Overview
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.
Geography
- Location
- Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
- Total Area
- 5,128 sq km
- Climate
- tropical; rainy season (June to December)
- Terrain
- mostly plains with some hills and low mountains
- Natural Resources
- petroleum, natural gas, asphalt
- Coastline
- 362 km
- Land Borders
- 0 km
People & Society
- Population
- 1,410,170 (2025 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.)
- 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.)
- Life Expectancy
- 76.5 years (2024 est.)
- Urbanization
- 53.4% of total population (2023)
Government
- Government Type
- parliamentary republic
- Capital
- Port of Spain
- Independence
- 31 August 1962 (from the UK)
- Constitution
- previous 1962; latest 1976
- Legal System
- English common law; Supreme Court reviews legislative acts
- Executive Branch
- President Christine KANGALOO (since 20 March 2023)
Economy
- Economic Overview
- 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
- GDP (Official Rate)
- $26.429 billion (2024 est.)
- Major Industries
- petroleum and petroleum products, liquefied natural gas, methanol, ammonia, urea, steel products, beverages, food processing, cement, cotton textiles