Trinidad and Tobago

Republic of Trinidad and Tobago

( In Detail) ( In Detail)
National motto: Together we aspire, together we achieve
Official language	English
Capital	Port of Spain
President	George Maxwell Richards
Prime Minister	Patrick Manning
Area - Total - % water	Ranked 163rd 5,128 km² Negligible
Population - Total ( 2000) - Density	Ranked 151st 1,262,366 215/km²
HDI ( 2003)	0.801 ( 57th) – high
Independence	31 August 1962
Currency	Trinidad and Tobago dollar
Time zone	UTC - 4
National anthem	Forged From The Love of Liberty
Internet TLD	.tt
Calling Code	1-868

The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is a nation in the southern Caribbean Sea, situated 11 km (7 miles) off the coast of Venezuela. It is an archipelagic state consisting of two main islands, Trinidad and Tobago, and 21 smaller islands. The larger and more populated island is Trinidad, while Tobago is smaller (303 square kilometres; about 6% of the total area) and less populous (50,000 people; 4% of the total population). Citizens are officially called Trinidadians or Tobagonians or Citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, but are informally referred to as Trinis or Trinbagonians.

Unlike most of the English-speaking Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago is a primarily industrialised country whose economy is based on petroleum and petrochemicals. People of Indian and African descent make up almost 80% of the population, while the remainder are mostly mixed race with small European, Chinese and Syrian-Lebanese minorities. Trinidad and Tobago is famous for its pre- Lenten Carnival and as the birthplace of steelpan and limbo.

The capital city Port of Spain is currently a leading candidate to serve as the headquarters of the Permanent Secretariat of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA-ALCA).

History

Both Trinidad and Tobago were originally settled by Amerindians of South American origin. Trinidad was first settled by pre-agricultural Archaic people at least 7000 years, making it the earliest-settled part of the Caribbean. Ceramic-using agriculturalists settled Trinidad around 250 BCE and then moved up the Lesser Antillean chain. At the time of European contact Trinidad was occupied by various Arawakan- and Cariban-speaking tribes including the Nepoya, Suppoya and Yao, while Tobago was occupied by the Island Caribs and Galibi. The aboriginal name for Trinidad was Kairi or Iere which is usually translated as The Land of the Hummingbird, although others have reported that it simply meant island. Christopher Columbus encountered the island of Trinidad on July 31, 1498 and named it after the Holy Trinity. Columbus reported seeing Tobago, which he named Bella Forma, but did not land on the island. The name Tobago is probably derived from tobacco.

The Spanish established a presence on Trinidad, while Tobago changed hands between British, French, Dutch and Courlanders. Britain consolidated its hold on both islands during the Napoleonic Wars, and they were combined into the colony of Trinidad and Tobago in 1889. As a result of these colonial struggles Amerindian, Spanish, and French and English place names are all common in the country. African slaves and Indian, Chinese, Portuguese and free African indentured labourers were imported to supply labour in the nineteenth and early twentieth century. Immigration from Barbados and the Lesser Antilles, Venezuela and Syria and Lebanon also impacted on the ethnic make-up of the country.

Although originally a sugar colony, cacao dominated the economy in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. After the collapse of the cacao crop (due to disease and the Great Depression) petroleum increasingly came to dominate the economy. The Depression and the rise of the oil economy led to changes in the social structure.

The presence of American military bases in Chaguaramas and Cumuto in Trinidad during World War II profoundly changed the character of society. In the post-war period, the wave of decolonisation that swept the British Empire led to the formation of the West Indies Federation in 1958 as a vehicle for independence. Chaguaramas was the proposed site for the federal capital. The Federation dissolved after the withdrawal of Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago elected for independence in 1962.

In 1970, a number of students gathered to protest in front of the Canadian Embassy to protest an application fee for students visas, in at what the time was a copycat of the 1960s civil rights movement in north america, the results are know today as the Black Riots of 1970.

In 1976 the country severed its links with the British monarchy and became a republic within the Commonwealth.

In 1990, 114 men of the Jamaat al Muslimeen lead by Yasin Abu Bakr, stormed Parliment and the only TV Station in the country, and held the country's government hostage for six days.

Petroleum, petrochemicals and natural gas continue to be the backbone of the economy. Tourism is the mainstay of the economy of Tobago, although it has declined in the environment after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Trinidad and Tobago is one of the most prosperous nations in the Caribbean, although less so than it was during the " oil boom" between 1973 and 1983.

Politics

Trinidad and Tobago is a liberal democracy with a two-party system and a bicameral parliamentary system based on the Westminster System. The Head of State of Trinidad and Tobago is the President, currently Professor Emeritus George Maxwell Richards. The Head of Government is the Prime Minister. The President is elected by an Electoral College consisting of the full membership of both houses of Parliament. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President. The President is required to appoint the leader of the party who in his opinion has the most support of the members of the House of Representatives to this post; this has generally been the leader of the party which won the most seats in the previous election (except in the case of the 2001 General Elections).

