Coor din ates: 1 0°3 6 ′N 6 1 °6 ′W Trinidad and Tobago T rinidad and T obago (/ trɪnɪdæd ... tə beɪɡoʊ/ ( listen), ˈ ˈ Republic of Trinidad and /toʊ-/),[14] officially the Republic of T rinidad and Tobago T obago, is a twin island sovereign state that is the southernmost nation of the West Indies in the Caribbean. It is situated 130 kilometres (81 miles) south of Grenada off the northern edge of the South American mainland, 11 kilometres (6.8 miles) off the coast of northeastern Venezuela. It shares maritime boundaries with Barbados to Flag Coat of arms the northeast, Grenada to the northwest, Guyana to the Motto: Together We Aspire, Together We southeast, and Venezuela to the south and west.[15][16] Achieve Anthem: "Forged from the Love of The island of Trinidad was a Spanish colony from the arrival Liberty" of Christopher Columbus in 1498 until Spanish governor Don José María Chacón surrendered the island to a British fleet under the command of Sir Ralph Abercromby in 17 97 .[17] During the same period, the island of Tobago changed hands among Spanish, British, French, Dutch and Courlander colonizers more times than any other island in the Caribbean. Trinidad and Tobago were ceded to Britain in 1802 under the Treaty of Amiens as separate states and unified in 1889.[18] Trinidad and Tobago obtained independence in 1962 and became a republic in 197 6. As of 2015, Trinidad and Tobago had the third highest GDP per capita based on purchasing power parity (PPP) in the Americas after the United States and Canada.[19] It is recognised by the World Bank as a high-income economy. Unlike most of the English-speaking Caribbean, the economy is primarily industrial[20] with an emphasis on petroleum and petrochemicals; much of the nation's wealth is derived from its large reserves of oil and natural gas.[21][22] Trinidad and Tobago is known for its Carnival celebration and as the birthplace of steelpan, the limbo, and music styles such as calypso, soca, parang and chutney. Contents Capital Port of Spain 10°40′0″N Etymology 61°30′27″W Geography Largest city Chaguanas Geology Climate 10°31′7″N Biodiversity 61°24′37″W History Official languages English[1] Prehistory Age of Colonization Other languages Trinidadian English Spanish settlement Creole Influx of French people Tobagonian English [2] British rule Creole Influx of East Indians Ethnic groups 35.43% Indian Economic depression [3] (2011 ) 34.22% African Independence 15.16% Multiracial Politics (Non-Dougla) Political culture 7.66% Dougla Business culture (African-Indian) Foreign relations Military 0.59% European Administrative divisions (Non-Portuguese) International and regional relationships 0.30% Chinese Organisation of American States 0.11% Indigenous Economy Amerindian Communications Infrastructure 0.08% Arab Transport 0.06% Portuguese Creative Industries 0.17% Other Science and technology 6.22% Undeclared Regional policy framework Strategic Plan for 2015–2019 Religion 49.6% Christian [3][4] Energy Policy (2011 ) 18.2% Hindu Climate change strategy 5.7% Spiritual National policy framework Baptist Research expenditure 5.0% Muslim Researchers Scientific output 1.2% Bahá'í Research institutions 0.9% Orisha-Shango (Yoruba) Demographics Ethnic groups 0.3% Rastafarian Languages 5.8% Other Religion 11.1% Not stated Urban centres and towns 2.2% None Education Women Demonym Trinidadians and Culture Tobagonians Cuisine Trini (colloquial) Music Trinbagonian[5] Sports Olympic sports Membership United Nations, Cricket Caribbean Football Community, World Trade Organization, Basketball Community of Latin Other sports American and National symbols Caribbean States, Flag Organization of Coat of arms American States, Orders and decorations Commonwealth of National songs Nations, Alliance of National birds Small Island States See also Government Unitary Sources parliamentary constitutional References republic Cited sources • President Paula-Mae Weekes Further reading • Prime Minister Keith Rowley External links • Leader of the Kamla Persad- Opposition Bissessar • Speaker of the Brigid Annisette- House of George Etymology Representatives • President of the Christine Kangaloo Historian E. L. Joseph claimed that Trinidad's Amerindian Senate name was Cairi or "Land of the Humming Bird", derived • Chief Justice Ivor Archie from the Arawak name for hummingbird, ierèttê or yerettê. Legislature Parliament However, Boomert claims that neither cairi nor caeri [23] • Upper house Senate means hummingbird and tukusi or tucuchi does. Others • Lower house House of have reported that kairi and iere simply mean island. Representatives Christopher Columbus renamed it "La Isla de la Trinidad" Establishment ("The Island of the Trinity"), fulfilling a vow made before • Amerindian tribes c. 5000 B.C.E. [24] setting out on his third voyage of exploration. Tobago's settle in Trinidad cigar-like shape may