Trinidad and Tobago

total: 326,776 (2017 est.) | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 27 (2017 est.)

6 free-to-air TV networks, 2 of which are state-owned; 24 subscription providers (cable and satellite); over 36 radio frequencies (2016)

.tt

total: 846,000 (July 2016 est.) | percent of population: 69.2% (July 2016 est.)

general assessment: excellent international service; good local service (2016) | domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity over 190 telephones per 100 persons (2016) | international: country code - 1-868; submarine cable systems provide connectivity to US and parts of the Caribbean and South America; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Barbados and Guyana (2016)

total subscriptions: 257,445 (2017 est.) | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 21 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions: 2,030,637 (2017 est.) | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 167 (2017 est.)

cocoa, dasheen, pumpkin, cassava, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, hot pepper, pommecythere, coconut water, poultry

revenues: 5.581 billion (2017 est.) | expenditures: 7.446 billion (2017 est.)

-8.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

6.75% (4 March 2016 est.) | 6.75% (31 December 2015 est.)

9% (31 December 2017 est.) | 9% (31 December 2016 est.)

$2.325 billion (2017 est.) | -$653 million (2016 est.)

$8.238 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $8.746 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Trinidad and Tobago relies on its energy sector for much of its economic activity, and has one of the highest per capita incomes in Latin America. Economic growth between 2000 and 2007 averaged slightly over 8% per year, significantly above the regional average of about 3.7% for that same period; however, GDP has slowed down since then, contracting during 2009-12, making small gains in 2013 and contracting again in 2014-17. Trinidad and Tobago is buffered by considerable foreign reserves and a sovereign wealth fund that equals about one-and-a-half times the national budget, but the country is still in a recession and the government faces the dual challenge of gas shortages and a low price environment. Large-scale energy projects in the last quarter of 2017 are helping to mitigate the gas shortages. Energy production and downstream industrial use dominate the economy. Oil and gas typically account for about 40% of GDP and 80% of exports but less than 5% of employment. Trinidad and Tobago is home to one of the largest natural gas liquefaction facilities in the Western Hemisphere. The country produces about nine times more natural gas than crude oil on an energy equivalent basis with gas contributing about two-thirds of energy sector government revenue. The US is the country’s largest trading partner, accounting for 28% of its total imports and 48% of its exports. Economic diversification is a longstanding government talking point, and Trinidad and Tobago has much potential due to its stable, democratic government and its educated, English speaking workforce. The country is also a regional financial center with a well-regulated and stable financial system. Other sectors the Government of Trinidad and Tobago has targeted for increased investment and projected growth include tourism, agriculture, information and communications technology, and shipping. Unfortunately, a host of other factors, including low labor productivity, inefficient government bureaucracy, and corruption, have hampered economic development.

Trinidad and Tobago dollars (TTD) per US dollar - | 6.78 (2017 est.) | 6.669 (2016 est.) | 6.669 (2015 est.) | 6.4041 (2014 est.) | 6.4041 (2013 est.)

$9.927 billion (2017 est.) | $8.714 billion (2016 est.)

petroleum and petroleum products, liquefied natural gas, methanol, ammonia, urea, steel products, beverages, cereal and cereal products, cocoa, fish, preserved fruits, cosmetics, household cleaners, plastic packaging

US 34.8%, Argentina 9% (2017)

1 October - 30 September

$22.78 billion (2017 est.) (2017 est.)

$42.85 billion (2017 est.) | $43.99 billion (2016 est.) | $46.83 billion (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars

household consumption: 78.9% (2017 est.) | government consumption: 16.4% (2017 est.) | investment in fixed capital: 8.2% (2017 est.) | investment in inventories: 0.6% (2017 est.) | exports of goods and services: 45.4% (2017 est.) | imports of goods and services: -48.7% (2017 est.)

agriculture: 0.4% (2017 est.) | industry: 47.8% (2017 est.) | services: 51.7% (2017 est.)

$31,300 (2017 est.) | $32,200 (2016 est.) | $34,400 (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars

-2.6% (2017 est.) | -6.1% (2016 est.) | 1.7% (2015 est.)

26.4% of GDP (2017 est.) | 16.8% of GDP (2016 est.) | 29% of GDP (2015 est.)

lowest 10%: NA | highest 10%: NA

$6.105 billion (2017 est.) | $6.858 billion (2016 est.)

mineral fuels, lubricants, machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals, live animals

US 23.8%, Russia 15.3%, Colombia 11.1%, Gabon 10.5%, China 7.3% (2017)

-4.3% (2017 est.)

petroleum and petroleum products, liquefied natural gas, methanol, ammonia, urea, steel products, beverages, food processing, cement, cotton textiles

1.9% (2017 est.) | 3.1% (2016 est.)

