Trinidad and Tobago in brief

Geography, Population and Language

Trinidad and Tobago are the southernmost islands of the Caribbean archipelago, and are geologically an extension of the South American continent. Trinidad and Tobago comprises 1,980 square miles (5128km2), with a population of 1,300,000 (1994) persons.

English is the official language.

Time Zone

Summer: EST (Eastern Standard Time), equivalent to GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)-5 hours; Winter: EST+1, GMT-4. Daylight savings time is not observed in Trinidad and Tobago.

Government

The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago achieved independence from Britain in 1962 followed by republican status in 1976. The twin-island nation is currently a member of the Commonwealth and holds fully democratic elections every five (5) years, since 1956. The country continues to maintain its reputation for political stability.

Economic background

Trinidad and Tobago has the most diversified and industrialised economy in the English-speaking Caribbean.

There are large reserves of petroleum and natural gas, and well developed heavy industries - iron and steel, methanol and nitrogenous fertilizers and petroleum products.
Air, sea and land transportation links are excellent, and telecommunications links with the Americas and Europe are completely modern.

The Government’s economic policy is well in line with prevailing market principles: trade liberalisation, open market-driven economy, rationalisation of the public sector, promotion of private enterprise and foreign investment, and development of exports and tourism.

Currency

The currency used is the Trinidad and Tobago (TT) dollar. A floating rate system is in force. Currently $1US=$6.30TT