Trinidad and Tobago

Location

• Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
• Pitch Lake, on Trinidad's southwestern coast, is the world's largest natural reservoir of asphalt

Population

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
Chaguanas	67,433
Mon Repos	56,380
San Fernando	55,419
Port of Spain	49,031	Capital
Rio Claro	35,650
Arima	35,000
Marabella	26,700
Diego Martin	25,370
Laventille	21,000
Point Fortin	19,056

Size

• 1,980 square miles
• 5,128 square kilometers
• slightly smaller than Delaware

History

First colonized by the Spanish, Trinidad and Tobago came under British control in the early 19th century. The emancipation of enslaved people in 1834 disrupted the twin islands' sugar industry. Contract workers arriving from India between 1845 and 1917 augmented the labor force, which boosted sugar production as well as the cocoa industry. The discovery of oil on Trinidad in 1910 added another important export that remains the country's dominant industry. Trinidad and Tobago attained independence in 1962. The country is one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean, thanks largely to petroleum and natural gas production and processing. The government is struggling to reverse a surge in violent crime.

Climate

tropical; rainy season (June to December)

Terrain

mostly plains with some hills and low mountains

Languages

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

Religions

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.)

Government

parliamentary republic

• Constitution: history: previous 1962; latest 1976amendment process: 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 of 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 of the president
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
• Legal System: English common law; Supreme Court reviews legislative acts
• Executive Branch: chief of state: President Christine KANGALOO (since 20 March 2023)head of government: Prime Minister Kamla Susheila PERSAD-BISSESSAR (since 1 May 2025)cabinet: Cabinet appointed from among members of Parliamentelection/appointment process: 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); the president usually appoints the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives as prime ministermost recent election date: 20 January 2023election results: 2023: Christine KANGALOO elected president by the electoral college on 20 January 2023; electoral college vote  Christine KANGALOO (PNM) 48, Israel KHAN (UNC) 222018: Paula-Mae WEEKES (independent) elected president; ran unopposed and was elected without a vote; she was Trinidad and Tabago's first female head of stateexpected date of next election: by February 2028
• Judicial Branch: highest court(s): 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)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 65subordinate courts: Courts of Summary Criminal Jurisdiction; Petty Civil Courts; Family Courtnote: 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)
• Legislative Branch: legislature name: Parliamentlegislative structure: bicameralnote: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly (19 seats; 15 assemblymen directly elected by simple majority vote and 4 appointed councilors - 3 on the advice of the chief secretary and 1 on the advice of the minority leader; members serve 4-year terms)

Demographic Profile

n/a

Economy

• high-income Caribbean economy; major hydrocarbon exporter; key tourism and finance sectors; high inflation and growing public debt; long foreign currency access delays; large foreign reserves and sovereign wealth fund
• Budget: revenues: $5.698 billion (2019 est.)expenditures: $7.822 billion (2019 est.)note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: petroleum, natural gas, asphalt
• Industries: petroleum and petroleum products, liquefied natural gas, methanol, ammonia, urea, steel products, beverages, food processing, cement, cotton textiles
• Agricultural Products: chicken, fruits, coconuts, citrus fruits, maize, oranges, plantains, eggs, taro, mangoes/guavas (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 10.5% (2022 est.)arable land: 4.9% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 4.3% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 1.4% (2022 est.)forest: 44.3% (2022 est.)other: 45.2% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: railway cargo containers, refined petroleum, cars, iron ore, excavation machinery (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: USA 29%, Guyana 27%, China 8%, Brazil 4%, Canada 3% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: natural gas, alcohols, ammonia, crude petroleum, iron reductions (2023)note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
• Export Partners: USA 28%, China 7%, Guyana 5%, Chile 5%, Netherlands 5% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports