Port of Spain

This article is about the capital city of Trinidad and Tobago. For ports in the country of Spain, see List of ports in Spain.

Port of Spain
Capital city
City of Port of Spain
Port of Spain in 2024
Flag of Port of Spain
Flag
Motto: 
"We Gather Strength As We Go Along"
Port of Spain is located in Trinidad and Tobago
Port of Spain
Port of Spain
Port of Spain is located in Caribbean
Port of Spain
Port of Spain
Port of Spain is located in North America
Port of Spain
Port of Spain
Coordinates: 10°40′N 61°31′W / 10.667°N 61.517°W / 10.667; -61.517
Country Trinidad and Tobago
JurisdictionCity of Port of Spain
Settled1560
Borough19 August 1853[1]
City26 June 1914
Government
 • BodyCity of Port of Spain
 • MayorChinua Alleyne, PNM
 • Deputy MayorAbena Hartley, PNM
City Corporation seats12 electoral districts
House seats2/41
Area
[2]
 • Capital city12 km2 (5 sq mi)
Elevation
[3]
66 m (217 ft)
Population
 (2017)[2]
 • Capital city49,867
 • Rank3rd
 • Density3,639/km2 (9,420/sq mi)
 • Urban
84,126
 • Metro
546,000
Languages
 • OfficialEnglish
Time zoneUTC-4 (AST)
Postal Code
10xxxx, 12xxxx, 16xxxx – 19xxxx, 21xxxx, 23xxxx, 24xxxx, 26xxxx, 29xxxx[4]
Area code868
ISO 3166 codeTT-POS
Telephone Exchanges619, 623, 624, 625, 627, 641, 661, 821, 622, 628, 822
Websitecityofportofspain.gov.tt
HDI The HDI for Trinidad and Tobago is 0.814, which gives the country a rank of 19th out of 177 countries with data (2007/2008) – high

Port of Spain, officially the City of Port of Spain (also stylized Port-of-Spain), is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago and the third largest municipality, after Chaguanas and San Fernando. The city has a municipal population of 49,867 (2017),[2] an urban population of 81,142 and a transient daily population of 250,000.[5] It is located on the Gulf of Paria, on the northwest coast of the island of Trinidad and is part of a larger conurbation stretching from Chaguaramas in the west to Arima in the east with an estimated population of 600,000.[6]

The city serves primarily as a retail and administrative centre and it has been the capital of the island since 1757. It is also an important financial services centre for the Caribbean[7] and is home to two of the largest banks in the region. The Piarco International Airport is the main airport on the island, connecting the capital to various major global destinations.

Port of Spain was also the de facto capital of the short-lived West Indies Federation, which united the Caribbean.

The city is also home to the largest container port on the island and is one of several shipping hubs of the Caribbean, exporting both agricultural products and manufactured goods. Bauxite from Guyana is trans-shipped via facilities at Chaguaramas, about 8 kilometres (5 mi) west of the city. The pre-lenten Carnival is the city's main annual cultural festival and tourist attraction.

Today, Port of Spain is a leading city in the Caribbean region. Trinidad and Tobago hosted the Fifth Summit of the Americas in 2009, whose guests included US President Barack Obama and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.[8]

Port of Spain is also home to the biggest and most successful stock exchange in the Caribbean, the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange (TTSE). The Nicholas Tower, as well as other skyscrapers, are well known throughout the region. These buildings dominate the city's skyline. Some of the tallest skyscrapers in the Caribbean are located in Port of Spain.

  1. ^ "Our History – Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government". Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Trinidad and Tobago 2011 Population and Housing Census Demographic Report (PDF) (Report). Trinidad and Tobago Central Statistical Office. p. 26. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 October 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  3. ^ "Elevation of Port-of-Spain,Trinidad and Tobago Elevation Map, Topo, Contour". floodmap.net. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  4. ^ "List of Postal Districts". TTPOST. 29 July 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2018.[permanent dead link‍]
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference r2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Trinidad and Tobago – Country overview, Location and size, Population, Industry, Oil and gas, Manufacturing, Services, Tourism". Nationsencyclopedia.com. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
  7. ^ CIA World Factbook Trinidad and Tobago. cia.gov
  8. ^ "The website for the secretariat for the fifth summit of the Americas". Archived from the original on 18 February 2008. Retrieved 21 March 2009.