Trinidad and Tobago

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

17 (2000)

Internet country code

.tt

Internet users

120,000 (2002)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

680,000 (1997)

Telephone system

general assessment: excellent international service; good local service domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Barbados and Guyana

Telephones - main lines in use

252,000 (1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular

17,411 (1997)

Television broadcast stations

4 (1997)

Televisions

425,000 (1997)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $1.54 billion expenditures: $1.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $117.3 million (1998) (1998)

Currency

Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TTD)

Currency code

TTD

Debt - external

$2.2 billion (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$24 million (1999 est.)

Economy - overview

Trinidad and Tobago has earned a reputation as an excellent investment site for international businesses. A leading performer in the past 4 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 expected recovery of the global economy, along with anticipated higher oil prices, are plus factors for 2002. Negative factors are persistent high unemployment and the political uncertainties following the contentious selection of a new government in December 2001.

Electricity - consumption

4.792 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - production

5.153 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%

Exchange rates

Trinidad and Tobago dollars per US dollar - 6.2466 (January 2002), 6.2332 (2001), 6.2998 (2000), 6.2989 (1999), 6.2983 (1998), 6.2517 (1997)

Exports

$4.1 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Exports - commodities

petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, steel products, fertilizer, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus, flowers

Exports - partners

US 45.9%, Caricom countries 26.1%, Latin America 9.5%, EU 5.7% (1999)

Fiscal year

1 October - 30 September

GDP

purchasing power parity - $10.6 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 2% industry: 43% services: 55% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $9,000 (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

4% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$3.5 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, live animals

Imports - partners

US 39.8%, Venezuela 11.9%, EU 11%, Caricom 4.8% (1999)

Industrial production growth rate

4.2% (2001) (2001)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.6% (2001 est.)

Labor force

564,000 (2000) (2000)

Labor force - by occupation

construction and utilities 12%, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 14%, agriculture 10%, services 64% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line

21% (1992 est.)

Unemployment rate

11.8% (2001) (2001)

Area

total: 5,128 sq km land: 5,128 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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

11 00 N, 61 00 W

Geography - note

Pitch Lake, on Trinidad's southwestern coast, is the world's largest natural reservoir of asphalt

Irrigated land

30 sq km (1998 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 14.62% permanent crops: 9.16% other: 76.22% (1998 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

measured from claimed archipelagic baselines exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the outer edge of the continental margin contiguous zone: 24 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

Capital

Port-of-Spain

Constitution

1 August 1976

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago conventional short form: Trinidad and Tobago

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Roy L. AUSTIN embassy: 15 Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain mailing address: P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain telephone: [1] (868) 622-6371 through 6376 FAX: [1] (868) 628-5462

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Mackisack LOGIE chancery: 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 consulate(s) general: Miami and New York FAX: [1] (202) 785-3130 telephone: [1] (202) 467-6490

Executive branch

chief of state: President George Maxwell RICHARDS (since 17 March 2003) head of government: Prime Minister Patrick MANNING (since 24 December 2001) cabinet: Cabinet appointed from among the members of Parliament elections: president elected by an electoral college, which consists of the members of the Senate and House of Representatives, for a five-year term; election last held 14 February 2003 (next to be held NA 2006); the president usually appoints as prime minister the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives election results: George Maxwell RICHARDS elected president; percent of electoral college vote - 43%

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, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court of Judicature (comprised of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeals; the chief justice is appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister and the leader of the opposition; other justices are appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission); High Court of Justice; Court of Appeals the highest court of appeal is the Privy Council in London

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 the Senate (31 seats; members appointed by the president for a maximum term of five years) and the House of Representatives (36 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: House of Representatives - last held 7 October 2002 (next to be held by October 2007) note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly, with 15 members serving four-year terms election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote - PNM 55.5%, UNC 44.5%; seats by party - PNM 20, UNC 16

National holiday

Independence Day, 31 August (1962)

Political parties and leaders

National Alliance for Reconstruction or NAR [Hochoy CHARLES]; People's Empowerment Party or PEP [leader NA]; People's National Movement or PNM [Patrick MANNING]; Team Unity or TUN [Ramesh MAHARAJ]; United National Congress or UNC [Basdeo PANDAY]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Jamaat-al Musilmeen [Yasin BAKR]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

The islands came under British control in the 19th century; independence was granted in 1962. The country is one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean thanks largely to petroleum and natural gas production and processing. Tourism, mostly in Tobago, is targeted for expansion and is growing.

Military branches

Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (including Ground Force, Coast Guard, and Air Wing), Trinidad and Tobago Police Service

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$90 million (1999)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.4% (1999)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 347,831 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 248,324 (2002 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 23% (male 136,807; female 131,177) 15-64 years: 70.2% (male 419,847; female 396,643) 65 years and over: 6.8% (male 35,146; female 44,104) (2002 est.)

Birth rate

13.66 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate

8.81 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Ethnic groups

black 39.5%, East Indian (a local term - primarily immigrants from northern India) 40.3%, mixed 18.4%, white 0.6%, Chinese and other 1.2%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.05% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

530 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

7,800 (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate

24.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Languages

English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish, Chinese

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 68.59 years female: 71.25 years (2002 est.) male: 66.04 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 94% (2000) male: 95.9% (1999) female: 91.7% (1999)

Nationality

noun: Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s) adjective: Trinidadian, Tobagonian

Net migration rate

-10.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Population

1,163,724 (July 2002 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.52% (2002 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 29.4%, Hindu 23.8%, Anglican 10.9%, Muslim 5.8%, Presbyterian 3.4%, other 26.7%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.8 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; producer of cannabis

Airports

6 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2002)

Highways

total: 8,320 km paved: 4,252 km unpaved: 4,068 km (1996)

Merchant marine

total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,910 GRT/7,546 DWT ships by type: cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1 note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: United States 1 (2002 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

minimal agricultural railroad system near San Fernando; common carrier railway service was discontinued in 1968 (2001)

Waterways

none