Factbook dossier
Background
First colonized by the Spanish, Trinidad and Tobago came under British control in the early 19th century. The emancipation of enslaved people in 1834 disrupted the twin islands' sugar industry. Contract workers arriving from India between 1845 and 1917 augmented the labor force, which boosted sugar production as well as the cocoa industry. The discovery of oil on Trinidad in 1910 added another important export that remains the country's dominant industry. Trinidad and Tobago attained independence in 1962. The country is one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean, thanks largely to petroleum and natural gas production and processing. The government is struggling to reverse a surge in violent crime.
Location
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
Area
total : 5,128 sq km land: 5,128 sq km water: 0 sq km
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, asphalt
Natural hazards
outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms
Population
total: 1,410,170 (2025 est.) male: 708,677 female: 701,493
Ethnic groups
East Indian 35.4%, African descent 34.2%, mixed - other 15.3%, mixed - African/East Indian 7.7%, other 1.3%, unspecified 6.2% (2011 est.)
Languages
English (official), Trinidadian Creole English, Tobagonian Creole English, Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Trinidadian Creole French, Spanish, Chinese
Religions
Protestant 32.1% (Pentecostal/Evangelical/Full Gospel 12%, Baptist 6.9%, Anglican 5.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 4.1%, Presbyterian/Congregational 2.5%, other Protestant 0.9%), Roman Catholic 21.6%, Hindu 18.2%, Muslim 5%, Jehovah's Witness 1.5%, other 8.4%, none 2.2%, unspecified 11.1% (2011 est.)
Environmental issues
water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and raw sewage; widespread pollution of waterways and coastal areas; illegal dumping; deforestation; soil erosion; fisheries and wildlife depletion
Government type
parliamentary republic
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) etymology: translation of the name the Spanish gave the town in 1595, Puerto de Espa a; the name was anglicized after the British captured Trinidad in 1797
Executive branch
chief of state: President Christine KANGALOO (since 20 March 2023) head of government: Prime Minister Kamla Susheila PERSAD-BISSESSAR (since 1 May 2025) cabinet: Cabinet appointed from among members of Parliament election/appointment process: president indirectly elected by an electoral college of selected Senate and House of Representatives members for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); the president usually appoints the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives as prime minister most recent election date: 20 January 2023 election results: 2023: Christine KANGALOO elected president by the electoral college on 20 January 2023; electoral college vote Christine KANGALOO (PNM) 48, Israel KHAN (UNC) 22 2018: Paula-Mae WEEKES (independent) elected president; ran unopposed and was elected without a vote; she was Trinidad and Tabago's first female head of state expected date of next election: by February 2028
Legislative branch
legislature name: Parliament legislative structure: bicameral note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly (19 seats; 15 assemblymen directly elected by simple majority vote and 4 appointed councilors - 3 on the advice of the chief secretary and 1 on the advice of the minority leader; members serve 4-year terms)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$43.362 billion (2024 est.) $42.658 billion (2023 est.) $42.058 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita
$31,700 (2024 est.) $31,200 (2023 est.) $30,800 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
0.5% (2024 est.) 4.6% (2023 est.) 5.8% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Exports - partners
USA 28%, China 7%, Guyana 5%, Chile 5%, Netherlands 5% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners
USA 29%, Guyana 27%, China 8%, Brazil 4%, Canada 3% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Military and security forces
Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (TTDF): Trinidad and Tobago Regiment (Army/Land Forces), Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard, Trinidad and Tobago Air Guard, Defense Force Reserves (2026) note: the Ministry of Homeland Security oversees both the TTDF and the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS)
Military expenditures
0.9% of GDP (2024 est.) 1% of GDP (2023 est.) 1% of GDP (2022 est.) 1% of GDP (2021 est.) 1% of GDP (2020 est.)