:Trinidad and Tobago Geography Total area: 5,130 km2 Land area: 5,130 km2 Comparative area: slightly smaller than Delaware Land boundaries: none Coastline: 362 km Maritime claims: Continental shelf: outer edge of continental margin or 200 nm Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm Territorial sea: 12 nm Disputes: none Climate: tropical; rainy season (June to December) Terrain: mostly plains with some hills and low mountains Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, asphalt Land use: arable land 14%; permanent crops 17%; meadows and pastures 2%; forest and woodland 44%; other 23%; includes irrigated 4% Environment: outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms Note: located 11 km from Venezuela :Trinidad and Tobago People Population: 1,299,301 (July 1992), growth rate 1.1% (1992) Birth rate: 21 births/1,000 population (1992) Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1992) Net migration rate: -3 migrants/1,000 population (1992) Infant mortality rate: 17 deaths/1,000 live births (1992) Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 73 years female (1992) Total fertility rate: 2.4 children born/woman (1992) Nationality: noun - Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s); adjective - Trinidadian, Tobagonian Ethnic divisions: black 43%, East Indian 40%, mixed 14%, white 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1% Religions: Roman Catholic 32.2%, Hindu 24.3%, Anglican 14.4%, other Protestant 14%, Muslim 6%, none or unknown 9.1% Languages: English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish Literacy: 95% (male 97%, female 93%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980) Labor force: 463,900; construction and utilities 18.1%; manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 14.8%; agriculture 10.9%; other 56.2% (1985 est.) Organized labor: 22% of labor force (1988) :Trinidad and Tobago Government Long-form name: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago Type: parliamentary democracy Capital: Port-of-Spain Administrative divisions: 8 counties, 3 municipalities*, and 1 ward**; Arima*, Caroni, Mayaro, Nariva, Port-of-Spain*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick, San Fernando*, Tobago**, Victoria Independence: 31 August 1962 (from UK) Constitution: 31 August 1976 Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction National holiday: Independence Day, 31 August (1962) Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, Supreme Court Leaders: Chief of State: President Noor Mohammed HASSANALI (since 18 March 1987) Head of Government: Prime Minister Patrick Augustus Mervyn MANNING (since 17 December 1991) Political parties and leaders: People's National Movement (PNM), Patrick MANNING; United National Congress (UNC), Basdeo PANDAY; National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR), Carson CHARLES; Movement for Social Transformation (MOTION), David ABDULLAH; National Joint Action Committee (NJAC), Makandal DAAGA Suffrage: universal at age 18 Elections: House of Representatives: last held 16 December 1991 (next to be held by December 1996);results - PNM 32%, UNC 13%, NAR 2%; seats - (36 total) PNM 21, UNC 13, NAR 2 Communists: Communist Party of Trinidad and Tobago; Trinidad and Tobago Peace Council, James MILLETTE Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Corinne BAPTISTE; Chancery at 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036; telephone (202) 467-6490; Trinidad and Tobago has a Consulate General in New York US: Ambassador Sally GROOMS-COWAL; Embassy at 15 Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain (mailing address is P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain); telephone (809) 622-6372 through 6376, 6176; FAX (809) 628-5462 :Trinidad and Tobago Government Flag: red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side :Trinidad and Tobago Economy Overview: Trinidad and Tobago's petroleum-based economy began to emerge from a lengthy depression in 1990 and 1991. The economy fell sharply through most of the 1980s, largely because of the decline in oil prices. This sector accounts for 80% of export earnings and more than 25% of GDP. The government, in response to the oil revenue loss, pursued a series of austerity measures that pushed the unemployment rate as high as 22% in 1988. The economy showed signs of recovery in 1990, however, helped along by rising oil prices. Agriculture employs only about 11% of the labor force and produces about 3% of GDP. Since this sector is small, it has been unable to absorb the large numbers of the unemployed. The government currently seeks to diversify its export base. GDP: exchange rate conversion - $4.9 billion, per capita $3,600; real growth rate 0.7% (1990) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11.1% (1990) Unemployment rate: 21% (1990) Budget: revenues $1.5 billion; expenditures $1.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $150 million (1991 est.) Exports: $2.0 billion (f.o.b., 1990) commodities: includes reexports - petroleum and petroleum products 82%, steel products 9%, fertilizer, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus (1988) partners: US 54%, CARICOM 16%, EC 10%, Latin America 3% (1989) Imports: $1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1990) commodities: raw materials and intermediate goods 47%, capital goods 26%, consumer goods 26% (1988) partners: US 41%, Latin America 10%, UK 8%, Canada 5%, CARICOM 6% (1989) External debt: $2.5 billion (1990) Industrial production: growth rate 2.3%, excluding oil refining (1986); accounts for 40% of GDP, including petroleum Electricity: 1,176,000 kW capacity; 3,480 million kWh produced, 2,708 kWh per capita (1991) Industries: petroleum, chemicals, tourism, food processing, cement, beverage, cotton textiles Agriculture: highly subsidized sector; major crops - cocoa and sugarcane; sugarcane acreage is being shifted into rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; poultry sector most important source of animal protein; must import large share of food needs Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $373 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $518 million Currency: Trinidad and Tobago dollar (plural - dollars); 1 Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TT$) = 100 cents :Trinidad and Tobago Economy Exchange rates: Trinidad and Tobago dollars (TT$) per US$1 - 4.2500 (March 1992), 4.2500 (1991), 4.2500 (1990), 4.2500 (1989), 3.8438 (1988), 3.6000 (1987) Fiscal year: calendar year :Trinidad and Tobago Communications Railroads: minimal agricultural railroad system near San Fernando Highways: 8,000 km total; 4,000 km paved, 1,000 km improved earth, 3,000 km unimproved earth Pipelines: crude oil 1,032 km, petroleum products 19 km, natural gas 904 km Ports: Port-of-Spain, Point Lisas, Pointe-a-Pierre Civil air: 14 major transport aircraft Airports: 6 total, 5 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: excellent international service via tropospheric scatter links to Barbados and Guyana; good local service; 109,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 4 FM, 5 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station :Trinidad and Tobago Defense Forces Branches: Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (Army), Coast Guard, Air Wing, Trinidad and Tobago Police Service Manpower availability: males 15-49, 344,990; 248,912 fit for military service Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $59 million, 1-2% of GDP (1989 est.)