• Index to The World FactBook 1995
• UMSL Government Documents
• UMSL Libraries

 Match 239   DB Rec# - 7,691  Dataset-WOFACT

Title         :Trinidad and Tobago 
Text          : 
                               Trinidad and Tobago 
 
                                    Geography 
 
Location: 
    Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 
    northeast of Venezuela 
Map references: 
    Central America and the Caribbean 
Area: 
  total area: 
    5,130 sq km 
  land area: 
    5,130 sq km 
  comparative area: 
    slightly smaller than Delaware 
Land boundaries: 
    0 km 
Coastline: 
    362 km 
Maritime claims: 


  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 
International disputes: 
    none 
Climate: 
    tropical; rainy season (June to December) 
Terrain: 
    mostly plains with some hills and low mountains 
Natural resources: 
    petroleum, natural gas, asphalt 
Land use: 
  arable land: 
    14% 
  permanent crops: 
    17% 
  meadows and pastures: 
    2% 
  forest and woodland: 
    44% 
  other: 
    23% 
Irrigated land: 
    220 sq km (1989 est.) 
Environment: 
  current issues: 
    water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and raw 
    sewage; oil pollution of beaches; deforestation; soil erosion 
  natural hazards: 
    outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms 
  international agreements: 
    party to - Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the 
    Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, 
    Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity 
 
                                     People 
 
Population: 
    1,271,159 (July 1995 est.) 
Age structure: 
  0-14 years: 
    31% (female 191,627; male 198,225) 
  15-64 years: 
    64% (female 399,726; male 407,495) 
  65 years and over: 
    5% (female 40,577; male 33,509) (July 1995 est.) 
Population growth rate: 
    0.12% (1995 est.) 
Birth rate: 
    16.62 births/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Death rate: 
    6.88 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Net migration rate: 
    -8.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Infant mortality rate: 


    18.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.) 
Life expectancy at birth: 
  total population: 
    70.14 years 
  male: 
    67.75 years 
  female: 
    72.6 years (1995 est.) 
Total fertility rate: 
    2.01 children born/woman (1995 est.) 
Nationality: 
  noun: 
    Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s) 
  adjective: 
    Trinidadian, Tobagonian 
Ethnic divisions: 
    black 43%, East Indian (a local term - primarily immigrants from northern 
    India) 40%, mixed 14%, white 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1% 
Religions: 
    Roman Catholic 32.2%, Hindu 24.3%, Anglican 14.4%, other Protestant 14%, 
    Muslim 6%, none or unknown 9.1% 
Languages: 
    English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish 
Literacy: 
    age 15 and over can read and write (1990) 
  total population: 
    97% 
  male: 
    98% 
  female: 
    96% 
Labor force: 
    463,900 
  by occupation: 
    construction and utilities 18.1%, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 
    14.8%, agriculture 10.9%, other 56.2% (1985 est.) 
 
                                   Government 
 
Names: 
  conventional long form: 
    Republic of Trinidad and Tobago 
  conventional short form: 
    Trinidad and Tobago 
Digraph: 
    TD 
Type: 
    parliamentary democracy 
Capital: 
    Port-of-Spain 
Administrative divisions: 
    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 
Independence: 
    31 August 1962 (from UK) 
National holiday: 
    Independence Day, 31 August (1962) 
Constitution: 


    1 August 1976 
Legal system: 
    based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the 
    Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction 
Suffrage: 
    18 years of age; universal 
Executive branch: 
  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 
Legislative branch: 
    bicameral Parliament 
  Senate: 
    consists of a 31-member body appointed by the president 
  House of Representatives: 
    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
 
Judicial branch: 
    Court of Appeal, Supreme Court 
Political parties and leaders: 
    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; Republican Party, 
    Nello MITCHELL; National Development Party (NDP), Carson CHARLES; Movement 
    for Unity and Progress (MUP), Hulsie BHAGGAN 
Member of: 
    ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, 
    ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, 
    ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WFTU,
 
    WHO, WIPO, WMO 
Diplomatic representation in US: 
  chief of mission: 
    Ambassador Corinne Averille McKNIGHT 
  chancery: 
    1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 
 