629,400 (2017 est.)

agriculture: 3.1% | industry: 11.5% | services: 85.4% (2016 est.)

$177.4 million (31 December 2015 est.) | $171.6 million (31 December 2014 est.) | $170 million (31 December 2013 est.)

20% (2014 est.)

41.8% of GDP (2017 est.) | 37% of GDP (2016 est.)

$8.892 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $9.995 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$7.247 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $6.72 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$1.266 billion (2014 est.) | $2.061 billion (2013 est.)

$382.9 million (31 December 2014 est.) | $311.7 million (31 December 2013 est.)

$10.55 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $9.718 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$7.247 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $6.72 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

24.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

4.9% (2017 est.) | 4% (2016 est.)

48.92 million Mt (2017 est.)

31,030 bbl/day (2015 est.)

80,860 bbl/day (2015 est.)

36,620 bbl/day (2017 est.)

243 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

9.867 billion kWh (2016 est.)

0 kWh (2016 est.)

100% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

0 kWh (2016 est.)

2.608 million kW (2016 est.)

10.07 billion kWh (2016 est.)

population without electricity: 12,452 (2012) | electrification - total population: 99.8% (2012) | electrification - urban areas: 100% (2012) | electrification - rural areas: 99% (2012)

21.24 billion cu m (2017 est.)

15.49 billion cu m (2017 est.)

0 cu m (2017 est.)

36.73 billion cu m (2017 est.)

447.4 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

51,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

106,100 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

134,700 bbl/day (2015 est.)

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

slightly smaller than Delaware

tropical; rainy season (June to December)

362 km

mean elevation: 83 m | elevation extremes: 0 m lowest point: Caribbean Sea | 940 highest point: El Cerro del Aripo

water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and raw sewage; widespread pollution of waterways and coastal areas; illegal dumping; deforestation; soil erosion; fisheries and wildlife depletion

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

11 00 N, 61 00 W

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

70 sq km (2012)

0 km

agricultural land: 10.6% (2011 est.) | arable land: 4.9% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 4.3% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 1.4% (2011 est.) | forest: 44% (2011 est.) | other: 45.4% (2011 est.)

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

Central America and the Caribbean

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

outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms

petroleum, natural gas, asphalt

population on Trinidad is concentrated in the western half of the island, on Tobago in the southern half

mostly plains with some hills and low mountains

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

name: Port of Spain | geographic coordinates: 10 39 N, 61 31 W | time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

citizenship by birth: yes | citizenship by descent only: yes | dual citizenship recognized: yes | residency requirement for naturalization: 8 years

history: previous 1962; latest 1976 (2018) | amendments: proposed by Parliament; passage of amendments affecting constitutional provisions such as human rights and freedoms or citizenship requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the membership of both houses and assent to by the president; passage of amendments such as the powers and authorities of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government, and the procedure for amending the constitution requires at least three-quarters majority vote by the House membership, two-thirds majority vote by the Senate membership, and assent to by the president; amended many times, last in 2007 (2018)

conventional long form: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago | conventional short form: Trinidad and Tobago | etymology: explorer Christopher COLUMBUS named the larger island "La Isla de la Trinidad" (The Island of the Trinity) on 31 July 1498 on his third voyage; the tobacco grown and smoked by the natives of the smaller island or its elongated cigar shape may account for the "tobago" name, which is spelled "tobaco" in Spanish

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires John W. MCINTYRE (since 20 January 2017) | 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) 822-5905

chief of mission: Ambassador Anthony Wayne Jerome PHILLIPS-SPENCER, Brig. Gen. (Ret.) (since 27 June 2016) | chancery: 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 | telephone: [1] (202) 467-6490 | FAX: [1] (202) 785-3130 | consulate(s) general: Miami, New York

chief of state: President Paula-Mae WEEKES (since 19 March 2018) | head of government: Prime Minister Keith ROWLEY (since 9 September 2015) | cabinet: Cabinet appointed from among members of Parliament | elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by an electoral college of selected Senate and House of Representatives members for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 19 January 2018 (next to be held by February 2023); the president usually appoints the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives as prime minister | election results: Paula-Mae WEEKES (independent) elected president; ran unopposed and was elected without a vote; she is Trinidad and Tabago's first female head of state

