About Trinidad
Geography
Trinidad and Tobago are the southernmost islands of the Caribbean archipelago, and are geologically an extension of the South American continent.
Trinidad is separated from Venezuela by the 11 kilometre straits of the Gulf of Paria.
Trinidad
Physical Area: Rectangular in shape, measures 60 km by 80 km.
Total Area: 4828 square kilometres
Major Cities: Port of Spain (capital), San Fernando
Major Towns: Arima, Point Fortin, Chaguanas
Trinidad possesses vast tracts of rich rain forests in the Northern Range, with the highest peak, El Cerro del Aripo, ascending to a height of 940 metres above sea level. In contrast, you will find flat lands, mostly agricultural, in the Central Plains, while Southern Trinidad is full of gently undulating hillsides.
Tobago
Physical Area: Fish-shaped, measures 42 km by 10 km.
Total Area: 300 square kilometres
Major Towns: Scarborough (capital), Roxborough, Charlotteville
Tobago's eastern interior rises steeply into tall peaks with lower lying lands that include a protected reserve area. Tobago's topography consists mainly of volcanic rock, which is in stark contrast to its Caribbean blue waters.
Trinidad and Tobago comprises 5128 square kilometres. The territory enjoys a tropical climate with average maximum temperatures of 32°C, (89°F). Tobago also experiences cool temperatures, owing to the more constant north east trade winds.
History
Trinidad and Tobago was "discovered" in 1498, when the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus landed on the shores. In reality, it was already "found" and occupied by the indigenous Amerindian tribes of the Arawaks and Caribs.
Trinidad remained in the hands of the Spanish from the 15th Century until the British captured it in 1797 - it then became a British colony in 1802. Tobago, by contrast, was ruled at one time or other by a myriad of European powers, including the Spanish, Dutch, French and British. Tobago, too, was decreed a British colony in 1814, and the Crown enjoined it administratively in 1889. Trinidad and Tobago achieved independence from England in 1962 and became the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in 1976.
Language
The official language of Trinidad and Tobago is English. Since Trinidad is located just 11 kilometres off the coast of Venezuela, there is also a growing Spanish-speaking contingent in Trinidad.
Education
Children generally start pre-school at two and a half years but this is not mandatory. Students proceed to a primary school at the age of five years. Seven years are spent in primary school.
Students attend secondary school for a minimum of five years. Public Primary and Secondary education is free for all, although private and religious schooling is available for a fee.
Tertiary education for tuition costs are provided for via GATE (The Government Assistance for Tuition Expenses), up to the level of the bachelor's degree, at the University of the West Indies (UWI), the University of Trinidad and Tobago(UTT), the University of the Southern Caribbean (USC), the College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago (COSTAATT) and certain other local accredited institutions. Both the Government and the private sector also provide financial assistance in the form of academic scholarships to gifted or needy students for study at local, regional or international universities.
Climate
Our islands have two main seasons - the dry season, from January to May and the wet or rainy season, from June to December. In the rainy season, mornings are usually sunny, followed by rainy afternoons and fair nights.
The dry season is mostly sunny, with occasional light showers. This is the weather that makes Trinidad and Tobago the perfect vacation spot. Our islands share an average daytime temperature of 28 degrees Celsius that is warm but not unpleasantly humid and nights that are pleasantly cool.
Annual rainfall is about 200 cm (40 inches) over most of the country. Trinidad and Tobago is just south of the hurricane belt and rarely experiences hurricanes.
Population
Trinidad and Tobago's population figures now stand at about 1.3 million. Most Trinbagonians are of African or Indian descent, comprising 40% of the population each, while the rest of the ethnic mix trace their history back to European, Chinese or Middle Eastern ancestry. This diversity is reflected in the religious mix as well - Christianity is the largest faith, followed by Hinduism, Islam and the traditional African faiths.
Government
Trinidad and Tobago follows the Westminster model of government and upholds the traditions of parliamentary democracy it inherited from Britain. The country gained independence in 1962 and became a republic in 1976. It is a member of the British Commonwealth.
General elections are held at least every 5 years; the democratic transfer of power is peaceful and routine. Legislative power lies with the House of Representatives with 41 elected members, and the Senate with 31 members appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition; nine of these members are independents. Executive power lies with the Prime Minister and his Cabinet which is appointed from Members of Parliament. Tobago has its own elected House of Assembly responsible for the administration of the island, and for the implementation of policies that are referred by Parliament. The President of Trinidad and Tobago is elected for a 5-year renewable term by an Electoral College consisting of members of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The Judiciary is independent of the Government. This is guaranteed by the Constitution which provides for the entrenched protection of fundamental human rights and freedoms. These rights are guaranteed to foreign investors, just as they are to Trinidad and Tobago nationals.
Economic
Trinidad and Tobago is one of the wealthiest and most developed nations in the Caribbean and is listed in the top 40 (2010 information) of the 70 High Income countries in the world. Its GNI per capita of US$20,070 (2014 GNI at Atlas Method) is one of the highest in the Caribbean. In November 2011, the OECD removed Trinidad and Tobago from its list of Developing Countries. Trinidad's economy is strongly influenced by the petroleum industry. Tourism and manufacturing are also important to the local economy. Tourism is a growing sector, although not as proportionately important as in many other Caribbean islands. Agricultural products include citrus and cocoa.
Recent growth has been fuelled by investments in liquefied natural gas (LNG), petrochemicals, and steel. Additional petrochemical, aluminium, and plastics projects are in various stages of planning. Trinidad and Tobago is the leading Caribbean producer of oil and gas, and its economy is heavily dependent upon these resources but it also supplies manufactured goods, notably food, beverages, and cement, to the Caribbean region.
Oil and gas account for about 40% of GDP and 80% of exports, but only 5% of employment. The country is also a regional financial centre, and the economy has a growing trade surplus. The expansion of Atlantic LNG over the past six years created the largest single-sustained phase of economic growth in Trinidad and Tobago. It has become the leading exporter of LNG to the United States, and now supplies some 70% of US LNG imports.
Trinidad and Tobago has transitioned from an oil-based economy to a natural gas based economy.
Trinidad and Tobago, in an effort to undergo economic transformation though diversification formed InvesTT in 2012 to serve as the country's sole investment promotion agency. This agency is aligned to the Ministry of Trade and Industry and is to the be the key agent in growing the country's non-oil and gas sectors significantly and sustainably.
Trinidad and Tobago's infrastructure is good by regional standards. The international airport in Trinidad was expanded in 2001. There is an extensive network of paved roads with several good four and six lane highways including one controlled access expressway.
