Introduction ::Trinidad and Tobago
Background:
First colonized by the Spanish, the islands came under British
control in the early 19th century. The islands' sugar industry was
hurt by the emancipation of the slaves in 1834. Manpower was
replaced with the importation of contract laborers from India
between 1845 and 1917, which boosted sugar production as well as the
cocoa industry. The discovery of oil on Trinidad in 1910 added
another important export. Independence was attained 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.
The government is coping with a rise in violent crime.
Geography ::Trinidad and Tobago
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
country comparison to the world: 173
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
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental
margin
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% (2005)
Irrigated land:
40 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
3.8 cu km (2000)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.31 cu km/yr (68%/26%/6%)
per capita: 237 cu m/yr (2000)
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 Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, 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 ::Trinidad and Tobago
Population:
1,229,953 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 154
Age structure:
0-14 years: 19.6% (male 123,214/female 117,584)
15-64 years: 72.6% (male 457,868/female 434,486)
65 years and over: 7.9% (male 41,467/female 55,334) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 32.1 years
male: 31.6 years
female: 32.7 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.102% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 214
Birth rate:
14.36 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
Death rate:
8.11 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 108
Net migration rate:
-7.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 171
Urbanization:
urban population: 13% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 29.93 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 75
male: 31.14 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 28.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.86 years
country comparison to the world: 135
male: 67.98 years
female: 73.82 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.72 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 167
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.5% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 44
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
14,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
1,900 (2003 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
Nationality:
noun: Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s)
adjective: Trinidadian, Tobagonian
Ethnic groups:
Indian (South Asian) 40%, African 37.5%, mixed 20.5%, other 1.2%,
unspecified 0.8% (2000 census)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 26%, Hindu 22.5%, Anglican 7.8%, Baptist 7.2%,
Pentecostal 6.8%, Muslim 5.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 4%, other
Christian 5.8%, other 10.8%, unspecified 1.4%, none 1.9% (2000
census)
Languages:
English (official), Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of 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.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 11 years
male: 11 years
female: 11 years (2005)
Education expenditures:
4.2% of GDP (2002)
country comparison to the world: 100
People - note:
in 2007, the government of Trinidad and Tobago estimated the
population to be 1.3 million
Government ::Trinidad and Tobago
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
conventional short form: Trinidad and Tobago
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Port-of-Spain
geographic coordinates: 10 39 N, 61 31 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
9 regional corporations, 2 city corporations, 3 borough
corporations, 1 ward
regional corporations: Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo, Diego Martin,
Mayaro/Rio Claro, Penal/Debe, Princes Town, Sangre Grande, San
Juan/Laventille, Siparia, Tunapuna/Piarco
city corporations: Port-of-Spain, San Fernando
borough corporations: Arima, Chaguanas, Point Fortin
ward: Tobago
Independence:
31 August 1962 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 31 August (1962)
Constitution:
1 August 1976
Legal system:
based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in
the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President George Maxwell RICHARDS (since 17 March
2003)
head of government: Prime Minister Patrick MANNING (since 24
December 2001)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed from among the members of Parliament
elections: president elected by an electoral college, which consists
of the members of the Senate and House of Representatives, for a
five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on
11 February 2008 (next to be held by February 2013); the president
usually appoints as prime minister the leader of the majority party
in the House of Representatives
election results: George Maxwell RICHARDS reelected president;
percent of electoral college vote - NA
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (31 seats; 16 members
appointed by the ruling party, 9 by the President, 6 by the
opposition party to serve a maximum term of five years) and the
House of Representatives (41 seats; members are elected by popular
vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held on 5 November 2007
(next to be held in 2012)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote - PNM
46%, UNC 29.7%; seats by party - PNM 26, UNC 15
note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly with 12 members
serving four-year terms; last election held in January 2005; seats
by party - PNM 11, DAC 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Judicature (comprised of the High Court of Justice
and the Court of Appeals; the chief justice is appointed by the
president after consultation with the prime minister and the leader
of the opposition; other justices are appointed by the president on
the advice of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission); the
highest court of appeal is the Privy Council in London; member of
the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)
Political parties and leaders:
Congress of the People [Winston DOOKERAN]; Democratic Action
Congress or DAC [Hochoy CHARLES] (only active in Tobago); Democratic
National Alliance or DNA [Gerald YETMING] (coalition of NAR, DDPT,
MND); Movement for National Development or MND [Garvin NICHOLAS];
National Alliance for Reconstruction or NAR [Dr. Carson CHARLES];
People's National Movement or PNM [Patrick MANNING]; United National
Congress or UNC [Basdeo PANDAY]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Jamaat-al Muslimeen [Yasin BAKR]
International organization participation:
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITSO,
ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Glenda MOREAN-PHILLIP
chancery: 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 467-6490
FAX: [1] (202) 785-3130
consulate(s) general: Miami, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Roy L. AUSTIN
embassy: 15 Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain
mailing address: P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain
telephone: [1] (868) 622-6371 through 6376
FAX: [1] (868) 822-5905
Flag description:
red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side
to the lower fly side
Economy ::Trinidad and Tobago
Economy - overview:
Trinidad and Tobago has earned a reputation as an excellent
investment site for international businesses and has one of the
highest growth rates and per capita incomes in Latin America.