red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side to the lower fly side; the colors represent the elements of earth, water, and fire; black stands for the wealth of the land and the dedication of the people; white symbolizes the sea surrounding the islands, the purity of the country's aspirations, and equality; red symbolizes the warmth and energy of the sun, the vitality of the land, and the courage and friendliness of its people

parliamentary republic

31 August 1962 (from the UK)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club (associate), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

highest courts: Supreme Court of the Judicature (consists of a chief justice for both the Court of Appeal with 12 judges and the High Court with 24 judges); note - Trinidad and Tobago can file appeals beyond its Supreme Court to the Caribbean Court of Justice, with final appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) | judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister and the parliamentary leader of the opposition; other judges appointed by the Judicial Legal Services Commission, headed by the chief justice and 5 members with judicial experience; all judges serve for life with mandatory retirement normally at age 65 | subordinate courts: Courts of Summary Criminal Jurisdiction; Petty Civil Courts; Family Court

English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court

description: bicameral Parliament consists of: Senate (31 seats; 16 members appointed by the ruling party, 9 by the president, and 6 by the opposition party; members serve 5-year terms;) House of Representatives 42 seats; 41 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and the house speaker - usually designated from outside Parliament; members serve 5-year terms) | elections: House of Representatives - last held on 7 September 2015 (next to be held in 2020) | election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote - PNM 51.7%, People's Partnership coalition 46.6% (UNC 39.6%, COP 6%, other coalition 1%), other 1.7%; seats by party - PNM 23, UNC 17, COP 1 | note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly (16 seats; 12 assemblymen directly elected by simple majority vote and 4 appointed councillors - 3 on the advice of the chief secretary and 1 on the advice of the minority leader; members serve 4-year terms)

name: Forged From the Love of Liberty | lyrics/music: Patrick Stanislaus CASTAGNE | note: adopted 1962; song originally created to serve as an anthem for the West Indies Federation; adopted by Trinidad and Tobago following the Federation's dissolution in 1962

Independence Day, 31 August (1962)

scarlet ibis (bird of Trinidad), cocrico (bird of Tobago), Chaconia flower; national colors: red, white, black

Congress of the People or COP People's National Movement or PNM [Keith ROWLEY] People's Partnership [Kamla PERSAD-BISSESSAR] (coalition includes UNC, COP, TOP, NJAC) National Joint Action Committee or NJAC [Kwasi MUTEMA] Tobago Organization of the People or TOP [Ashworth JACK] United National Congress or UNC [Kamla PERSAD-BISSESSAR]

18 years of age; universal

First colonized by the Spanish, the islands came under British control in the early 19th century. The islands' sugar industry was hurt by the emancipation of the slaves in 1834. Manpower was replaced with the importation of contract laborers from India between 1845 and 1917, which boosted sugar production as well as the cocoa industry. The discovery of oil on Trinidad in 1910 added another important export. Independence was attained 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. The government is struggling to reverse a surge in violent crime. | TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO SUMMARY: PDF

Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (TTDF): Trinidad and Tobago Army, Coast Guard, Air Guard, Defense Force Reserves (2010)

1.12% of GDP (2016) | 0.88% of GDP (2015) | 0.72% of GDP (2014) | 0.8% of GDP (2013) | 0.66% of GDP (2012)

18-25 years of age for voluntary military service (16 years of age with parental consent); no conscription; Trinidad and Tobago citizenship and completion of secondary school required (2012)

0-14 years: 19.24% (male 119,093 /female 114,830) | 15-24 years: 11.55% (male 73,171 /female 67,164) | 25-54 years: 44.99% (male 285,376 /female 261,517) | 55-64 years: 13.12% (male 79,596 /female 79,890) | 65 years and over: 11.1% (male 58,866 /female 76,024) (2018 est.) | population pyramid: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × Central America :: Trinidad and Tobago Print Image Description This is the population pyramid for Trinidad and Tobago. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends. For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.

12.3 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

5.5% (2011)

40.3% (2011)

8.9 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

total dependency ratio: 43.2 (2015 est.) | youth dependency ratio: 29.8 (2015 est.) | elderly dependency ratio: 13.5 (2015 est.) | potential support ratio: 7.4 (2015 est.)

improved: urban: 95.1% of population | rural: 95.1% of population | total: 95.1% of population | unimproved: urban: 4.9% of population | rural: 4.9% of population | total: 4.9% of population (2015 est.)

East Indian 35.4%, African 34.2%, mixed - other 15.3%, mixed - African/East Indian 7.7%, other 1.3%, unspecified 6.2% (2011 est.)

1.1% (2017 est.)

