Trinidad and Tobago
Country in the Caribbean From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Country in the Caribbean From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Trinidad and Tobago,[lower-alpha 1] officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated 11 kilometres (6 nautical miles) off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and 130 kilometres (70 nautical miles) south of Grenada.[11] It shares maritime boundaries with Barbados to the east, Grenada to the northwest and Venezuela to the south and west.[12][13] Trinidad and Tobago is generally considered to be part of the West Indies. The island country's capital is Port of Spain, while its largest and most populous municipality is Chaguanas.
Republic of Trinidad and Tobago | |
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Motto: "Together we aspire, together we achieve" | |
Anthem: "Forged from the Love of Liberty" | |
Capital | Port of Spain 10°40′0″N 61°30′27″W |
Largest city | Chaguanas 10°31′N 61°24′W |
Official languages | English[1] |
Other languages | See Languages in Trinidad and Tobago[2] |
Ethnic groups (2011)[3] | |
Religion (2020)[4] |
|
Demonym(s) |
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Government | Unitary parliamentary republic |
Christine Kangaloo | |
Keith Rowley | |
Bridgid Annisette-George | |
Nigel de Freitas | |
Ivor Archie | |
Kamla Persad-Bissessar | |
Legislature | Parliament |
Senate | |
House of Representatives | |
Independence from the United Kingdom | |
• Province of the West Indies Federation | 3 January 1958 – 14 January 1962 |
31 August 1962 | |
1 August 1973 | |
• Republic | 1 August 1976[lower-alpha 2] |
Area | |
• Total | 5,131 km2 (1,981 sq mi) (164th) |
• Water (%) | negligible |
Population | |
• 2024 estimate | 1,508,635 [7] (154th) |
• Density | 294/km2 (761.5/sq mi) (34th) |
GDP (PPP) | 2023 estimate |
• Total | $43.658 billion[8] (126th) |
• Per capita | $30,718[8] (58th) |
GDP (nominal) | 2023 estimate |
• Total | $27.887 billion[8] (107th) |
• Per capita | $19,621[8] (47th) |
Gini (2012) | 39.0[9] medium inequality |
HDI (2022) | 0.814[10] very high (60th) |
Currency | Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TTD) |
Time zone | UTC-4 (AST) |
Date format | dd/mm/yyyy |
Drives on | left |
Calling code | +1 (868) |
Internet TLD | .tt |
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The island of Trinidad was inhabited for centuries by Indigenous peoples before becoming a colony in the Spanish Empire, following the arrival of Christopher Columbus, in 1498. Spanish governor José María Chacón surrendered the island to a British fleet under the command of Sir Ralph Abercromby in 1797.[14] Trinidad and Tobago were ceded to Britain in 1802 under the Treaty of Amiens as separate states and unified in 1889.[15] Trinidad and Tobago obtained independence in 1962, and became a republic in 1976.[16][11]
Unlike most Caribbean nations and territories, which rely heavily on tourism, the economy is primarily industrial with an emphasis on petroleum and petrochemicals;[17] much of the nation's wealth is derived from its large reserves of oil and natural gas.[18]
Trinidad and Tobago is well known for its African and Indian cultures, reflected in its large and famous Carnival, Diwali, and Hosay celebrations, as well as being the birthplace of the steelpan, the limbo, and music styles such as calypso, soca, rapso, parang, chutney, and chutney soca music. The country gets fewer hurricanes than most of the Caribbean because it is farther south.
Historian E. L. Joseph claimed that Trinidad's Indigenous name was Cairi or "Land of the Humming Bird", derived from the Arawak name for hummingbird, ierèttê or yerettê. However, other authors dispute this etymology with some claiming that cairi does not mean hummingbird (tukusi or tucuchi being suggested as the correct word) and some claiming that kairi, or iere, simply means island.[19] Christopher Columbus renamed it "La Isla de la Trinidad" ("The Island of the Trinity"), fulfilling a vow made before setting out on his third voyage of exploration.[20] Tobago's cigar-like shape, or the use of tobacco by the native people, may have given it its Spanish name (cabaco, tavaco, tobacco) and possibly some of its other Indigenous names, such as Aloubaéra (black conch) and Urupaina (big snail),[19] although the English pronunciation is /təˈbeɪɡoʊ/. Indo-Trinidadians called the island Chinidat or Chinidad which translated to the "land of sugar". The usage of the term goes back to the 19th century when recruiters in India would call the island Chinidat as a way of luring workers into indentureship on the sugar plantations.[21]
The islands that make up modern-day Trinidad and Tobago lie at the southern end of the Lesser Antilles group.