*Trinidad and Tobago, Geography

Location:
  in the extreme southeastern Caribbean Sea, 11 km off the coast of Venezuela
Map references:
  Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Standard Time Zones of the
  World
Area:
 total area:
  5,130 km2
 land area:
  5,130 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly smaller than Delaware
Land boundaries:
  0 km
Coastline:   362 km
Maritime claims:
 contiguous zone:
  24 nm
 continental shelf:
  200 nm or the outer edge of 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 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
  outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms

*Trinidad and Tobago, People

Population:
  1,313,738 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  1.1% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  20.08 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  6.31 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  -2.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  16.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  70.53 years
 male:
  67.91 years
 female:   73.22 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  2.35 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s)
 adjective:
  Trinidadian, Tobagonian
Ethnic divisions:
  black 43%, East Indian 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 (1980)
 total population:
  95%
 male:
  97%
 female:
  93%
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.)

*Trinidad and Tobago, 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)
Constitution:
  31 August 1976
Legal system:
  based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the
  Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:   Independence Day, 31 August (1962)
Political parties and leaders:
  People's National Movement (PNM), Patrick MANNING; United National Congress
  (UNC), Basdeo PANDAY; National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR), Carson
  CHARLES; Movement for Social Transformation (MOTION), David ABDULLAH;
  National Joint Action Committee (NJAC), Makandal DAAGA
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Elections:
 House of Representatives:
  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
Executive branch:
  president, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house
  or House of Representatives
Judicial branch:
  Court of Appeal, Supreme Court
Leaders:
 Chief of State:
  President Noor Mohammed HASSANALI (since 18 March 1987)
 Head of Government:
  Prime Minister Patrick Augustus Mervyn MANNING (since 17 December 1991)
Member of:
  ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU,
  LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Corinne BAPTISTE
 chancery:
  1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
 telephone:
  (202) 467-6490

*Trinidad and Tobago, Government

 consulate general:
  New York
US diplomatic representation:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Sally G. COWAL
 embassy:
  15 Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain
 mailing address:
  P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain
 telephone:
  (809) 622-6372 through 6376, 6176
 FAX:
  (809) 628-5462
Flag:
  red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side

*Trinidad and Tobago, Economy

Overview:
  Trinidad and Tobago's petroleum-based economy has begun to emerge from a
  lengthy depression in the last few years. The economy fell sharply through
  most of the 1980s, largely because of the decline in oil prices. This sector
  accounts for 80% of export earnings and almost 20% of GDP. The government,
  in response to the oil revenue loss, pursued a series of austerity measures
  that pushed the unemployment rate as high as 22% in 1988. The economy showed
  signs of recovery in 1990 and 1991, however, helped along by rising oil
  prices. Agriculture employs only about 11% of the labor force and produces
  about 3% of GDP. Since this sector is small, it has been unable to absorb
  the large numbers of the unemployed. The government currently seeks to
  diversify its export base.
National product:
  GDP - exchange rate conversion - $5 billion (1991)
National product real growth rate:
  2.6% (1991)
National product per capita:
  $3,800 (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  3.8% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
  18.5% (1991)
Budget:
  revenues $1.6 billion; expenditures $1.6 billion, including capital
  expenditures of $158 million (1993 est.)
Exports:
  $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
 commodities:
  includes reexports - petroleum and petroleum products 82%, steel products
  9%, fertilizer, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus (1988)
 partners:
  US 49%, CARICOM 12%
Imports:
  $1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1991)
 commodities:
  raw materials and intermediate goods 48%, capital goods 29%, consumer goods
  23% (1991)
 partners:
  US 39%, Venezuela 14%, UK 7%, CARICOM 5% (1991)
External debt:
  $2.4 billion (1991)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 2.3%, excluding oil refining (1986); accounts for 40% of GDP,
  including petroleum
Electricity:
  1,176,000 kW capacity; 3,480 million kWh produced, 2,680 kWh per capita
  (1992)
Industries:
  petroleum, chemicals, tourism, food processing, cement, beverage, cotton
  textiles
Agriculture:   accounts for 3% of GDP; highly subsidized sector; 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

*Trinidad and Tobago, Economy

Economic aid:
  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 - 4.2500 (fixed rate since 1989)
Fiscal year:
  calendar year

*Trinidad and Tobago, Communications

Railroads:
  minimal agricultural railroad system near San Fernando
Highways:
  8,000 km total; 4,000 km paved, 1,000 km improved earth, 3,000 km unimproved
  earth
Pipelines:
  crude oil 1,032 km, petroleum products 19 km, natural gas 904 km
Ports:
  Port-of-Spain, Pointe-a-Pierre, Scarborough
Merchant marine:
  2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 12,507 GRT/21,923 DWT
Airports:
 total:
  6
 usable:
  5
 with permanent-surface runways:
  2
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  2
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  1
Telecommunications:
  excellent international service via tropospheric scatter links to Barbados
  and Guyana; good local service; 109,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 2
  AM, 4 FM, 5 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

*Trinidad and Tobago, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (including Ground Forces, Coast Guard, and
  Air Wing), Trinidad and Tobago Police Service
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 351,183; fit for military service 253,084 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $59 million, 1-2% of GDP (1989 est.)