<500 (2017 est.)

11,000 (2017 est.)

5.9% of GDP (2014)

3 beds/1,000 population (2014)

total: 21.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) | male: 22.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) | female: 20.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

English (official), Trinidadian Creole English, Tobagonian Creole English, Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Trinidadian Creole French, Spanish, Chinese

total population: 73.4 years (2018 est.) | male: 70.5 years (2018 est.) | female: 76.4 years (2018 est.)

definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.) | total population: 99% (2015 est.) | male: 99.2% (2015 est.) | female: 98.7% (2015 est.)

note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus

544,000 PORT-OF-SPAIN (capital) (2018)

63 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

total: 36.6 years | male: 36.1 years | female: 37.1 years (2018 est.)

noun: Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s) | adjective: Trinidadian, Tobagonian | note: Trinbagonian is used on occasion to describe a citizen of the country without specifying the island of origin

-5.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

18.6% (2016)

1.82 physicians/1,000 population (2011)

1,215,527 (July 2018 est.)

population on Trinidad is concentrated in the western half of the island, on Tobago in the southern half

-0.23% (2018 est.)

Protestant 32.1% (Pentecostal/Evangelical/Full Gospel 12%, Baptist 6.9%, Anglican 5.7%, Seventh-Day Adventist 4.1%, Presbyterian/Congregational 2.5%, other Protestant 0.9%), Roman Catholic 21.6%, Hindu 18.2%, Muslim 5%, Jehovah's Witness 1.5%, other 8.4%, none 2.2%, unspecified 11.1% (2011 est.)

improved: urban: 91.5% of population (2015 est.) | rural: 91.5% of population (2015 est.) | total: 91.5% of population (2015 est.) | unimproved: urban: 8.5% of population (2015 est.) | rural: 8.5% of population (2015 est.) | total: 8.5% of population (2015 est.)

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 15-24 years: 1.09 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 25-54 years: 1.09 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 55-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

1.7 children born/woman (2018 est.)

total: 7.1% (2016 est.) | male: 7.2% (2016 est.) | female: 6.9% (2016 est.)

urban population: 53.2% of total population (2018) | rate of urbanization: 0.22% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago abide by the April 2006 Permanent Court of Arbitration decision delimiting a maritime boundary and limiting catches of flying fish in Trinidad and Tobago's EEZin 2005, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago agreed to compulsory international arbitration under UN Convention on the Law of the Sea challenging whether the northern limit of Trinidad and Tobago's and Venezuela's maritime boundary extends into Barbadian watersGuyana has expressed its intention to include itself in the arbitration, as the Trinidad and Tobago-Venezuela maritime boundary may also extend into its waters

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

refugees (country of origin): 5,760 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum or have received alternative legal stay) (2018)

current situation: Trinidad and Tobago is a destination, transit, and possible source country for adults and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; women and girls from Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, and Colombia have been subjected to sex trafficking in Trinidad and Tobago’s brothels and clubs; some economic migrants from the Caribbean region and Asia are vulnerable to forced labor in domestic service and the retail sector; the steady flow of vessels transiting Trinidad and Tobago’s territorial waters may also increase opportunities for forced labor for fishing; international crime organizations are increasingly involved in trafficking, and boys are coerced to sell drugs and guns; corruption among police and immigration officials impedes anti-trafficking efforts | tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Trinidad and Tobago does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts decreased from the initiation of 12 prosecutions in 2013 to 1 in 2014; the government has yet to convict anyone under its 2011 anti-trafficking law, and all prosecutions from previous years remain pending; the government sustained efforts to identify victims and to refer them for care at NGO facilities, which it provided with funding; the government failed to draft a national action plan as mandated under the 2011 anti-trafficking law and did not launch a sufficiently robust awareness campaign to educate the public and officials (2015)

4 (2013)

total: 2 (2013) | over 3,047 m: 1 (2013) | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2013)

total: 2 (2013) | 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2013) | under 914 m: 1 (2013)

9Y (2016)

total: 105 (2017) | by type: general cargo 1, other 104 (2017)

number of registered air carriers: 1 (2015) | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 17 (2015) | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 2,617,842 (2015) | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 43,198,176 mt-km (2015)

257 km condensate, 11 km condensate/gas, 1567 km gas, 587 km oil (2013)

major seaport(s): Point Fortin, Point Lisas, Port of Spain, Scarborough | oil terminal(s): Galeota Point terminal | LNG terminal(s) (export): Port Fortin

total: 9,592 km (2015) | paved: 5,524 km (2015) | unpaved: 4,068 km (2015)