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General
Official Name: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (TT).
Nationality: Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s).
Languages: English (official), French, Spanish, Hindi and Chinese.
Capital: Port-of-Spain.
Population: 1,3 million (est.).
Density: 254.4 / km2.
Climate: tropical; rainy season (June to December).
Geography
Area: Trinidad 4,828 sq km (1,863 sq mi), Tobago 300 sq km (116
sq mi).
Coastline: Trinidad about 420 km, Tobago about 120 km. There
is one fringing reef on the northeast coast of Trinidad and there are many
patch reefs near the offshore islands. Tobago’s coastline is bordered by
near shore, fringing reefs. Southwest Tobago is characterized by a lagoonal
system enclosed by the Buccoo Reef. All the 40 sq km of reefs around Trinidad
and Tobago are threatened by human activities. The most pervasive threats
are overfishing and coastal development, each threatening nearly all reefs.
Geographic coordinates: Trinidad Latitude 10° 1/2 N, Longitude
61° 1/2 W; Tobago Latitude 11° N, Longitude 60° W.
Geography: Along the north of Trinidad runs the Northern Range
of mountains, looming over the country's capital, Port-of-Spain. South
of Port-of-Spain on the west coast the terrain is low, and the Caroni Swamps
contain a magnificent bird sanctuary largely inhabited by the scarlet ibis.
On the north and east coasts lie beautiful beaches. Central Trinidad is
flat and largely given over to agriculture.
Highest point: El Cerro del Aripo 940 m in Trinidad.
Location: Caribbean islands between the Caribbean Sea and the
North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela.
Size: Trinidad is 143 km (89 mi) from North to South
and 61 km (38 mi) from East to West. Tobago lies 31 km (19 mi) northeast
of Trinidad and has a length of 42 km (26 mi) Northeast to Southwest,
and an average width of 12 km (7.5 mi) Northwest to Southeast. Sixteen
small islands are found off the coasts.
Terrain: Trinidad is mostly plain with some hills in the north;
Tobago is mountainous.
Tourist Information
Activities: Diving, snorkelling, golf, deep-sea fishing, windsurfing,
sailing, kayaking.
Average tourist arrivals: 342,091 (2009).
Driving: on the left side of the road. Visitors in
possession of valid licenses issued in U.S., Canada, France, U.K., Germany
and the Bahamas may drive for up to three months. International licenses
are also accepted.
Electricity: 115 / 230 volts AC, 60 Hz. Continental 2-pin plugs
are standard, though variations may be found.
Entry Requirements: All persons require visas to enter Trinidad
and Tobago, except Commonwealth Countries (except Australia, India, New
Zealand, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda); except
the EEC Countries England, Greece, Ireland, Spain, France, Portugal, Italy,
Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, Luxembourg; except Turkey, Sweden,
Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Finland, Israel, Brazil, Colombia,
Austria (they have visa abolition agreements with T&T); except Citizens
of USA on Vacation for three (3) months or less; except. Citizens of Venezuela
arriving from Venezuela on vacation for fourteen (14) days or less; except
Citizens of Suriname, Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guyana, Netherlands
Antilles (Curacao, Aruba, Bonaire, St. Eustatius, St Maarten and Saba).
Extension of stay: Possible.
Highlights: Carnival in Port-of-Spain, ASA Wright Nature Centre,
Caroni Swamp, La Brea Pitch Lake, (Trinidad); Pigeon Point, Buccoo Reef,
Argyle Falls, Main Ridge, Charlotteville (Tobago).
Post: The main post office is on Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain.
Airmail to Western Europe takes between 5 days and two weeks. The main
post office in Tobago is in Market Square, Scarborough.
Public Holidays: January 01st (New Year's Day), January 08th
(Eid-il-Fitr), February or March Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday
(Carnival), March 30th (Spiritual Baptist Liberation Shouter Day), April
21st (Good Friday), April 24th (Easter Monday), May 30th (Indian Arrival
Day), June 19th ( Labour Day), June 22nd (Corpus Christi), August 01st
(Emancipation Day), August 31st (Independence Day), December 25th (Christmas
Day), December 26th (Boxing Day).
Telephone: Good local service; excellent but expensive international
service by satellite earth station. Country code: 1 868. Outgoing international
code: 01. There are no area codes. Emergency numbers: Police 999, Fire
& Ambulance 990.
Time: 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.
Tourist Office: Trinidad & Tobago Tourism Development Authority,
7000 Boulevard East, Guttenberg, NJ 07093, (800) 748-4224, FAX: (201) 869-7628,
http://www.visittnt.com.