The Parliament consists of two chambers, the Senate (31 seats) and the House of Representatives (36 seats, will increase to 41 seats after the next election). The members of the Senate are appointed by the president. Sixteen Government Senators are appointed on the advice of the Prime Minister, six Opposition Senators are appointed on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition and nine Independent Senators are appointed by the President to represent other sectors of civil society. The 36 members of the House of Representatives are elected by the people for a maximum term of five years.

Since December 24, 2001, the governing party has been the People's National Movement led by Patrick Manning; the Opposition party is the United National Congress led by Basdeo Panday ( Leader of the Opposition) and Winston Dookeran (UNC political leader).

Trinidad and Tobago is an active member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

Regional Corporations and Municipalities

The local government bodies consist of nine Regional Corporations and five municipalities in Trinidad and the Tobago House of Assembly in Tobago. The five towns with municipality status are the Boroughs of Arima, Chaguanas and Point Fortin and the Cities of Port of Spain and San Fernando. The nine Regional Corporations are the Couva- Tabaquite- Talparo, Diego Martin, Penal- Debe, Princes Town, Rio Claro- Mayaro, San Juan- Laventille, Sangre Grande, Siparia and the Tunapuna- Piarco Regional Corporations.

Historically, Trinidad was divided into eight counties, and these counties were subdivided into Wards. Tobago was adminstered as a Ward of County Saint David. Counties and Wards still play a role in revenue collection by the government.

Geography

The country consists of two main islands, Trinidad and Tobago, and 21 smaller islands, the most important being Chacachacare, Monos, Huevos, Gaspar Grande (or Gasparee), Little Tobago and St. Giles Is. The terrain of the islands is a mixture of mountains and plains. The highest point in the country is found on the Northern Range at El Cerro del Aripo which is situated at 940 m above sea level. The climate is tropical. There are two seasons annually: the dry season for the first six months of the year, and the wet season in the second half of the year. Winds are predominantlly from the northeast and are dominated by the Northeast Trade winds. Unlike most of the other Caribbean islands, Trinidad and Tobago have frequently escaped the wrath of major devastating hurricanes including Hurricane Ivan, the most powerful storm to pass close to the islands in recent history in September 2004.

As the majority of the population live in Trinidad, this is the location of most major towns and cities. There are three major municipalities in Trinidad: Port of Spain, the capital, San Fernando, and Chaguanas. Of these three, Chaguanas is the fastest growing. The largest town in Tobago is Scarborough.

Trinidad is made up of a variety of soil types, the majority being fine sands and heavy clays. The alluvial valleys of the Northern Range and the soils of the East-West Corridor being the most fertile.

The Northern Range consists mainly of Upper Jurassic and Cretaceous rocks, mostly andesites and schists. The Northern Lowlands ( East-West Corridor and Caroni Plains) consist of Pleistocene or younger soft sands and clays with superficial gravel terraces and river and swamp alluvia. South of this, the Central Range is a folded anticlinal uplift consisting of Cretaceous and Eocene rocks, with Miocene formations along the southern and eastern flanks. The Naparima Plains and the Nariva Swamp form the southern shoulder of this uplift. The Southern Lowlands consist of Miocene and Pliocene sands, clays, and gravels. These overlie oil and natural gas deposits, especially north of the Los Bajos Fault. The Southern Range forms the third anticlinal uplift. It consists of several chains of hills, most famous being the Trinity Hills. The rocks consist of sandstones, shales and siltstones and clays formed in the Miocene and uplifted in the Pleistocene. Oil sands and mud volcanoes are especially common in this area.

Although it is located just off-shore from South America, Trinidad and Tobago is often considered to be part of the North American continent by virtue of its being a Caribbean country. See Bicontinental countries.

Economy

Trinidad and Tobago has earned a reputation as an excellent investment site for international businesses. A leading performer the past four years has been the booming natural gas sector. Tourism is a growing sector, although not proportionately as important as in many other Caribbean islands. The economy benefits from low inflation and a trade surplus. The year 2002 was marked by solid growth in the oil sector, offset in part by domestic political uncertainty.

Demographics

The ethnic composition of Trinidad and Tobago reflects a history of conquest and immigration. Two major ethnic groups - Indo-Trinidadians and Afro-Trinidadians - account for almost 80% of the population, while people of Mixed-race, European, Chinese and Syrian-Lebanese descent make up most of the rest of the population. According to the 1990 census, Indo-Trinidadians make up 40.3% of the population, Afro-Trinidadians 39.5%, Mixed-race people 18.4%, Whites 0.6% and Chinese and others 1.2%. White Trinidadians, especially those descendent of the former plantocracy, are often referred to as French Creoles. The mixed-race Cocoa Payols are descendent of the original Spanish settlers and immigrants from Venezuela. The Portuguese population includes both whites and mixed people. The small Amerindian population is largely mixed-race - the small Carib population, descendant of the indigenous inhabitants, are organised around the Santa Rosa Carib Community.

