Trinidad and Tobago

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.)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $1.65 billion expenditures: $1.61 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1996 est.)

Currency

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

Debt - external

$1.67 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 implemented in 1995 are expected to bring an average growth rate of 2% over the next three years, 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 of $500 million, yet its heavy dependence on oil and petrochemical prices makes its trade balance vulnerable to sudden shifts. Furthermore, Caricom, Trinidad and Tobago's main market, is saturated, provoking some countries to establish non-tariff trade barriers.

Electricity - capacity

1.253 million kW (1995)

Electricity - consumption per capita

2,885 kWh (1995 est.)

Electricity - production

4.229 billion kWh (1995)

Exchange rates

Trinidad and Tobago dollars (TT$) per US$1 - 6.1791 (January 1997), 6.0051 (1996), 5.9478 (1995), 5.9249 (1994), 5.3511 (1993), 4.2500 (1992)

Exports

total value : $2.3 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

GDP

purchasing power parity - $17.1 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

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

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $13,500 (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

3.1% (1996 est.)

Imports

total value: $1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1996) commodities: machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, live animals partners: US 47.7%, Venezuela 10%, UK 8.3%, other EU 8% (1994)

Industrial production growth rate

1% (1994 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate - consumer price index

5.3% (1995)

Labor force

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

Unemployment rate

16.1% (December 1996)

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

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Brian J. DONNELLY 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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission : Ambassador Corinne Averille McKNIGHT chancery: 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 467-6490

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: New York

FAX

[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, UNMIH, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

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

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 17, UNC 17, NAR 2; 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)

Political parties and leaders

People's National Movement (PNM), Patrick MANNING; United National Congress (UNC), Basdeo PANDAY; National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR), A. N. R. ROBINSON; 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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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: 312,628 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males: 223,418 (1997 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 29% (male 167,857; female 161,196) 15-64 years: 64% (male 373,434; female 347,489) 65 years and over: 7% (male 36,300; female 44,061) (July 1997 est.)

Birth rate

15.37 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate

7.87 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Ethnic groups

black 43%, East Indian (a local term - primarily immigrants from northern India) 40%, mixed 14%, white 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1%

Infant mortality rate

19.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Languages

English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish

Life expectancy at birth

total population : 70.36 years male: 67.92 years female: 72.88 years (1997 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

-19.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Population

1,130,337 (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate

-1.18% (1997 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: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years and over : 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.13 children born/woman (1997 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)

Airports

6 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total : 5 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m : 2 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1996 est.)

Highways

total: 8,160 km paved: 4,162 km unpaved: 3,998 km (1995 est.)

Merchant marine

total : 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,928 GRT/5,571 DWT ships by type: cargo 1, oil tanker 1 (1996 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