Highways:
total:
366 km
paved:
272 km (198 km on Tongatapu; 74 km on Vava'u)
unpaved:
94 km (usable only in dry weather)
Ports:
Nuku'alofa, Neiafu, Pangai
Merchant marine:
3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,761 GRT/10,597 DWT, cargo 1,
liquefied gas 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1
Airports:
total:
6
usable:
6
with permanent-surface runways:
1
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
1
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
1
Telecommunications:
3,529 telephones; 66,000 radios; no TV sets; broadcast stations - 1
AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
@Tonga, Defense Forces
Branches:
Tonga Defense Services, Maritime Division, Royal Tongan Marines,
Tongan Royal Guards, Police
Defense expenditures:
$NA, NA% of GDP
@Trinidad and Tobago, Geography
Location:
Caribbean, in the extreme southeastern Caribbean Sea, 11 km off the
coast of Venezuela
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Standard Time Zones
of the World
Area:
total area:
5,130 sq km
land area:
5,130 sq km
comparative area:
slightly smaller than Delaware
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
362 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
24 nm
continental shelf:
200 nm or the outer edge of continental margin
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
none
Climate:
tropical; rainy season (June to December)
Terrain:
mostly plains with some hills and low mountains
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, asphalt
Land use:
arable land:
14%
permanent crops:
17%
meadows and pastures:
2%
forest and woodland:
44%
other:
23%
Irrigated land:
220 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and
untreated sewage; oil pollution of beaches; land degradation
natural hazards:
outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms
international agreements:
party to - Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Tropical Timber; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate
Change
@Trinidad and Tobago, People
Population:
1,328,282 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.1% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
19.6 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
6.28 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
-2.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
16.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
70.73 years
male:
68.09 years
female:
73.43 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.32 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s)
adjective:
Trinidadian, Tobagonian
Ethnic divisions:
black 43%, East Indian 40%, mixed 14%, white 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 32.2%, Hindu 24.3%, Anglican 14.4%, other Protestant
14%, Muslim 6%, none or unknown 9.1%
Languages:
English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
total population:
95%
male:
97%
female:
93%
Labor force:
463,900
by occupation:
construction and utilities 18.1%, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying
14.8%, agriculture 10.9%, other 56.2% (1985 est.)
@Trinidad and Tobago, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
conventional short form:
Trinidad and Tobago
Digraph:
TD
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)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 31 August (1962)
Constitution:
1 August 1976
Legal system:
based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in
the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Noor Mohammed HASSANALI (since 18 March 1987)
head of government:
Prime Minister Patrick Augustus Mervyn MANNING (since 17 December
1991)
cabinet:
Cabinet; responsible to parliament
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament
Senate:
consists of a 31-member body appointed by the president
House of Representatives:
elections 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
Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal, Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
People's National Movement (PNM), Patrick MANNING; United National
Congress (UNC), Basdeo PANDAY; National Alliance for Reconstruction
(NAR), Selby WILSON; Movement for Social Transformation (MOTION),
David ABDULLAH; National Joint Action Committee (NJAC), Makandal
DAAGA; Republic Party, Nello MITCHELL; National Development Party
(NDP), Carson CHARLES
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 in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Corinne Averille McKNIGHT
chancery:
1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone:
(202) 467-6490
FAX:
(202) 785-3130
consulate(s) general:
New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Sally G. COWAL
embassy:
15 Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain
mailing address:
P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain
telephone:
(809) 622-6372 through 6376, 6176
FAX:
(809) 628-5462
Flag:
red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side
@Trinidad and Tobago, Economy