Money
Costs: Food and accommodation costs are lower than on the other
Caribbean islands. You can eat inexpensive in Trinidad; prices in Tobago
are still reasonable. If you are a backpacker on a low budget or a birder,
Trinidad is your island. If you prefer to spend your time in a luxury resort,
don't go to Trinidad.
Credit cards: Major credit cards are widely accepted.
Currency: 1 Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TT$) = 100 cent. Notes
of $1, $5, $10, $20, $100; coins of 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 cent. TT dollar floats
against US dollar. $1.00 US = $6.28 TT (1999).
Taxes: There is 15 % Sales Tax on goods and services. There is
a 10 % service charge and a 10% Hotel Room Tax.
Tipping: 10 % is standard unless a service charge is included
in the bill.
Air Transport
Airports: Trinidad: Piarco International Airport (POS), is located
in Piarco, a town in northern Trinidad, 27 km (17 miles) east of Port-of-Spain.
Tobago: Crown Point International Airport (TAB) is located at the south-west
end of the island and is only 5 km (3 miles) from Scarborough. From Scarborough,
take the Claude Noel Highway heading south, then the Milford Road and follow
signs for the airport. There is a regular half-hourly (hourly at weekends)
PTSC bus service (tel: 639 2293; website: www.ptsc.co.tt) between the airport
and Scarborough, with connections to other locations around the island.
Caribbean Airlines (tel: 660 7200; website: www.caribbean-airlines.com)
operates regular low-cost flights on the 25-minute route to Port of Spain
on neighbouring Trinidad.
Departure Tax: $100TT (about US$ 17) must be paid in local currency.
Flight Times: 35 mins from Barbados, 1 hr from Caracas, 3hrs
30 mins from Miami, 5 hrs from New York, 6 hrs from Toronto, 8 hrs 20 mins
from London, 9 hrs 40 mins from Frankfurt, 9 hrs from Zurich.
International Airlines: Air Canada (Toronto; 669-4065), American
Airlines (Miami, New York, San Juan; 669-4661), BWIA International Airways
(London, Frankfurt, Miami, New York, Toronto; 627-2942), British Caledonian,
Charter Operators.
Regional Airlines: LIAT (Eastern Caribbean; 627-6274), Air Caribbean
(Trinidad, Tobago, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana; 623-2500), Surinam Airways
(627-4747), Charter Operators.
Land Transport
Public Transport: By busses and route taxis; transport is inexpensive
and very good in Trinidad, still good in Tobago.
Water Transport
Ports and harbors: Port-of-Spain (Trinidad), Scarborough (Tobago).
Ferry
Service: between Port-of-Spain (868) 625-4906/3055 and Scarborough
(868) 639-2417. Monday to Friday leave Port-of-Spain at 2:00 p.m,
leave Scarborough at 11:00 p.m. Sunday leave Port-of-Spain at 11:00 a.m.,
leave Scarborough at 11:00 p.m. From $60.00 TT for a return ticket.
Yacht Services: Yacht Services Association of Trinidad and Tobago,
Chaguaramas, 634-4938, email: ysatt@trinidad.net.
Politics
Ethnic groups: Black 43 %, East Indian (a local term - primarily
immigrants from northern India) 40 %, mixed 14 %, white 1%, Chinese 1 %,
other 1 %.
Gouvernment type: Parliamentary democracy.
Industries: Petroleum, chemicals, tourism, food processing, cement,
beverage, cotton textiles.
Legal system: Based on English common law; judicial review of
legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction.
Literacy: 97.9 % (male: 98.8 %, female: 97 %).
Religions: Roman Catholic 32 %, Hindu 24 %, Anglican 14 %, other
Protestant 14 %, Muslim 6 %, none or unknown 10 %.
Economy
Agriculture - products: Cocoa, sugarcane, rice, citrus, coffee,
vegetables; poultry.
GDP per capita: $21,300 (2009 est.).
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, asphalt.
Partners: USA, Caricom countries, Latin America, EU, Japan.
Unemployment rate: 5.8 % (2009 est.).
Radio frequencies international
BBC World Service
| MHz |
17.72 |
15.22 |
6.195 |
5.975 |
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Voice of America
| MHz |
11.70 |
9.775 |
7.405 |
5.995 |
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Radio frequencies national
NBS Radio (610 AM); Radio Trinidad (730 AM); Hott 93 (93.5/93.1 FM);
The Rock (95.1 FM); WEFM (96 FM); Music Radio 97 (97.1 FM); 98.9
YesFM (98.9 FM); NBS Radio (100 FM); WABC (103 FM); Radio Tempo (105 FM);
Classic Radio (106 FM); Central Radio (90.5 FM); Love (94.1 FM); Radio
ICN (91.1 FM); Radio 104 (104 FM); Power 102 (102.5 FM).
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