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Communications

Airports [time series]

total: 6 usable: 5 with permanent-surface runways: 2 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 1

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 8,000 km paved: 4,000 km unpaved: improved earth 1,000 km; unimproved earth 3,000 km

Merchant marine [time series]

2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 12,507 GRT/21,923 DWT

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil 1,032 km; petroleum products 19 km; natural gas 904 km

Ports [time series]

Port-of-Spain, Pointe-a-Pierre, Scarborough

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

minimal agricultural railroad system near San Fernando

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

excellent international service via tropospheric scatter links to Barbados and Guyana; good local service; 109,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 4 FM, 5 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

Affiliation [time series]

(possession of France)

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $59 million, 1%-2% of GDP (1989 est.)

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 357,904; fit for military service 257,667

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 3% of GDP; highly subsidized sector; major crops - cocoa, sugarcane; sugarcane acreage is being shifted into rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; poultry sector most important source of animal protein; must import large share of food needs

Budget [time series]

revenues: $1.6 billion expenditures: $1.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $158 million (1993 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

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

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $373 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $518 million

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 1,176,000 kW production: 3.48 billion kWh consumption per capita: 2,680 kWh (1992)

Exchange rates [time series]

Trinidad and Tobago dollars (TT$) per US$1 - 5.8111 (January 1994), 5.3511 (1993), 4.2500 (fixed rate 1989-1992); note - effective 13 April 1993, the exchange rate of the TT dollar is market-determined as opposed to the prior fixed relationship to the US dollar

Exports [time series]

$1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, steel products, fertilizer, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus, flowers partners: US 47%, CARICOM 13%, Latin America 9%, EC 5% (1992)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$2 billion (1993)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Illicit drugs [time series]

transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe

Imports [time series]

$900 million (f.o.b. , 1993) commodities: machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, live animals (1992) partners: US 41%, Venezuela 10%, UK 8%, other EC 8%

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 2.3% (1991); accounts for 37% of GDP, including petroleum

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

9.5% (1993)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $10.4 billion (1993 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$8,000 (1993 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

-1% (1993)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Trinidad and Tobago's petroleum-based economy still enjoys a high per capita income by Latin American standards, even though output and living standards are substantially below the boom years of 1973-82. The country suffers from widespread unemployment, large foreign-debt payments, and periods of low international oil prices. Seven successive years of economic contraction were followed by small gains in output in 1990-91 of 1.2% and 0.9%, in turn followed by small declines in 1992-93 of roughly 1.0%. The government has begun to make progress in its efforts to diversify exports.

Unemployment rate [time series]

18.5% (1991)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 5,130 sq km land area: 5,130 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Delaware

Climate [time series]

tropical; rainy season (June to December)

Coastline [time series]

362 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

current issues: water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and untreated sewage; oil pollution of beaches; land degradation natural hazards: outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

none

Irrigated land [time series]

220 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 14% permanent crops: 17% meadows and pastures: 2% forest and woodland: 44% other: 23%

Location [time series]

Caribbean, in the extreme southeastern Caribbean Sea, 11 km off the coast of Venezuela

Map references [time series]

Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims [time series]

contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or the outer edge of continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources [time series]

petroleum, natural gas, asphalt

Terrain [time series]

mostly plains with some hills and low mountains

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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 [time series]

Port-of-Spain

Constitution [time series]

1 August 1976

Digraph [time series]

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]

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

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Noor Mohammed HASSANALI (since 18 March 1987) head of government: Prime Minister Patrick Augustus Mervyn MANNING (since 17 December 1991) cabinet: Cabinet; responsible to parliament

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

(202) 785-3130 consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

(809) 628-5462

Flag [time series]

red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side

Legislative branch (House of Representatives) [time series]

elections last held 16 December 1991 (next to be held by December 1996); results - PNM 32%, UNC 13%, NAR 2%; seats - (36 total) PNM 21, UNC 13, NAR 2

Independence [time series]

31 August 1962 (from UK)

Judicial branch [time series]

Court of Appeal, Supreme Court

Legal system [time series]

based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch [time series]

bicameral Parliament

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Country name (Names) [time series]

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

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 31 August (1962)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

People's National Movement (PNM), Patrick MANNING; United National Congress (UNC), Basdeo PANDAY; National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR), Selby WILSON; Movement for Social Transformation (MOTION), David ABDULLAH; National Joint Action Committee (NJAC), Makandal DAAGA; Republic Party, Nello MITCHELL; National Development Party (NDP), Carson CHARLES

Legislative branch (Senate) [time series]

consists of a 31-member body appointed by the president

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Government type (Type) [time series]

parliamentary democracy

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Sally G. COWAL embassy: 15 Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain mailing address: P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain telephone: (809) 622-6372 through 6376, 6176

People

Birth rate [time series]

19.6 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate [time series]

6.28 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

black 43%, East Indian 40%, mixed 14%, white 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

16.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Labor force [time series]

463,900 by occupation: construction and utilities 18.1%, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 14.8%, agriculture 10.9%, other 56.2% (1985 est.)

Languages [time series]

English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 70.73 years male: 68.09 years female: 73.43 years (1994 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1980) total population: 95% male: 97% female: 93%

Nationality [time series]

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

Net migration rate [time series]

-2.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population [time series]

1,328,282 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

1.1% (1994 est.)

Religions [time series]

Roman Catholic 32.2%, Hindu 24.3%, Anglican 14.4%, other Protestant 14%, Muslim 6%, none or unknown 9.1%

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.32 children born/woman (1994 est.)