With a population of more than 1.3 million
people, the Republic of Trinidad includes two islands – Trinidad,
which is the southernmost of the Caribbean islands,
and Tobago, the island that is northeast of Trinidad. Since
1888, the islands have held combined political and
administrative power. Port of Spain is the capital.
Trinidad and Tobago operates as a parliamentary democracy. A President holds power as the Head of State, and a Prime Minister is Head of Government.
The climate is tropical. There are occasional winds, and rainfall is at its peak from July to November.
Approximately 50 percent of its population is of black African descent. About 40 percent are of South Asian descent. Approximately 6 percent are European.
English is the official language. English spoken in some areas bears the influence of French, African, and Spanish languages, which are also spoken. Hindi is spoken by some of the people who are of South Asian descent. Chinese is also spoken.
Most of the population practice Christianity. Those of South Asian descent, the East Indians, practice Hinduism or Islam.
Schools offer free training to students in primary and secondary schools. Institutions of higher learning, such as the University of the West Indies and the Eric Williams Medical Science complex offer paid courses beyond high school.
While Trinidad is noted for its oil, calypso, and Carnival, Tobago is treasured for its beaches and its bird sanctuary. Trinidad and Tobago’s supplies of petroleum and natural gas strengthen its economical base, thus establishing it as one of the most thriving of the West Indian nations.
The unit of currency is the Trinidad and Tobago dollar.
Web Sites
- Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
- onlinenewspapers.com
- Wikipedia
- Latin American Network Information Center - LANIC: University of Texas at Austin
Catalog
Search the library's catalog for Trinidad.
Databases
Enter Trinidad, Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago in these databases: