1998 Edition

Area

total: 5,130 sq km land: 5,130 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area-comparative

slightly smaller than Delaware

Climate

tropical; rainy season (June to December)

Coastline

362 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: El Cerro del Aripo 940 m

Environment-current issues

water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and raw sewage; oil pollution of beaches; deforestation; soil erosion

Environment-international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

11 00 N, 61 00 W

Irrigated land

220 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 15% permanent crops: 9% permanent pastures: 2% forests and woodland: 46% other: 28% (1993 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

contiguous 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

Natural hazards

outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, asphalt

Terrain

mostly plains with some hills and low mountains

Age structure

0-14 years: 28% (male 159,353; female 152,898) 15-64 years: 65% (male 375,889; female 347,115) 65 years and over: 7% (male 36,627; female 44,713) (July 1998 est.)

Birth rate

14.89 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate

8 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Ethnic groups

black 40%, East Indian (a local term-primarily immigrants from northern India) 40.3%, mixed 14%, white 1%, Chinese 1%, other 3.7%

Infant mortality rate

18.84 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Languages

English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 70.51 years male: 68.06 years female: 73.03 years (1998 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97.9% male: 98.8% female: 97% (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun: Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s) adjective: Trinidadian, Tobagonian

Net migration rate

-19.55 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Population

1,116,595 (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate

-1.27% (1998 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 32.2%, Hindu 24.3%, Anglican 14.4%, other Protestant 14%, Muslim 6%, none or unknown 9.1%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.09 children born/woman (1998 est.)

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

Constitution

1 August 1976

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago conventional short form: Trinidad and Tobago

Data code

TD

Executive branch

chief of state: President Arthur Napoleon Raymond ROBINSON (since 19 March 1997) head of government: Prime Minister Basdeo PANDAY (since 9 November 1995) cabinet: Cabinet appointed from among the members of Parliament elections: president elected by an electoral college that consists of the members of the Senate and House of Representatives for a five-year term; election last held NA February 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); prime minister appointed from among the members of Parliament; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives is usually appointed prime minister election results: Arthur Napoleon Raymond ROBINSON elected president; percent of electoral college vote-69%

FAX

[1] (202) 785-3130 consulate(s) general: Miami and New York Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Edward E. SHUMAKER, III embassy: 15 Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain mailing address: P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain telephone: [1] (809) 622-6372 through 6376, 6176

[1] (809) 628-5462

Flag description

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

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Independence

31 August 1962 (from UK)

International organization participation

ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Michael A. ARNEAUD chancery: 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 467-6490

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal, judges are appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister; Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister Political parties and leaders: People's National Movement (PNM), Patrick MANNING; United National Congress (UNC), Basdeo PANDAY; National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR), Nizam MOHAMMED; Movement for Social Transformation (MOTION), David ABDULLAH; National Joint Action Committee (NJAC), Makandal DAAGA; National Development Party (NDP), Carson CHARLES; Movement for Unity and Progress (MUP), Hulsie BHAGGAN

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament consists of a Senate (31 seats; members appointed by the president for a maximum term of five years) and a House of Representatives (36 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: House of Representatives-last held 6 November 1995 (next to be held by December 2000) election results: House of Representatives-percent of vote-PNM 52%, UNC 42.2%, NAR 5.2%; seats by party-PNM 15, UNC 19, NAR 1, independent 1; note-the UNC formed a coalition with the NAR note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly with 15 members serving four-year terms

National capital

Port-of-Spain

National holiday

Independence Day, 31 August (1962)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture-products

cocoa, sugarcane, rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; poultry

Budget

revenues: $1.7 billion expenditures: $1.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $243 million (1997 est.)

Currency

1 Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TT$) = 100 cents

Debt-external

$1.9 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $10 million (1993)

Economy-overview

Trinidad and Tobago has earned a reputation as an excellent investment site for international businesses. Successful economic reforms were implemented in 1995, and foreign investment and trade are flourishing. Unemployment - a main cause of the country's socio-economic problems-is high, but has decreased to its lowest point in five years. The country enjoys a healthy trade surplus, yet its heavy dependence on oil and petrochemical prices makes its trade balance vulnerable to sudden shifts. Tourism is a major foreign exchange earner, with 260,000 arrivals in 1995, 80% from Europe.

Electricity-capacity

1.15 million kW (1995)

Electricity-consumption per capita

3,068 kWh (1995)

Electricity-production

3.9 billion kWh (1995)

Exchange rates

Trinidad and Tobago dollars (TT$) per US$1-6.2840 (January 1998), 6.2503 (1997), 6.0051 (1996), 5.9478 (1995), 5.9249 (1994), 5.3511 (1993)

Exports

total value: $2.5 billion (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, steel products, fertilizer, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus, flowers partners: US 48%, Caricom countries 15%, Latin America 9%, EU 5% (1994)

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications

GDP

purchasing power parity-$13.2 billion (1996 est.)

GDP-composition by sector

agriculture: 2% industry: 45% services: 53% (1995 est.)

GDP-per capita

purchasing power parity-$10,400 (1996 est.)

GDP-real growth rate

3.1% (1996 est.)

Imports

total value: $2.1 billion (c.i.f., 1996) commodities: machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, live animals partners: US 48%, Venezuela 10%, UK 8%, Germany, Canada (1995)

Industrial production growth rate

7.5% (1995)

Industries

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

Inflation rate-consumer price index

3.4% (1996)

Labor force

total: 404,500 by occupation: construction and utilities 13%, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 14%, agriculture 11%, services 62% (1993 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 0 note: there were a total of 10 radio stations in 1995

Radios

700,000 (1993 est.)

Telephone system

excellent international service; good local service domestic: NA international: satellite earth station-1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Barbados and Guyana

Telephones

170,000 (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations

3 (1995 est.)

Televisions

400,000 (1992 est.)

Unemployment rate

16.1% (December 1996)

Airports

6 (1997 est.) Airports-with paved runways: total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1997 est.) Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (1997 est.)

Highways

total: 8,320 km paved: 4,252 km unpaved: 4,068 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,336 GRT/2,567 DWT (1997 est.)

Pipelines

crude oil 1,032 km; petroleum products 19 km; natural gas 904 km Ports and harbors: Pointe-a-Pierre, Point Fortin, Point Lisas, Port-of-Spain, Scarborough, Tembladora

Railways

note: minimal agricultural railroad system near San Fernando; railway service was discontinued in 1968

Military branches

Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (includes Ground Forces, Coast Guard, and Air Wing), Trinidad and Tobago Police Service

Military expenditures-dollar figure

$83 million (1994)

Military expenditures-percent of GDP

NA%

Military manpower-availability

males age 15-49: 313,018 (1998 est.) Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 223,511 (1998 est.)

Disputes-international

none

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe and producer of cannabis TROMELIN ISLAND (possession of France)