Location
Southern Caribbean, off Venezuelan coast.
Area
Total: 5128 sq km (1980 sq miles). Trinidad: 4828 sq km (1864 sq miles). Tobago: 300 sq km (116 sq miles).
Population
1.3 million (UN, 2005).
Population Density
253.5 per sq km.
Capital
Port of Spain.
Population: 49,031 (2000).
Government
Republic. Gained independence from the UK in 1962.
Recent history: In the election of December 2000, the Asian United National Congress (UNC) came out on top with a small majority, under the leadership of Basdeo Panday. Panday continued as Prime Minister but his Government was brought down by a serious corruption scandal (the UNC has been persistently dogged by such allegations) after less than a year. At the December 2001 poll, the UNC and Patrick Manning’s People’s National Movement (PNM) were tied on 18 seats each. After 12 months of almost paralyzed Government, the country went to the polls once again, in October 2002. This time, the PNM, with Patrick Manning still at the helm, was returned with a small working majority.
The President is the constitutional Head of State. Executive power is vested in a Prime Minister and a Cabinet drawn from the largest parties in the bicameral Parliament. This comprises the Senate, with 31 appointed members, and the House of Representatives, with 36 members elected by universal adult suffrage. Since 1980, Tobago has had its own 15-seat House of Assembly, with 12 members elected and three selected by the ruling party. Tobago was granted full internal self-Government by the national Government in January 1987.
Emergency Numbers :
Police 999, Fire/Ambulance 990
Crime Reports :
800-STOP, 800-TIPS or 800-4011 (local numbers)
Language
The official language is English. French, Spanish, Hindi and Chinese are also spoken.
Religion
30 per cent Roman Catholic, 29 per cent other Christian denominations, 24 per cent Hindu, 11 per cent Anglican, and 6 per cent Muslim.
Time
GMT - 4.
Electricity
110/220 volts AC, 60Hz. US pattern twin plus earth plugs are standard, though variations may be found.
Head of Government
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar
Head of State
President Maxwell Richards since 2003.
Telephone
IDD is available. Country code: 1 868. There are no area codes. In Tobago, international telephone calls can be made from the TSTT building on Wilson Road in Scarborough. Many public phone booths take phonecards which can be bought from local shops and the TSTT building.
Mobile Telephone
Roaming agreements exist with international mobile phone companies. Coverage is available in most of Trinidad & Tobago.
Internet
There are numerous Internet cafes on the islands.
Media
The former public broadcaster NBN, which operated two TV and four radio stations, closed in January 2005 after more than 40 years on the air. A new state-owned company, the Caribbean News Media Network, is expected to launch. Privately-run TV6 dominates the ratings in Trinidad and Tobago.
Post
The main post office is on Wrightson Road, Port of Spain. Airmail to Western Europe takes up to two weeks; incoming mail can take much longer. The main post office in Tobago is in Market Square, Scarborough.
Press
English-language dailies include Newsday, The Trinidad Guardian and Trinidad & Tobago Express. As well as these dailies and numerous weekly publications such as The Bomb and The Punch, Tobago has its own weekly paper, Tobago News.
Radio
Trinidad Broadcasting Company operates Radio Trinidad, Sangeet 106.1 FM and several other stations; Radio 90.5 broadcasts Indian music; Ebony 104 broadcasts Creole music and culture; Other stations include WEFM and i95.5 FM.
Opening Hours
Banks are usually open from Monday to Friday. Banks in Malls are open from 10am till around 5pm.
Some banks are closing very early in the afternoon.
Shopping Malls are usually open Monday to Saturday until 7pm or even longer.
Port of Spain shops usually close around 5-6pm
Usual office hours are from around 8am until 4pm
Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2007-December 2008 period.
2007
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
30 Mar Spiritual Baptist Shouters’ Liberation Day.
6 Apr Good Friday.
9 Apr Easter Monday.
30 May Indian Arrival Day.
7 Jun Corpus Christi.
19 Jun Labor Day.
1 Aug Emancipation Day.
31 Aug Independence Day.
24 Sep Republic Day.
13 Oct Eid ul Fitr.
9 Nov Divali.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
26 Dec Boxing Day.
2008
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
30 Mar Spiritual Baptist Shouters’ Liberation Day.
21 Mar Good Friday.
24 Mar Easter Monday.
22 May Corpus Christi.
30 May Indian Arrival Day.
19 Jun Labor Day.
1 Aug Emancipation Day.
31 Aug Independence Day.
24 Sep Republic Day.
2 Oct Eid ul Fitr.
28 Oct Divali.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
26 Dec Boxing Day.
Note
Hindu festivals are declared according to local astronomical observations and variations may occur. Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. The actual dates are determined one to two weeks beforehand. When a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the holiday will be observed on the Monday following immediately. When two public holidays fall on the same date the following date is also given as a public holiday
Contact Information:
High Commission of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago in the UK
42 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8NT, UK
Tel: (020) 7245 9351.
Website: www.immigration.gov.tt
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700; Mon-Fri 1000-1400 (visa applications).
Trinidad & Tobago Tourism Office in the UK
Albany House, Albany Crescent, Claygate, Surrey KT10 0PF, UK
Tel: 0800 804 8787.
Website: www.visittnt.com
Caribbean Tourism Organization in the UK
22 The Quadrant, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1BP, UK
Tel: (020) 8948 0057.
Website: www.doitcaribbean.com
Embassy of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago in the USA
1708 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA
Tel: (202) 467 6490.
E-mail: info@ttembwash.com |