Economic growth for the past seven years has averaged slightly over
8%, significantly above the regional average of about 3.7% for that
same period; however, it has slowed down this year to about 5% and
is expected to slow further with the global downturn. Growth has
been fueled by investments in liquefied natural gas (LNG),
petrochemicals, and steel. Additional petrochemical, aluminum, and
plastics projects are in various stages of planning. Trinidad and
Tobago is the leading Caribbean producer of oil and gas, and its
economy is heavily dependent upon these resources but it also
supplies manufactured goods, notably food and beverages, as well as
cement to the Caribbean region. Oil and gas account for about 40% of
GDP and 80% of exports, but only 5% of employment. The country is
also a regional financial center, and tourism is a growing sector,
although it is not proportionately as important as in many other
Caribbean islands. The economy benefits from a growing trade
surplus. The MANNING administration has benefited from fiscal
surpluses fueled by the dynamic export sector; however, declines in
oil and gas prices have reduced government revenues which will
challenge his government's commitment to maintaining high levels of
public investment.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$29.09 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107
$28.11 billion (2007 est.)
$26.65 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$25.93 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.5% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109
5.5% (2007 est.)
12.1% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$23,600 (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 53
$22,800 (2007 est.)
$21,600 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 0.5%
industry: 62.3%
services: 37.2% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
620,800 (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 148
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 3.8%, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 12.8%,
construction and utilities 20.4%, services 62.9% (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate:
4.6% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58
4.5% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
17% (2007 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Investment (gross fixed):
16.7% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 133
Budget:
revenues: $7.421 billion
expenditures: $7.141 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
26.6% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79
54.4% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
12% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169
7.9% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
10.75% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 40
10% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
12.44% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 70
11.75% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$2.39 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 67
$2.646 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$3.506 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 78
$5.707 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$3.423 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 87
$3.73 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$12.16 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 70
$15.61 billion (31 December 2007)
$15.57 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
cocoa, rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; poultry
Industries:
petroleum, chemicals, tourism, food processing, cement, beverage,
cotton textiles
Industrial production growth rate:
4.1% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
Electricity - production:
7.202 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101
Electricity - consumption:
7.034 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
163,300 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43
Oil - consumption:
41,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101
Oil - exports:
248,300 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46
Oil - imports:
92,480 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
Oil - proved reserves:
728.3 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 41
Natural gas - production:
39.3 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 22
Natural gas - consumption:
21.94 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33
Natural gas - exports:
17.36 billion cu m (2008)
country comparison to the world: 13
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129
Natural gas - proved reserves:
531.5 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 31
Current account balance:
$5.401 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34
$5.364 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$15.85 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76
$13.39 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
petroleum and petroleum products, liquefied natural gas (LNG),
methanol, ammonia, urea, steel products, beverages, cereal and
cereal products, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus fruit, vegetables,
flowers
Exports - partners:
US 44.5%, Spain 7.8%, Jamaica 6.9%, Netherlands 6.9%, Mexico 4.9%
(2008)
Imports:
$9.788 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94
$7.67 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
mineral fuels, lubricants, machinery, transportation equipment,
manufactured goods, food, chemicals, live animals
Imports - partners:
US 26.8%, Brazil 9.8%, Venezuela 7.9%, Colombia 6.2%, China 4.1%,
Gabon 4% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$9.496 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
$6.745 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$3.289 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117
$2.869 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$102 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35
$12.44 billion (2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$3.829 billion (2007)
country comparison to the world: 60
Exchange rates:
Trinidad and Tobago dollars (TTD) per US dollar - 6.2896 (2008
est.), 6.3275 (2007), 6.3107 (2006), 6.2842 (2005), 6.299 (2004)
Communications ::Trinidad and Tobago
