:Trinidad and Tobago Government
Long-form name:
Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
Type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Port-of-Spain
Administrative divisions:
8 counties, 3 municipalities*, and 1 ward**; Arima*, Caroni, Mayaro, Nariva,
Port-of-Spain*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick, San
Fernando*, Tobago**, Victoria
Independence:
31 August 1962 (from UK)
Constitution:
31 August 1976
Legal system:
based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the
Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
Independence Day, 31 August (1962)
Executive branch:
president, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house
or House of Representatives
Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal, Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Noor Mohammed HASSANALI (since 18 March 1987)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Patrick Augustus Mervyn MANNING (since 17 December 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
People's National Movement (PNM), Patrick MANNING; United National Congress
(UNC), Basdeo PANDAY; National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR), Carson
CHARLES; Movement for Social Transformation (MOTION), David ABDULLAH;
National Joint Action Committee (NJAC), Makandal DAAGA
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
House of Representatives:
last held 16 December 1991 (next to be held by December 1996);results - PNM
32%, UNC 13%, NAR 2%; seats - (36 total) PNM 21, UNC 13, NAR 2
Communists:
Communist Party of Trinidad and Tobago; Trinidad and Tobago Peace Council,
James MILLETTE
Member of:
ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO,
ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU,
LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Corinne BAPTISTE; Chancery at 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20036; telephone (202) 467-6490; Trinidad and Tobago has a
Consulate General in New York
US:
Ambassador Sally GROOMS-COWAL; Embassy at 15 Queen's Park West,
Port-of-Spain (mailing address is P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain); telephone
(809) 622-6372 through 6376, 6176; FAX (809) 628-5462
:Trinidad and Tobago Government
Flag: red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side
:Trinidad and Tobago Economy
Overview:
Trinidad and Tobago's petroleum-based economy began to emerge from a lengthy
depression in 1990 and 1991. The economy fell sharply through most of the
1980s, largely because of the decline in oil prices. This sector accounts
for 80% of export earnings and more than 25% of GDP. The government, in
response to the oil revenue loss, pursued a series of austerity measures
that pushed the unemployment rate as high as 22% in 1988. The economy showed
signs of recovery in 1990, however, helped along by rising oil prices.
Agriculture employs only about 11% of the labor force and produces about 3%
of GDP. Since this sector is small, it has been unable to absorb the large
numbers of the unemployed. The government currently seeks to diversify its
export base.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $4.9 billion, per capita $3,600; real growth rate
0.7% (1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
11.1% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
21% (1990)
Budget:
revenues $1.5 billion; expenditures $1.7 billion, including capital
expenditures of $150 million (1991 est.)
Exports:
$2.0 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities:
includes reexports - petroleum and petroleum products 82%, steel products
9%, fertilizer, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus (1988)
partners:
US 54%, CARICOM 16%, EC 10%, Latin America 3% (1989)
Imports:
$1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
commodities:
raw materials and intermediate goods 47%, capital goods 26%, consumer goods
26% (1988)
partners:
US 41%, Latin America 10%, UK 8%, Canada 5%, CARICOM 6% (1989)
External debt:
$2.5 billion (1990)
Industrial production:
growth rate 2.3%, excluding oil refining (1986); accounts for 40% of GDP,
including petroleum
Electricity:
1,176,000 kW capacity; 3,480 million kWh produced, 2,708 kWh per capita
(1991)
Industries:
petroleum, chemicals, tourism, food processing, cement, beverage, cotton
textiles
Agriculture:
highly subsidized sector; major crops - cocoa and sugarcane; sugarcane
acreage is being shifted into rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; poultry
sector most important source of animal protein; must import large share of
food needs
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $373 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $518 million
Currency:
Trinidad and Tobago dollar (plural - dollars); 1 Trinidad and Tobago dollar
(TT$) = 100 cents
:Trinidad and Tobago Economy
Exchange rates:
Trinidad and Tobago dollars (TT$) per US$1 - 4.2500 (March 1992), 4.2500
(1991), 4.2500 (1990), 4.2500 (1989), 3.8438 (1988), 3.6000 (1987)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Trinidad and Tobago Communications
Railroads:
minimal agricultural railroad system near San Fernando
Highways:
8,000 km total; 4,000 km paved, 1,000 km improved earth, 3,000 km unimproved
earth
Pipelines:
crude oil 1,032 km, petroleum products 19 km, natural gas 904 km
Ports:
Port-of-Spain, Point Lisas, Pointe-a-Pierre
Civil air:
14 major transport aircraft
Airports:
6 total, 5 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over
3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
excellent international service via tropospheric scatter links to Barbados
and Guyana; good local service; 109,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 2
AM, 4 FM, 5 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station