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Communications

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 1, FM 10, shortwave 0

Radios [time series]

700,000 (1993 est.)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

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

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

170,000 (1992 est.)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

4 (1997)

Televisions [time series]

400,000 (1992 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture--products) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues: $1.59 billion expenditures: $1.54 billion, including capital expenditures of $165.8 million (1997)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

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

Debt - external (Debt--external) [time series]

$2.8 billion (1997 est.)

Economic aid (Economic aid--recipient) [time series]

$121.4 million (1995)

Economic overview (Economy--overview) [time series]

Trinidad and Tobago has earned a reputation as an excellent investment site for international businesses. Successful economic reforms were implemented in 1995, and foreign investment and trade are flourishing. Unemployment--a main cause of the country's socioeconomic problems--is high, but has decreased to its lowest point in six years. An investment boom in the energy sector led to a surge in imports in 1997. The resulting trade deficit is expected to return to a surplus once construction is completed and the plants come on line. The petrochemical sector has spurred growth in other related sectors, reinforcing the government's commitment to economic diversification. Tourism is a major foreign exchange earner, with 260,000 arrivals in 1995, 80% from Europe.

Electricity - consumption (Electricity--consumption) [time series]

4 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity - exports (Electricity--exports) [time series]

0 kWh (1996)

Electricity - imports (Electricity--imports) [time series]

0 kWh (1996)

Electricity - production (Electricity--production) [time series]

4 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity - production by source (Electricity--production by source) [time series]

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)

Exchange rates [time series]

Trinidad and Tobago dollars (TT$) per US$1--6.2761 (January 1999), 6.2840 (1998), 6.2517 (1997), 6.0051 (1996), 5.9478 (1995), 5.9249 (1994)

Exports [time series]

$2.4 billion (f.o.b., 1997)

Exports - commodities (Exports--commodities) [time series]

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

Exports - partners (Exports--partners) [time series]

US 39.7%, Caricom countries 24.5%, Latin America 10.3%, EU 8.2% (1997)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 October-30 September

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

purchasing power parity--$8.85 billion (1998 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP--composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 2.2% industry: 44% services: 53.8% (1997 est.)

Real GDP per capita (GDP--per capita) [time series]

purchasing power parity?$8,000 (1998 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP--real growth rate) [time series]

4.3% (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

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

Imports [time series]

$3.3 billion (c.i.f., 1997)

Imports - commodities (Imports--commodities) [time series]

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

Imports - partners (Imports--partners) [time series]

US 52.2%, Latin America 16.5%, EU 13.8%, Japan 3.6% (1997)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

7.5% (1995)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

3.7% (1997)

Labor force [time series]

541,000 (1997 est.)

Labor force - by occupation (Labor force--by occupation) [time series]

construction and utilities 12.4%, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 14%, agriculture 9.5%, services 64.1% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line [time series]

21% (1992 est.)

Unemployment rate [time series]

14% (June 1998)

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 5,130 sq km land: 5,130 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative (Area--comparative) [time series]

slightly smaller than Delaware

Climate [time series]

tropical; rainy season (June to December)

Coastline [time series]

362 km

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: El Cerro del Aripo 940 m

Environment - current issues (Environment--current issues) [time series]

water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and raw sewage; oil pollution of beaches; deforestation; soil erosion

International environmental agreements (Environment--international agreements) [time series]

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates [time series]

11 00 N, 61 00 W

Irrigated land [time series]

220 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 15% permanent crops: 9% permanent pastures: 2% forests and woodland: 46% other: 28% (1993 est.)

Location [time series]

Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela

Map references [time series]

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims [time series]

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 [time series]

outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms

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

Country name [time series]

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

Data code [time series]

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Edward E. SHUMAKER, III embassy: 15 Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain mailing address: P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Michael A. ARNEAUD chancery: 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 consulate(s) general: Miami and New York

Executive branch [time series]

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, which 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%

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

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

Government type [time series]

parliamentary democracy

Independence [time series]

31 August 1962 (from UK)

International organization participation [time series]

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, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Judicial branch [time series]

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 [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 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 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 15, UNC 19, NAR 1, independent 1; note--the UNC formed a coalition with the NAR note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly, with 15 members serving four-year terms

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 31 August (1962)

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

People's National Movement or PNM

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Military

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure (Military expenditures--dollar figure) [time series]

$83 million (1994)

Military expenditures (Military expenditures--percent of GDP) [time series]

NA%

Military manpower - availability (Military manpower--availability) [time series]

males age 15-49: 312,870 (1999 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service (Military manpower--fit for military service) [time series]

males age 15-49: 223,200 (1999 est.)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 27% (male 150,862; female 144,589) 15-64 years: 66% (male 377,894; female 346,375) 65 years and over: 7% (male 37,001; female 45,375) (1999 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

14.46 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate [time series]

8.14 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

black 40%, East Indian (a local term--primarily immigrants from northern India) 40.3%, mixed 14%, white 1%, Chinese 1%, other 3.7%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

18.56 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Languages [time series]

English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 70.66 years male: 68.19 years female: 73.19 years (1999 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97.9% male: 98.8% female: 97% (1995 est.)

Nationality [time series]

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

Net migration rate [time series]

-19.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Population [time series]

1,102,096 (July 1999 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

-1.35% (1999 est.)

Religions [time series]

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

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.06 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international (Disputes--international) [time series]

none

Illicit drugs [time series]

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

Transportation

Airports [time series]

6 (1998 est.)

Airports - with paved runways (Airports--with paved runways) [time series]

total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1998 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways (Airports--with unpaved runways) [time series]

total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (1998 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

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

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,336 GRT/2,567 DWT (1998 est.)

Pipelines [time series]

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

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

Pointe-a-Pierre, Point Fortin, Point Lisas, Port-of-Spain, Scarborough, Tembladora

Railways [time series]

minimal agricultural railroad system near San Fernando; railway service was discontinued in 1968