Emigration from Trinidad and Tobago, as with other Caribbean nations, has historically been high; most emigrants go to the United States, with Canada and Britain receiving most of the rest. Emigration has continued, albeit at a lower rate, even as the birth rate has sharply dropped to levels typical of industrialised countries.

Many different religions are present in Trinidad and Tobago. The largest two are the Roman Catholics and Hindus; the Anglicans, Muslims, Presbyterians, Methodist are among the smaller faiths. Two Afro-Caribbean syncretic faiths, the Shouter or Spiritual Baptists and the Orisha faith (formerly called Shangos, a less than complimentary term) are among the fastest growing religious groups, as are a host of American-style evangelical and fundamentalist churches usually lumped as " Pentecostal" by most Trinidadians (although this designation is often inaccurate). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has also expanded its presence in the country since the mid- 1980s.

English is the country's only official language, but Hindi is also spoken by some Indo-Trinidadians and widely used in popular music. The main spoken language, Trinidad English is either classified as a dialect of English or as an English Creole ( Trinidadian Creole English). The major spoken language in Tobago is Tobagonian Creole English. Both languages contain African elements; Trinidad English is also influenced by French and by Hindi. These Creole languages are normally spoken in informal situations only, and there is no formalized system of writing (other than as in standard English). Short-term visitors need not be concerned about learning Creole, as virtually everyone understands English. However, visitors should expect to hear Creole spoken frequently when they are not being directly addressed. Although Patois (a dialect of French Creole) was once the most widely spoken language on the island, it is now rarely heard.

Due to Trinidad's location on the coast of South America, the country has been slowly developing a connection with the Spanish-speaking peoples, but has been impeded by the fact that in 2004, only 1500 of Trinidad's 1.3m inhabitants spoke Spanish.2. ^ In 2004 the government initiated the Spanish as a First Foreign Language (SAFFL) initiative [1], with a public launch in March 2005. Government regulations now require Spanish to be taught to all high school students, while thirty percent of public employees are to be linguistically competent within five years. Venezuelans often come to Trinidad and Tobago to learn English, and many English schools have expanded to feature both English and Spanish.

Culture

Trinidad and Tobago is famous for its pre- Lenten Carnival. It is also the birthplace of calypso music and the steelpan, which is widely claimed to be the only acoustic musical instrument invented during the 20th century. The diverse cultural and religious background allows for many festivities and ceremonies throughout the year. Other indigenous art forms include soca (a derivate of calypso), Parang (Venezuelan-influenced Christmas music), chutney, and pichakaree (musical forms which blend the music of the Caribbean and India) and the famous Limbo dance.

The artistic scene is vibrant. Trinidad and Tobago claims two Nobel Prize-winning authors, V. S. Naipaul and St. Lucian-born Derek Walcott. Mas' designer Peter Minshall is renowned not only for his carnival costumes, but also for his role in opening ceremonies of the Barcelona Olympics, the 1994 Football World Cup, the 1996 Summer Olympics and the 2002 Winter Olympics, for which he won an Emmy Award.

Sports

Cricket: Trinidad and Tobago plays both one day international and Test cricket as a member of the West Indies team. The national team plays at the first-class level in regional competitions. The American Cricket player, Jeff Chemerinsky, grew up playing on the islands.

Football: The national football team qualifed for the 2006 FIFA World Cup by beating Bahrain in Manama on 16 November 2005. Trinidad and Tobago is the least populated country to qualify for the World Cup. The team was coached by Dutchman Leo Beenhakker.

Olympics: Hasely Crawford won the first and only Olympic gold medal for Trinidad and Tobago in the men's 100 m dash in the 1976 Summer Olympics. Twelve athletes from Trinidad and Tobago have won medals at the Olympics, beginning with a Bronze medal won by Rodney Wilkes in 1948. Ato Boldon has won the most medals for Trinidad and Tobago.

The card-game All-Fours is sometimes described as the "Unofficial national sport".

Holidays

Date	English Name	Remarks
January 1	New Year's Day
Variable	Carnival	Monday and Tuesday immediately preceding Ash Wednesday. Even though many businesses and schools close for Carnival Monday and Tuesday, they are not official public holidays.
Variable	Eid-ul-Fitr	End of Ramadan. It is the only public holiday in Trinidad and Tobago that recognizes Islam. Even though it is not the most important holiday on the Islamic calendar it is the most widely and publicly celebrated Muslim holiday in the country.
Variable	Easter	Good Friday and Easter Monday
March 30	Spiritual Baptist/Shouter Liberation Day	First country in the world to recognize the Spiritual Baptist faith with a national holiday
Variable	Corpus Christi
May 30	Indian Arrival Day
June 19	Labour Day
August 1	Emancipation Day
August 31	Independence Day
September 24	Republic Day
Variable	Divali	The Hindu festival of lights and the only holiday given in recognition of the Hindu faith.
December 25	Christmas
December 26	Boxing Day