Country Summary
Introduction
Background
First colonized by the Spanish, the islands came under British control in the early 19th century. The islands' sugar industry was manned by 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.
Geography
Area
total: 5,128 sq km
land: 5,128 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Climate
tropical; rainy season (June to December)
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, asphalt
People and Society
Population
1,405,646 (2022 est.)
Ethnic groups
East Indian 35.4%, African descent 34.2%, mixed - other 15.3%, mixed - African/East Indian 7.7%, other 1.3%, unspecified 6.2% (2011 est.)
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.)
Population growth rate
0.14% (2022 est.)
Government
Government type
parliamentary republic
Capital
name: Port of Spain
Executive branch
chief of state: President Paula-Mae WEEKES (since 19 March 2018)
head of government: Prime Minister Keith ROWLEY (since 9 September 2015)
Legislative branch
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)
Economy
Economic overview
high-income Caribbean island economy; predominantly driven by oil and gas (80% of exports); growing Venezuelan relations threaten US support; growing tourism; key regional finance hub; rising drug-related crime; high public debt; systemic corruption
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$33.21 billion (2020 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$23,700 (2020 est.)
Agricultural products
poultry, fruit, coconuts, citrus fruit, milk, plantains, maize, oranges, eggs, gourds
Industries
petroleum and petroleum products, liquefied natural gas, methanol, ammonia, urea, steel products, beverages, food processing, cement, cotton textiles
Exports
$9.57 billion (2019 est.)
Exports - partners
United States 33%, Guyana 9%, Spain 6%, China 6% (2019)
Exports - commodities
natural gas, industrial alcohols, crude petroleum, ammonia, iron products, refined petroleum (2019)
Imports
$7.93 billion (2019 est.)
Imports - partners
United States 40%, Guyana 19%, China 6% (2019)
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, excavation machinery, shipping containers, iron, cars (2019)
Exchange rates
Trinidad and Tobago dollars (TTD) per US dollar -
Page last updated: Wednesday, June 01, 2022
