Trinidad and Tobago

This article is about the country. For the islands of the sovereign state, see Trinidad and Tobago. For other uses, see Trinidad (disambiguation) and Tobago (disambiguation).

Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
Coat of arms of Trinidad
Coat of arms
Motto: "Together we aspire, together we achieve"
Anthem: "Forged from the Love of Liberty"
Location of Trinidad
Location of Trinidad
CapitalPort of Spain
10°40′0″N 61°30′27″W / 10.66667°N 61.50750°W / 10.66667; -61.50750
Largest cityChaguanas
10°31′N 61°24′W / 10.517°N 61.400°W / 10.517; -61.400
Official languagesEnglish[1]
Other languagesSee Languages in Trinidad and Tobago[2]
Ethnic groups
(2011)[3]
Religion
(2020)[4]
Demonym(s)
GovernmentUnitary parliamentary republic
• President
Christine Kangaloo
Keith Rowley
Bridgid Annisette-George
Nigel de Freitas
Ivor Archie
Kamla Persad-Bissessar
LegislatureParliament
• Upper house
Senate
• Lower house
House of Representatives
Independence 
from the United Kingdom
• Province of the West Indies Federation
3 January 1958 – 14 January 1962
31 August 1962
1 August 1973
• Republic
1 August 1976[b]
Area
• Total
5,131 km2 (1,981 sq mi) (164th)
• Water (%)
negligible
Population
• 2024 estimate
1,508,635 [7] (154th)
• Density
294/km2 (761.5/sq mi) (34th)
GDP (PPP)2023 estimate
• Total
Increase $43.658 billion[8] (126th)
• Per capita
Increase $30,718[8] (58th)
GDP (nominal)2023 estimate
• Total
Decrease $27.887 billion[8] (107th)
• Per capita
Decrease $19,621[8] (47th)
Gini (2012)39.0[9]
medium inequality
HDI (2022)Increase 0.814[10]
very high (60th)
CurrencyTrinidad and Tobago dollar (TTD)
Time zoneUTC-4 (AST)
Date formatdd/mm/yyyy
Drives onleft
Calling code+1 (868)
Internet TLD.tt
  1. ^ incl. European, Chinese, Indigenous, Arabs
  2. ^ Despite becoming a republic on 1 August, Republic Day is celebrated as a public holiday on 24 September because this is the date when the first Parliament met under the new Republican Constitution.[6]

Trinidad and Tobago,[a] officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated 11 kilometres (6 nautical miles) off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and 130 kilometres (70 nautical miles) south of Grenada.[11] It shares maritime boundaries with Barbados to the east, Grenada to the northwest and Venezuela to the south and west.[12][13] Trinidad and Tobago is generally considered to be part of the West Indies. The island country's capital is Port of Spain, while its largest and most populous municipality is Chaguanas.

The island of Trinidad was inhabited for centuries by Indigenous peoples before becoming a colony in the Spanish Empire, following the arrival of Christopher Columbus, in 1498. Spanish governor José María Chacón surrendered the island to a British fleet under the command of Sir Ralph Abercromby in 1797.[14] Trinidad and Tobago were ceded to Britain in 1802 under the Treaty of Amiens as separate states and unified in 1889.[15] Trinidad and Tobago obtained independence in 1962, and became a republic in 1976.[16][11]

Unlike most Caribbean nations and territories, which rely heavily on tourism, the economy is primarily industrial with an emphasis on petroleum and petrochemicals;[17] much of the nation's wealth is derived from its large reserves of oil and natural gas.[18]

Trinidad and Tobago is well known for its African and Indian cultures, reflected in its large and famous Carnival, Diwali, and Hosay celebrations, as well as being the birthplace of the steelpan, the limbo, and music styles such as calypso, soca, rapso, parang, chutney, and chutney soca music. The country gets fewer hurricanes than most of the Caribbean because it is farther south.

  1. ^ Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. "Home". Ttconnect.gov.tt. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  2. ^ "Trinidad and Tobago – Languages". Ethnologue. Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference 2011Census was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "National Profiles; World Religion". www.thearda.com. Archived from the original on 25 January 2024. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  5. ^ "Trinbagonian". Macmillan Dictionary. Archived from the original on 20 June 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  6. ^ "Republic Day". Archived from the original on 15 October 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  7. ^ "Trinidad and Tobago Population (2024) - Worldometer". Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2023 Edition. (TT)". IMF.org. International Monetary Fund. 10 October 2023. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  9. ^ Bridglal, Carla (12 March 2013). "Allowing govt to manage better". Trinidad Express. Archived from the original on 14 March 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  10. ^ "Human Development Report 2023/24" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 13 March 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  11. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference EBTT was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ "Treaty between the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the Republic of Venezuela on the delimitation of marine and submarine areas, 18 April 1990" (PDF). The United Nations. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 September 2008. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
  13. ^ "The 1990 Accord Replaces the 1942 Paris Treaty". Trinidad and Tobago News. Archived from the original on 19 September 2009. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
  14. ^ Carmichael (1961), pp. 40–42.
  15. ^ Carmichael (1961), p. 52.
  16. ^ "Trinidad and Tobago". CIA World Factbook. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  17. ^ "Trinidad and Tobago Country brief". The World Bank. Archived from the original on 12 January 2007.
  18. ^ "Trinidad and Tobago profile – Overview". BBC News. 24 October 2012. Archived from the original on 13 September 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2014.


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