have given it its Spanish name and Tobago (cabaco, tavaco, tobacco) and possibly its Amerindian • Trinidad and 1498 Tobago names of Aloubaéra (black conch) and Urupaina (big (separately) [23] snail), although the English pronunciation is /təˈbeɪɡoʊ/, discovered by rhyming with lumbago, sago, and "may go". the Spanish • Colonized by 1530 Spain Geography • Spain cedes 1797 and 25 March Trinidad to Great 1802 Trinidad and Tobago are islands situated between 10° 2' and Britain as a 11° 12' N latitude and 60° 30' and 61° 56' W longitude. At the result of the Invasion of closest point, Trinidad is just 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) from Trinidad and is Venezuelan territory. Covering an area of 5,128 km2 formalized at the (1,980 sq mi),[25] the country consists of the two main Treaty of Amiens • France cedes 30 May 1814 islands, Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous smaller Tobago to the landforms, including Chacachacare, Monos, Huevos, Gaspar United Kingdom Grande (or Gasparee), Little Tobago, and St. Giles Island. at the Treaty of Paris, which puts Trinidad is 4,7 68 km2 (1,841 sq mi) in area (comprising Tobago under British 93.0% of the country's total area) with an average length of sovereingty for a 80 kilometres (50 mi) and an average width of 59 third time kilometres (37 mi). Tobago has an area of about 300 km2 • Unification of 1888 (120 sq mi), or 5.8% of the country's area, is 41 km (25 mi) Trinidad and Tobago long and 12 km (7 .5 mi) at its greatest width. Trinidad and • Part of the West 3 January 1958 to Tobago lie on the continental shelf of South America, and Indies Federation 31 May 1962 are thus geologically considered to lie entirely in South • Independence 31 August 1962 America.[26] from the United Kingdom • Joins CARICOM 1 August 1973 at the Treaty of Chaguaramas The terrain of the islands is a mixture of mountains and • Republic August 1st 1976 (celebrated September plains. The highest point in the country is found on the 24th)[6][7][8] Northern Range at El Cerro del Aripo, which is 940 metres Area (3,080 ft) above sea level. • Total 5,131 km2 As the majority of the population live in the island of (1,981 sq mi) (165th) Trinidad, this is the location of most major towns and cities. • Water (%) negligible There are four major municipalities in Trinidad: Port of Population Spain, the capital, San Fernando, Arima and Chaguanas. The • 2016 estimate 1,353,895[9] (152) main town in Tobago is Scarborough. Trinidad is made up of • 2011 census 1,328,019[10] a variety of soil types, the majority being fine sands and • Density 254.4/km2 heavy clays. The alluvial valleys of the Northern Range and (658.9/sq mi) the soils of the East–West Corridor are the most fertile.[27] GDP (PPP) 2017 estimate • Total $44.654 billion[11] Geology (110th) • Per capita $32,520[11] (36th) The Northern Range consists mainly of Upper Jurassic and GDP (nominal) 2017 estimate Cretaceous metamorphic rocks. The Northern Lowlands • Total $21.748 billion[11] (East–West Corridor and Caroni Plains) consist of younger • Per capita $15,838[11] shallow marine clastic sediments. South of this, the Central Gini (2012) 39.0[12] Range fold and thrust belt consists of Cretaceous and medium Eocene sedimentary rocks, with Miocene formations along [13] the southern and eastern flanks. The Naparima Plains and HDI (2016) 0.780 high · 65th the Nariva Swamp form the southern shoulder of this uplift. Currency Trinidad and The Southern Lowlands consist of Miocene and Pliocene Tobago dollar (TTD) sands, clays, and gravels. These overlie oil and natural gas Time zone Atlantic Standard deposits, especially north of the Los Bajos Fault. The Time (UTC-4) Southern Range forms the third anticlinal uplift. It consists • Summer (DST) not observed (UTC-4) of several chains of hills, most famous being the Trinity Hills. The rocks consist of sandstones, shales, siltstones and Date format dd/mm/yyyy clays formed in the Miocene and uplifted in the Pleistocene. Drives on the left Oil sands and mud volcanoes are especially common in this Calling code +1 (868) area. ISO 3166 code TT Internet TLD .tt Climate The climate is tropical. There are two seasons annually: the dry season for the first five months of the year, and the rainy season in the remaining seven of the year. Winds are predominantly from the northeast and are dominated by the northeast trade winds. Unlike most of the other Caribbean islands, both Trinidad and Tobago have frequently escaped the wrath of major devastating hurricanes, including Hurricane Ivan, the most powerful storm to have passed close to the islands in recent history, in September 2004. In the Northern Range, the climate is often different in contrast to the sweltering heat of the plains below. With constant cloud and mist cover, and heavy rains in the mountains, the temperature is much cooler.