Trinidad and Tobago

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Trinidad and Tobago

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name Republic of Trinidad and Tobago Area 5,130 sq km/1,980 sq mi (Trinidad 4,828 sq km/1,864 sq mi and Tobago 300 sq km/115 sq mi) Capital Port-of-Spain (and chief port) Language English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish Religion Roman Catholic 33%, Hindu 25%, Anglican 15%, Muslim 6%, Presbyterian 4% Time difference GMT -4 Major holidays 1 January, 19 June, 1, 31 August, 24 September, 25–26 December; variable: Corpus Christi, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Whit Monday


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities San Fernando, Arima, Point Fortin Major ports Scarborough, Point Lisas Physical features comprises two main islands and some smaller ones in Caribbean Sea; coastal swamps and hills east–west Airports two international airports, and domestic services between these; total passengers carried: 1.08 million (2003 est) Railways railway service discontinued in 1968 Roads total road network: 8,320 km/5,170 mi, of which 51.1% paved (1999 est); passenger cars: 219.8 per 1,000 people (1998)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state George Maxwell Richards from 2003 Head of government Patrick Manning from 2001 Political system liberal democracy Political executive parliamentary Administrative divisions eight counties, three municipalities, and one ward (Tobago) Political parties National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR), nationalist, left of centre; People's National Movement (PNM), nationalist, moderate, centrist; United National Congress (UNC), left of centre; Movement for Social Transformation (Motion), left of centre Death penalty retained and used for ordinary crimes Armed forces 2,700 (2006 est) Conscription military service is voluntary Defence spend (% GDP) 0.3 (2004 est) Education spend (% GDP) 4.3 (2003 est) Health spend (% GDP) 1.5 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency Trinidad and Tobago dollar GDP (US$) 14.8 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 12.5 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 13.6 billion (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 13,170 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 7.7% (2006 est) Unemployment 8% (2005 est) Labour force 6.9% agriculture, 28.4% industry, 64.4% services (2003) Foreign debt (US$) 2.9 billion (2005 est) Major trading partners USA, Jamaica, Venezuela, France, Germany, Barbados, Spain Resources petroleum, natural gas, asphalt (world's largest deposits of natural asphalt) Industries petroleum refining, food processing, iron and steel, beverages, chemicals, cement, beer, cigarettes, motor vehicles, paper, printing and publishing, tourism (third-largest source of foreign exchange) Exports mineral fuels and lubricants, chemicals, basic manufactures, foods. Principal market: USA 69.7% (2005) Imports raw materials and intermediate goods, machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, mineral fuel products, food and live animals, consumer goods. Principal source: USA 28.3% (2005) Arable land 14.6% (2006 est) Agricultural products sugar cane, coffee, cocoa, citrus fruits; fishing


POPULATION

Population 1,309,100 (2006 est) Population growth rate 0.3% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 255 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 76 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 21%, 15–59 68%, 60+ 11% (2005 est) Ethnic groups the two main ethnic groups are Africans (40%) and East Indians (40%); 18% are mixed, and there are also European, Afro-European, and Chinese minorities. The original Carib population has largely disappeared Life expectancy 68 (men); 73 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 20 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 7 Literacy rate 99% (men); 98% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 7.9 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 5.1 (2002 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) 2.6 (2005 est) AIDS deaths 1,900 (2005 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 92 (urban); 88 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 24.8 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 61.3 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 532 (2001 est) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 354 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 7.9 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 12.5 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

1498 Visited by the explorer Christopher Columbus, who named Trinidad after the three peaks at its southeastern tip and Tobago after the local form of tobacco pipe. Carib and Arawak Indians comprised the indigenous community. 1532 Trinidad colonized by Spain. 1630s Tobago settled by Dutch, who introduced sugar-cane growing. 1797 Trinidad captured by Britain and ceded by Spain five years later under Treaty of Amiens. 1814 Tobago ceded to Britain by France. 1834 Abolition of slavery resulted in indentured labourers being brought in from India, rather than Africa, to work sugar plantations. 1889 Trinidad and Tobago amalgamated as a British colony. 1956 The People's National Movement (PNM) founded by Eric Williams, a moderate nationalist. 1958–62 Part of West Indies Federation. 1959 Achieved internal self-government, with Williams as chief minister. 1962 Independence achieved within Commonwealth, with Williams as prime minister. 1970 Army mutiny and violent Black Power riots directed against minority East Indian population; state of emergency imposed for two years. 1976 Became a republic, with former Governor General Ellis Clarke as president and Williams as prime minister. 1986 Tobago-based National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR), headed by A N R Robinson, won general election. 1990 Attempted antigovernment coup by Islamic fundamentalists foiled. 1991 General election resulted in victory for PNM, with Patrick Manning as prime minister. 1995 Indian-based United National Congress (UNC) and NAR formed coalition, with Basdeo Panday as prime minister. 1997 Former Prime Minister Robinson elected president. 2000 UNC won absolute majority in parliamentary elections. 2001–02 General election results produced tie between ruling party and main opposition; after year of deadlock, a third general election in three years brought victory to Prime Minister Manning's PNM. 2003 Maxwell Richards became president. 2005 Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (replacing Britain's Privy Council) was inaugurated. Protests against soaring violent crime rate. 2007 Plans to close sugar industry announced, due to effects of cuts in European subsidies.


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