                                   Government 
  telephone: 
    [1] (202) 467-6490 
  FAX: 
    [1] (202) 785-3130 
  consulate(s) general: 
    New York 
US diplomatic representation: 
  chief of mission: 
    Ambassador Brian DONNELLY (since September 1994) 
  embassy: 
    15 Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain 
  mailing address: 
    P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain 
  telephone: 
    [1] (809) 622-6372 through 6376, 6176 
  FAX: 
    [1] (809) 628-5462 


Flag: 
    red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side 
 
                                     Economy 
 
Overview: 
    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. The government has begun to make progress in its 
    efforts to diversify exports and to liberalize its trade regime, making 1994
 
    the first year of substantial growth since the early 1980s. 
National product: 
    GDP - purchasing power parity - $15 billion (1994 est.) 
National product real growth rate: 
    3% (1994 est.) 
National product per capita: 
    $11,280 (1994 est.) 
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 
    10.1% (1994 est.) 
Unemployment rate: 
    18.1% (1994 ) 
Budget: 
  revenues: 
    $1.6 billion 
  expenditures: 
    $1.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $158 million (1993 est.) 
Exports: 
    $1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1994) 
  commodities: 
    petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, steel products, fertilizer, 
    sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus, flowers 
  partners: 
    US 44%, CARICOM 15%, Latin America 9%, EC 5% (1993) 
Imports: 
    $996 million (c.i.f., 1994) 
  commodities: 
    machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, live animals 
  partners: 
    US 43%, Venezuela 10%, UK 8%, other EC 8% (1993) 
External debt: 
    $2 billion (1994) 
Industrial production: 
    growth rate 1% (1994 est.); accounts for 39% of GDP, including petroleum 
Electricity: 
  capacity: 
    1,150,000 kW 
  production: 
    3.9 billion kWh 
  consumption per capita: 
    2,740 kWh (1993) 
Industries: 
    petroleum, chemicals, tourism, food processing, cement, beverage, cotton 
    textiles 
Agriculture: 
    accounts for 3% of GDP; 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 
Illicit drugs: 
    transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe 
    and producer of cannabis 
 
                                     Economy 
Economic aid: 
  recipient: 
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $373 million; Western (non-US) 
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $518 million 
Currency: 
    1 Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TT$) = 100 cents 
Exchange rates: 
    Trinidad and Tobago dollars (TT$) per US$1 - 5.8758 (January 1995), 5.9160 
    (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 
Fiscal year: 
    calendar year 
 
                                 Transportation 
 
Railroads: 
  note: 
    minimal agricultural railroad system near San Fernando 
Highways: 
  total: 
    8,000 km 
  paved: 
    4,000 km 
  unpaved: 
    improved earth 1,000 km; unimproved earth 3,000 km 
Pipelines: 
    crude oil 1,032 km; petroleum products 19 km; natural gas 904 km 
Ports: 
    Pointe-a-Pierre, Point Fortin, Point Lisas, Port-of-Spain, Scarborough, 
    Tembladora 
Merchant marine: 
  total: 
    2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 12,507 GRT/21,923 DWT 
Airports: 
    6 
  with paved runways over 3,047 m: 
    1 
  with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 
    1 
  with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 
    1 
  with paved runways under 914 m: 
    2 
  with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 
    1 
 
                                 Communications 
 
Telephone system: 
    109,000 telephones; excellent international service via tropospheric scatter
 
    links to Barbados and Guyana; good local service 


  local: 
    NA 
  intercity: 
    NA 
  international: 
    1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station; linked to Barbados and Guyana by 
    tropospheric scatter system 
Radio: 
  broadcast stations: 
    AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 0 
  radios: 
    NA 
Television: 
  broadcast stations: 
    5 
  televisions: 
    NA 
 
                                 Defense Forces 
 
Branches: 
    Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (includes Ground Forces, Coast Guard, and 
    Air Wing), Trinidad and Tobago Police Service 
Manpower availability: 
    males age 15-49 347,841; males fit for military service 249,904 (1995 est.) 
Defense expenditures: 
    exchange rate conversion - $83 million, 1.5% of GDP (1994) 

This publication is also available online from the CIA (http://www.odci.gov/cia) as 1995 World Factbook (http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/95fact/index.html).

The printed version of this item can be found under the title:
The World Factbook 1995,
SuDoc No: PREX 3.15:995

Select this link for contact information about the
UM-St. Louis Librarians maintaining this site. 
Updated: March 12, 1996