription providers (cable and satellite); over 36 radio frequencies (2019)

Internet
Country code: .tt
Users total: 1.185 million (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 79% (2021 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 376,771 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 27 (2020 est.)


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Military expenditures:

Military and security forces:
Note: the Ministry of National Security oversees both the TTDF and the TTPS

Military service age and obligation: 18-25 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women (some age variations between services, reserves); no conscription (2023)
Note: as of 2019, women comprised about 14% of the active duty military

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 19
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 2,525,130 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 41.14 million (2018) mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 9Y

Airports: 4 (2021)
With paved runways: 2
With paved runways note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
With unpaved runways: 2
With unpaved runways note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Heliports

Pipelines: 257 km condensate, 11 km condensate/gas, 1,567 km gas, 587 km oil (2013)

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 102 (2022)
By type: general cargo 1, other 101

Ports and terminals
Major seaports: Point Fortin, Point Lisas, Port of Spain, Scarborough
Oil terminals: Galeota Point terminal
Lng terminals export: Port Fortin


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Disputes international: Trinidad and Tobago-Barbados: Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago abide by the April 2006 Permanent Court of Arbitration decision delimiting a maritime boundary and limiting catches of flying fish in Trinidad and Tobago's EEZ

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 28,500 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum, are recognized as refugees, or have received alternative legal stay) (2021)

Illicit drugs: a transit point for drugs destined for Europe, North America, and the rest of the Caribbean;  drug trafficking organizations use  the country’s proximity to Venezuela, its porous borders, vulnerabilities at ports of entry, a limited law enforcement capacity and resources, and corruption