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Background:
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The
islands came under British control in the 19th century;
independence was granted in 1962. The country is one of
the most prosperous in the Caribbean thanks largely to
petroleum and natural gas production and processing.
Tourism, mostly in Tobago, is targeted for expansion and
is growing. |
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Location:
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Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the
North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela |
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Geographic coordinates:
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11 00 N,
61 00 W |
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Map references:
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Central
America and the Caribbean |
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Area:
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total:
5,128 sq km
land: 5,128 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
smaller than Delaware |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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362 km
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Maritime claims:
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measured
from claimed archipelagic baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of
the continental margin |
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Climate:
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tropical;
rainy season (June to December) |
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Terrain:
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mostly
plains with some hills and low mountains |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: El Cerro del Aripo 940 m |
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, natural gas, asphalt |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 14.62%
permanent crops: 9.16%
other: 76.22% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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30 sq km
(1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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outside
usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms |
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Environment - current issues:
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water
pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial
wastes, and raw sewage; oil pollution of beaches;
deforestation; soil erosion |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party
to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life
Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
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Geography - note:
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Pitch
Lake, on Trinidad's southwestern coast, is the world's
largest natural reservoir of asphalt |
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Population:
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1,088,644
(July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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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.) |
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Median age:
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total:
30.91 years
male: 30.46 years
female: 31.44 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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-0.74%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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12.81
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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9.37
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-10.87
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at
birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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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.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 66.73 years
male: 65.6 years
female: 67.91 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.75
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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3.2%
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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29,000
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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1,900
(2003 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s)
adjective: Trinidadian, Tobagonian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Indian
(South Asian) 40%, African 37.5%, mixed 20.5%, other
1.2%, unspecified 0.8% (2000 census) |
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Religions:
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Roman
Catholic 26%, Hindu 22.5%, Anglican 7.8%, Baptist 7.2%,
Pentecostal 6.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 4%, other
Christian 5.8%, Muslim 5.8%, other 10.8%, unspecified
1.4%, none 1.9% (2000 census) |
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Languages:
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English
(official), Hindi, French, Spanish, Chinese |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.6%
male: 99.1%
female: 98% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Trinidad and
Tobago
conventional short form: Trinidad and Tobago |
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Government type:
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parliamentary democracy |
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Capital:
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Port-of-Spain |
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Administrative divisions:
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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 |
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Independence:
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31 August
1962 (from UK) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 31 August (1962) |
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Constitution:
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1 August
1976 |
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Legal system:
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based on
English common law; judicial review of legislative acts
in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction |
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Suffrage:
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18 years
of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief
of state: President George Maxwell RICHARDS (since
17 March 2003)
head of government: Prime Minister Patrick
MANNING (since 24 December 2001)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed from among the members
of Parliament
elections: president elected by an electoral
college, which consists of the members of the Senate and
House of Representatives, for a five-year term; election
last held 14 February 2003 (next to be held in 2008);
the president usually appoints as prime minister the
leader of the majority party in the House of
Representatives
election results: George Maxwell RICHARDS elected
president; percent of electoral college vote - 43% |
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral
Parliament consists of the Senate (31 seats; 16 members
appointed by the ruling party, 9 by the President, 6 by
the opposition party for a maximum term of five years)
and the House of Representatives (36 seats; members are
elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 7
October 2002 (next to be held by October 2007)
election results: House of Representatives -
percent of vote - PNM 55.5%, UNC 44.5%; seats by party -
PNM 20, UNC 16
note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly
with 12 members serving four-year terms |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme
Court of Judicature (comprised of the High Court of
Justice and the Court of Appeals; the chief justice is
appointed by the president after consultation with the
prime minister and the leader of the opposition; other
justices are appointed by the president on the advice of
the Judicial and Legal Service Commission); High Court
of Justice; Court of Appeals; the highest court of
appeal is the Privy Council in London |
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Political parties and leaders:
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National
Alliance for Reconstruction or NAR [Lennox SANKERSINGH];
People's National Movement or PNM [Patrick MANNING];
Team Unity or TU [Ramesh MAHARAJ]; United National
Congress or UNC [Basdeo PANDAY]; Democratic Action
Committee or DAC [Hochoy CHARLES], note - only active in
Tobago |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Jamaat-al
Muslimeen [Yasin BAKR] |
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International organization participation:
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ACP, C,
Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL,
OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Marina Annette VALERE
chancery: 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 467-6490
FAX: [1] (202) 785-3130
consulate(s) general: Miami and New York |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Roy L. AUSTIN
embassy: 15 Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain
mailing address: P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain
telephone: [1] (868) 622-6372 through 6376,
622-6176
FAX: [1] (868) 628-5462 |
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Flag description:
