LOCATION:

Location:
  
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela

AREA:

total: 176,220 sq km
land: 173,620 sq km
water: 2,600 sq km
Area - comparative:
  
slightly smaller than the state of Washington

POPULATION:

Population:
   
1,088,644

(July 2005 est.)

AGE STRUCTURE:

Age structure:
  
0-14 years: 20.7%
(male 115,594/female 109,665)
 
15-64 years: 71%
(male 403,301/female 369,664)
 
65 years and over: 8.3%
(male 40,638/female 49,782)

 (2005 est.)

MEDIAN AGE:

Median age:
  
total: 30.91 years
male: 30.46 years
female: 31.44 years

(2005 est.)

POPULATION GROWTH:

Population growth rate: -0.74%

(2005 est.)

INFANT MORTALITY RATE:

Infant mortality rate:
   
total: 24.31 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 26.23 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 22.31 deaths/1,000 live births

(2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS-ADULT PREVALENCE RATE:

HIV/AIDS Prevalence rate: 2.9%

(World Fact Book estimates 3.2%)

HIV/AIDS- PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS :

Ages 15-49:

28,000

low estimate:
10,000

high estimate:
72,000

HIV/AIDS-DEATH

Adults and Children deaths:

1,900

low estimate:
900

high estimate:
4,100

ETHNIC GROUPS:

Ethnic groups:
  
East Indian (a local term - primarily immigrants from northern India) 40.3%,
 black 39.5%,
 mixed 18.4%,
white 0.6%,
Chinese and other 1.2%

RELIGIONS:

Religions:
  
Roman Catholic 29.4%,
 Hindu 23.8%,
Anglican 10.9%,
 Muslim 5.8%,
Presbyterian 3.4%,
other 26.7%

LANGUAGES:

Languages:
  
English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish, Chinese

LITERACY:

Literacy:
  
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.6%
male: 99.1%
female: 98%

 (2003 est.)

GOVERNMENT TYPE:

Government type:
  
parliamentary democracy

CAPITAL:

Capital:
  
Port-of-Spain

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:

Administrative divisions:
  
9 regional corporations, 2 city corporations, 3 borough corporations, and 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, Point Fortin, Chaguanas
: ward: Tobago

INDEPENDENCE:

Independence:
  
31 August 1962 (from UK)

ECONOMY:

Economy - overview:
  
Trinidad and Tobago, the leading Caribbean producer of oil and gas, has earned a reputation as an excellent investment site for international businesses. Tourism is a growing sector, although not proportionately as important as in many other Caribbean islands. The economy benefits from low inflation and a growing trade surplus. Prospects for growth in 2004 are good as prices for oil, petrochemicals, and liquified natural gas are expected to remain high, and foreign direct investment continues to grow to support expanded capacity in the energy sector. The government is coping with a rise in violent crime.

GDP:
   
GDP:
   
purchasing power parity - $11.48 billion

(2004 est.)

POPULATION BELOW POVERT LINE:

Population below poverty line: 21%

 (1992 est.)

UNEMPLOYMENT:

Unemployment rate: 10.4%

 (2004 est.)

EXCHANGE RATES:

Exchange rates:
  
Trinidad and Tobago dollars per US dollar -
 6.2816 (2004),
6.2929 (2003),
6.2487 (2002),
 6.2332 (2001),
6.2998 (2000)

ILLICIT DRUGS:

Illicit drugs:
  
transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; producer of cannabis