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Communications

Internet country code [time series]

.tt

Internet users (Internet hosts) [time series]

8,003 (2003)

Internet users [time series]

138,000 (2002)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 4, FM 18, shortwave 0 (2004)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

general assessment: excellent international service; good local service domestic: NA international: country code - 1-868; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Barbados and Guyana

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]

325,100 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

361,900 (2002)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

4 (2004)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

cocoa, rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; poultry

Budget [time series]

revenues: $3.25 billion expenditures: $3.193 billion, including capital expenditures of $117.3 million (2004 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency (code)) [time series]

Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TTD)

Current account balance [time series]

$1.548 billion (2004 est.)

Debt - external [time series]

$2.94 billion (2004 est.)

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

$24 million (1999 est.)

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

Trinidad and Tobago, the leading Caribbean producer of oil and gas, has earned a reputation as an excellent investment site for international businesses. Tourism is a growing sector, although not proportionately as important as in many other Caribbean islands. The economy benefits from low inflation and a growing trade surplus. Prospects for growth in 2004 are good as prices for oil, petrochemicals, and liquified natural gas are expected to remain high, and foreign direct investment continues to grow to support expanded capacity in the energy sector. The government is coping with a rise in violent crime.

Electricity - consumption [time series]

5.341 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports [time series]

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - production [time series]

5.743 billion kWh (2002)

Exchange rates [time series]

Trinidad and Tobago dollars per US dollar - 6.299 (2004), 6.2951 (2003), 6.2487 (2002), 6.2332 (2001), 6.2998 (2000)

Exports [time series]

$6.671 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities [time series]

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

Exports - partners [time series]

US 67.1%, Jamaica 5.7%, France 3.5% (2004)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 October - 30 September

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

$11.48 billion (2004 est.)

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

agriculture: 2.7% industry: 47% services: 50.3% (2004 est.)

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

purchasing power parity - $10,500 (2004 est.)

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

5.7% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA

Imports [time series]

$4.65 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities [time series]

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

Imports - partners [time series]

US 23.9%, Venezuela 11.5%, Germany 11.2%, Brazil 10.7%, Spain 6.4%, Italy 5.1% (2004)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

7.2% (2004 est.)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

3.3% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed) [time series]

19.4% of GDP (2004 est.)

Labor force [time series]

590,000 (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

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

Natural gas - consumption [time series]

13.76 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports [time series]

11.79 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - imports [time series]

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - production [time series]

25 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]

589 billion cu m (1 January 2004)

Oil - consumption [time series]

24,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports [time series]

Oil - imports [time series]

Oil - production [time series]

140,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - proved reserves [time series]

990 million bbl (1 January 2004)

Population below poverty line [time series]

21% (1992 est.)

Public debt [time series]

54.4% of GDP (2004 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold [time series]

$2.927 billion (2004 est.)

Unemployment rate [time series]

10.4% (2004 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 5,128 sq km land: 5,128 sq km water: 0 sq km

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 [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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, 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

Geography - note [time series]

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

Irrigated land [time series]

30 sq km (1998 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 14.62% permanent crops: 9.16% other: 76.22% (2001)

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]

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

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]

9 regional corporations, 2 city corporations, 3 borough corporations, and 1 ward : regional corporations: Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo, Diego Martin, Mayaro/Rio Claro, Penal/Debe, Princes Town, Sangre Grande, San Juan/Laventille, Siparia, Tunapuna/Piarco : city corporations: Port-of-Spain, San Fernando; : borough corporations: Arima, Point Fortin, Chaguanas : ward: Tobago

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

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

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) 622-6372 through 6376, 622-6176 FAX: [1] (868) 628-5462

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Marina Annette VALERE chancery: 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 467-6490 FAX: [1] (202) 785-3130 consulate(s) general: Miami and New York

Executive branch [time series]

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 in 2008); 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 (Flag description) [time series]

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

Government type [time series]

parliamentary democracy

Independence [time series]

31 August 1962 (from UK)

International organization participation [time series]

ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court of Judicature (comprised of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeals; the chief justice is appointed by the president after consultation with 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 [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; 16 members appointed by the ruling party, 9 by the President, 6 by the opposition party 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) election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote - PNM 55.5%, UNC 44.5%; seats by party - PNM 20, UNC 16 note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly with 12 members serving four-year terms

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 31 August (1962)

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

National Alliance for Reconstruction or NAR [Lennox SANKERSINGH]; People's National Movement or PNM [Patrick MANNING]; Team Unity or TU [Ramesh MAHARAJ]; United National Congress or UNC [Basdeo PANDAY]; Democratic Action Committee or DAC [Hochoy CHARLES], note - only active in Tobago

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

Jamaat-al Muslimeen [Yasin BAKR]

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Introduction

Background [time series]

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

Manpower available for military service [time series]

males age 18-49: 293,094 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service [time series]

males age 18-49: 203,531 (2005 est.)

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

Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force: Ground Force, Coast Guard (includes Air Wing) (2004)

Military expenditures - dollar figure [time series]

$66.7 million (2003)

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

0.6% (2003)

Military service age and obligation [time series]

18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2001)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 20.7% (male 115,594/female 109,665) 15-64 years: 71% (male 403,301/female 369,664) 65 years and over: 8.3% (male 40,638/female 49,782) (2005 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

12.81 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate [time series]

9.37 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

Indian (South Asian) 40%, African 37.5%, mixed 20.5%, other 1.2%, unspecified 0.8% (2000 census)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

3.2% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

1,900 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

29,000 (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

total: 24.31 deaths/1,000 live births male: 26.23 deaths/1,000 live births female: 22.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 66.73 years male: 65.6 years female: 67.91 years (2005 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98.6% male: 99.1% female: 98% (2003 est.)

Median age [time series]

total: 30.91 years male: 30.46 years female: 31.44 years (2005 est.)

Nationality [time series]

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

Net migration rate [time series]

-10.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Population [time series]

1,088,644 (July 2005 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

-0.74% (2005 est.)

Religions [time series]

Roman Catholic 26%, Hindu 22.5%, Anglican 7.8%, Baptist 7.2%, Pentecostal 6.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 4%, other Christian 5.8%, Muslim 5.8%, other 10.8%, unspecified 1.4%, none 1.9% (2000 census)

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.75 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

Barbados will assert its claim before UNCLOS that the northern limit of Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into its waters; Guyana has also expressed its intention to challenge this boundary as it may extend into its waters as well

Illicit drugs [time series]

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

Transportation

Airports [time series]

6 (2004 est.)

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 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 8,320 km paved: 4,252 km unpaved: 4,068 km (1999 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 7,178 GRT/3,633 DWT by type: passenger 2, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 1 foreign-owned: 1 (United States 1) registered in other countries: 4 (2005)

Pipelines [time series]

condensate 253 km; gas 1,117 km; oil 478 km (2004)

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

Pointe-a-Pierre, Point Lisas, Port-of-Spain