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red with
a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist
side to the lower fly side |
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Economy - overview:
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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. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$11.48
billion (2004 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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5.7%
(2004 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $10,500 (2004 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 2.7%
industry: 47%
services: 50.3% (2004 est.) |
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Labor force:
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590,000
(2004 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 9.5%, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying
14%, construction and utilities 12.4%, services 64.1%
(1997 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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10.4%
(2004 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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21% (1992
est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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3.3%
(2004 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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19.4% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $3.25 billion
expenditures: $3.193 billion, including capital
expenditures of $117.3 million (2004 est.) |
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Public debt:
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54.4% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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cocoa,
rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; poultry |
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Industries:
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petroleum, chemicals, tourism, food processing, cement,
beverage, cotton textiles |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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7.2%
(2004 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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5.743
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 99.8%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0.2% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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5.341
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Oil - production:
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140,000
bbl/day (2004 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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24,000
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA |
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Oil - imports:
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NA |
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Oil - proved reserves:
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990
million bbl (1 January 2004) |
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Natural gas - production:
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25
billion cu m (2003 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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13.76
billion cu m (2003 est.) |
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Natural gas - exports:
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11.79
billion cu m (2003 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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589
billion cu m (1 January 2004) |
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Current account balance:
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$1.548
billion (2004 est.) |
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Exports:
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$6.671
billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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petroleum
and petroleum products, chemicals, steel products,
fertilizer, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus, flowers |
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Exports - partners:
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US 67.1%,
Jamaica 5.7%, France 3.5% (2004) |
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Imports:
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$4.65
billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods,
food, live animals |
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Imports - partners:
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US 23.9%,
Venezuela 11.5%, Germany 11.2%, Brazil 10.7%, Spain
6.4%, Italy 5.1% (2004) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$2.927
billion (2004 est.) |
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Debt - external:
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$2.94
billion (2004 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$24
million (1999 est.) |
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Currency (code):
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Trinidad
and Tobago dollar (TTD) |
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Currency code:
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TTD |
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Exchange rates:
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Trinidad
and Tobago dollars per US dollar - 6.299 (2004), 6.2951
(2003), 6.2487 (2002), 6.2332 (2001), 6.2998 (2000) |
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Fiscal year:
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1 October
- 30 September |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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325,100
(2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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361,900
(2002) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: excellent international service;
good local service
domestic: NA
international: country code - 1-868; satellite
earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean);
tropospheric scatter to Barbados and Guyana |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 4, FM
18, shortwave 0 (2004) |
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Radios:
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680,000
(1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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4 (2004)
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Televisions:
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425,000
(1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.tt |
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Internet hosts:
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8,003
(2003) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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17 (2000)
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Internet users:
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138,000
(2002) |
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Highways:
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total:
8,320 km
paved: 4,252 km
unpaved: 4,068 km (1999 est.) |
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Pipelines:
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condensate 253 km; gas 1,117 km; oil 478 km (2004) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Pointe-a-Pierre, Point Lisas, Port-of-Spain |
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Merchant marine:
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total:
6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 7,178 GRT/3,633 DWT
by type: passenger 2, passenger/cargo 3,
petroleum tanker 1
foreign-owned: 1 (United States 1)
registered in other countries: 4 (2005) |
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Airports:
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6 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
3
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total:
3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Trinidad
and Tobago Defense Force: Ground Force, Coast Guard
(includes Air Wing) (2004) |
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Military service age and obligation:
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18 years
of age for voluntary military service; no conscription
(2001) |
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Manpower available for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 293,094 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 203,531 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$66.7
million (2003) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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0.6%
(2003) |
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Disputes - international:
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Barbados
will assert its claim before UNCLOS that the northern
limit of Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with
Venezuela extends into its waters; Guyana has also
expressed its intention to challenge this boundary as it
may extend into its waters as well |
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Illicit drugs:
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transshipment point for South American drugs destined
for the US and Europe; producer of cannabis |
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This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
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