NAVIGATION
|
HOME
• FLAG FINDER
• MAP FINDER
• SOURCES
• ADD YOURSELF TO THE ATLAS! COUNTRIES A-D • COUNTRIES E-K • COUNTRIES L-R • COUNTRIES S-Z |
NAVIGATION
Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
INTRODUCTION
|
Background:
|
The islands came under British control in the 19th century; independence was granted in 1962. The country is one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean, thanks largely to petroleum and natural gas production and processing. Tourism, mostly in Tobago, is targeted for expansion and is growing. |
GEOGRAPHY
|
Location:
|
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela |
|
Geographic coordinates:
|
11 00 N, 61 00 W |
|
Map references:
|
Central America and the Caribbean |
|
Area:
|
total: 5,128 sq km
land: 5,128 sq km water: 0 sq km |
|
Area - comparative:
|
slightly smaller than Delaware |
|
Land boundaries:
|
0 km |
|
Coastline:
|
362 km |
|
Maritime claims:
|
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the outer edge of the continental margin contiguous zone: 24 NM |
|
Climate:
|
tropical; rainy season (June to December) |
|
Terrain:
|
mostly plains with some hills and low mountains |
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: El Cerro del Aripo 940 m |
|
Natural resources:
|
petroleum, natural gas, asphalt |
|
Land use:
|
arable land: 14.62%
permanent crops: 9.16% other: 76.22% (1998 est.) |
|
Irrigated land:
|
30 sq km (1998 est.) |
|
Natural hazards:
|
outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms |
|
Environment - current issues:
|
water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and raw sewage; oil pollution of beaches; deforestation; soil erosion |
|
Environment - international agreements:
|
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
|
Geography - note:
|
Pitch Lake, on Trinidad's southwestern coast, is the world's largest natural reservoir of asphalt |
PEOPLE
|
Population:
|
1,104,209 (July 2003 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years: 22.2% (male 125,470; female 119,270)
15-64 years: 70% (male 402,137; female 370,600) 65 years and over: 7.9% (male 38,928; female 47,804) (2003 est.) |
|
Median age:
|
total: 29.9 years
male: 29.5 years female: 30.4 years (2002) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
-0.68% (2003 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
12.74 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
8.71 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
|
Net migration rate:
|
-10.79 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
|
Sex ratio:
|
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total: 24.97 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 22.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 26.93 deaths/1,000 live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 69.59 years
male: 67.07 years female: 72.23 years (2003 est.) |
|
Total fertility rate:
|
1.78 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
2.5% (2001 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|
17,000 (2001 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
|
1,200 (2001 est.) |
|
Nationality:
|
noun: Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s)
adjective: Trinidadian, Tobagonian |
|
Ethnic groups:
|
black 39.5%, East Indian (a local term - primarily immigrants from northern India) 40.3%, mixed 18.4%, white 0.6%, Chinese and other 1.2% |
|
Religions:
|
Roman Catholic 29.4%, Hindu 23.8%, Anglican 10.9%, Muslim 5.8%, Presbyterian 3.4%, other 26.7% |
|
Languages:
|
English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish, Chinese |
|
Literacy:
|
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.6% male: 99.1% female: 98% (2003 est.) |