Facts About Trinidad & Tobago

The archipelagic republic of Trinidad and Tobago is located on the southernmost corner of the Caribbean Sea and boasts of diverse terrain and several small landforms. Lying northeast of Venezuela, the dual-island nation of Tobago and Trinidad is spread across an area of 5,128 kilometers and is home to several tourist hotspots like Port of Spain, San Fernando, Scarborough and more. Of the two Caribbean islands, Trinidad is bigger and more densely populated than Tobago which only claims 6% of the total area and 4% of the entire population.

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Formerly a Spanish colony, Trinidad and Tobago was a part of British supremacy before it gained independence in 1962. The economic status of this Caribbean nation is primarily industrial with the main emphasis on the petrochemical industry. Touted as the financial hub of the Caribbean, the economy of Trinidad and Tobago has excellent standing as an investment site and apparently boasts of the highest growth rates and per capita income in entire Carribean. Ethnically heterogeneous, Trinidad and Tobago are home to people of multicultural descent such as African, European and Indian. Although the official language of the nation is English, it is more or less a multilingual state with diverse language forms. In short, Trinidad and Tobago is a multicultural and multilingual nation that testifies to its motto - "Together we aspire, together we achieve."

Interesting And Fun Facts About Trinidad & Tobago

• Although Trinidad and Tobago are two separate islands, they are treated as one single country.
• Trinidad was named by Christopher Columbus, who discovered this island during his third voyage to the New World on 31 July, 1498.
• The denizens of Tobago are called Tobagonians and those hailing from Trinidad are called Trinidadians or Trinis. Together the people of Trinidad and Tobago are referred to as "Trinbagonians."
• Port of Spain is the capital of Trinidad while Scarborough is the capital city of Tobago.
• The people of Trinidad and Tobago speak English and French Patois.
• The currency of Trinidad & Tobago is the Trinidad & Tobago Dollar (TTD).
• The twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago have an airport, two daily newspapers, a television station and two major radio stations each.
• Touted as a musical hub, the roots of the famous Caribbean Steel Pan lie in this place. Trinidad and Tobago is also home to popular musical forms like Calypso and Soca and is renowned for its pompous carnival celebrations and popular dance form Limbo.
• The literacy rate of Trinidad & Tobago is higher than that of the U.S. Its literacy rate exceeds 98% as a result of education being free right from Kindergarten to University.
• The people of Trinidad & Tobago are very religious and saying grace before meals is a very common daily ritual.
• The law of the island expects all children to go for free school education compulsorily between ages 5 and 16.
• Cricket is the national sport of Trinidad & Tobago. However, soccer ranks as the second most popular sport in the island.
• Little Tobago is home to the world’s largest brain coral that measures up to 10 ft by 16 ft.
• Trinidad and Tobago is a multi-cultural democracy with people of African, Indian, Asian, French and Dutch ancestry.
• Janelle Commissiong, the first black Miss Universe, is a Trinidadian, and was crowned in 1977.
• If you are a literary buff, this little trivia might fascinate you! It’s presumed that Daniel Defoe and Robert Louis Stevenson based their respective novels - “Robinson Crusoe” and “Treasure Island” on the fascinating islands of Trinidad & Tobago.