Telephones - main lines in use:
307,000 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 115
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.505 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 132
Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent international service; good local
service
domestic: mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 175 telephones per 100
persons
international: country code - 1-868; submarine cable systems provide
connectivity to US and parts of the Caribbean and South America;
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric
scatter to Barbados and Guyana
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 4, FM 18, shortwave 0 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
6 (2005)
Internet country code:
.tt
Internet hosts:
162,849 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 67
Internet users:
227,000 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 132
Transportation ::Trinidad and Tobago
Airports:
6 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 175
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 659 km; oil 336 km (2008)
Roadways:
total: 8,320 km
country comparison to the world: 139
paved: 4,252 km
unpaved: 4,068 km (2000)
Merchant marine:
total: 9
country comparison to the world: 118
by type: passenger 2, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 2
foreign-owned: 1 (US 1)
registered in other countries: 2 (Bahamas 1, unknown 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Point Fortin, Point Lisas, Port-of-Spain
Military ::Trinidad and Tobago
Military branches:
Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (TTDF): Trinidad and Tobago Army,
Coast Guard, Air Guard, Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service (16 years of age with
parental consent); no conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 301,561
females age 16-49: 264,225 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 276,224
females age 16-49: 271,677 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 9,183
female: 8,662 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.3% of GDP (2006)
country comparison to the world: 169
Transnational Issues ::Trinidad and Tobago
Disputes - international:
in April 2006, the Permanent Court of Arbitration issued a decision
that delimited a maritime boundary with Trinidad and Tobago and
compelled Barbados to enter a fishing agreement that limited
Barbadian fishermen's catches of flying fish in Trinidad and
Tobago's exclusive economic zone; in 2005, Barbados and Trinidad and
Tobago agreed to compulsory international arbitration under UNCLOS
challenging whether the northern limit of Trinidad and Tobago's and
Venezuela's maritime boundary extends into Barbadian waters; Guyana
has also expressed its intention to include itself in the
arbitration as the Trinidad and Tobago-Venezuela maritime boundary
may extend into its waters as well
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and
Europe; producer of cannabis
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Tunisia (Africa)
Introduction ::Tunisia
Background:
Rivalry between French and Italian interests in Tunisia culminated
in a French invasion in 1881 and the creation of a protectorate.
Agitation for independence in the decades following World War I was
finally successful in getting the French to recognize Tunisia as an
independent state in 1956. The country's first president, Habib
BOURGUIBA, established a strict one-party state. He dominated the
country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and
establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation. In
November 1987, BOURGUIBA was removed from office and replaced by
Zine el Abidine BEN ALI in a bloodless coup. BEN ALI is currently
serving his fourth consecutive five-year term as president; the next
elections are scheduled for October 2009. Tunisia has long taken a
moderate, non-aligned stance in its foreign relations. Domestically,
it has sought to defuse rising pressure for a more open political
society.
Geography ::Tunisia
Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria
and Libya
Geographic coordinates:
34 00 N, 9 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 163,610 sq km
country comparison to the world: 92
land: 155,360 sq km
water: 8,250 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Georgia
Land boundaries:
total: 1,424 km
border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km
Coastline:
1,148 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 12 nm
Climate:
temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers;
desert in south
Terrain:
mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges
into the Sahara
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m
highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt
Land use:
arable land: 17.05%
permanent crops: 13.08%
other: 69.87% (2005)
Irrigated land:
3,940 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
4.6 cu km (2003)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 2.64 cu km/yr (14%/4%/82%)
per capita: 261 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
toxic and hazardous waste disposal is ineffective and poses health
risks; water pollution from raw sewage; limited natural fresh water
resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:
strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are
discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf
between their countries, particularly for oil exploration
People ::Tunisia
Population:
10,486,339 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76
Age structure:
0-14 years: 22.7% (male 1,227,238/female 1,149,796)
15-64 years: 70.1% (male 3,701,661/female 3,652,322)
65 years and over: 7.2% (male 352,003/female 403,319) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 29.2 years
male: 28.7 years
female: 29.8 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.98% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127
Birth rate:
15.42 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
Death rate:
5.2 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 183
Net migration rate:
-0.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107
Urbanization:
urban population: 67% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.7% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate: