Information
Country: Trinidad and TobagoContinent: North America
Trinidad and Tobago, North America
Overview
Trinidad and Tobago sits in the southern Caribbean, just off Venezuela’s northeastern coast, where the sea shifts from deep blue to green.With its lively street music, lush rainforests, and thriving energy industry, it blends sleek modern growth with the warm, easy charm of the Caribbean.At the far southern tip of the Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago sits safely outside the hurricane belt, enjoying steady, predictable weather.Together, the islands span about 5,128 square kilometers-roughly the size of a small U. S. state-with Trinidad taking up 4,828 of those, its coastline dotted with mangroves and quiet bays.The land is mostly flat, broken here and there by mountain ranges like the Northern Range.Tobago, the smaller island at about 300 square kilometers, brims with lush rainforest and bright coral reefs.Port of Spain sits on Trinidad as the capital, while San Fernando, Arima, and Scarborough-the capital of Tobago-are other key cities.Around 1.4 million people live here as of 2023, with Indo-Trinidadians (35%) descended from Indian indentured laborers, Afro-Trinidadians (34%) from African slaves, and the rest a mix of Chinese, European, and Syrian-Lebanese heritage.English serves as the official language.People in Trinidad and Tobago often speak Creole in everyday conversation, a language that carries echoes of the Arawak and Carib peoples who first lived there; Columbus claimed the islands for Spain in 1498, French and Spanish settlers arrived soon after, the British seized Trinidad in 1797 and Tobago in 1814, and, at last, the nation gained independence on August 31, 1962.Trinidad and Tobago became a republic on August 1, 1976, with an economy driven by energy-it's among the world’s top exporters of liquefied natural gas, and oil production and refining play a major role-while tourism thrives in Tobago’s white-sand beaches and coral reefs; agriculture once centered on cocoa, sugar, and citrus now holds less weight, and the currency is the Trinidad and Tobago Dollar (TTD); culturally, the nation bursts to life during its famed Carnival with dazzling costumes, pounding soca and calypso, and steelpan rhythms, embracing its roots as the birthplace of these musical forms and a cuisine rich with African, Indian, European, and Chinese flavors.In Trinidad and Tobago, you can taste roti and doubles warm from a street vendor, savor pelau’s tender rice and peas, or try callaloo, a rich leafy-green stew; seafood lovers might go for curried crab with soft dumplings.The calendar comes alive with Diwali’s glowing lamps, Eid-ul-Fitr’s feasts, and Emancipation Day’s vibrant parades.In Trinidad, Maracas Bay draws beachgoers to its golden sand, the Asa Wright Nature Centre hums with birdsong, Caroni Swamp shelters the scarlet ibis, and Pitch Lake stretches dark and glistening under the sun.Across in Tobago, Pigeon Point Beach dazzles with white sand and turquoise seas, Buccoo Reef teems with snorkelers and bright fish, and the Main Ridge Forest Reserve offers the hush of the oldest protected rainforest in the Western Hemisphere.The islands teem with more than 400 bird species, rare plants, coral reefs, sea turtles, and thriving marine life, especially around Tobago, while conservation efforts work to keep this natural wealth intact.Governed as a unitary parliamentary democracy and republic, the country has a president as head of state, a prime minister leading the government, and a bicameral parliament uniting modern infrastructure with its deep cultural and natural riches.It draws eco-tourists, culture lovers, and anyone chasing both calm beaches and a spark of adventure.
