Legislative branch:
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; last election held January 2005; seats by
party - PNM 11, DAC 1
Judicial branch:
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; Caribbean Court of Appeals member; Court of Appeals; the
highest court of appeal is the Privy Council in London
Political parties and leaders:
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
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Jamaat-al Muslimeen [Yasin BAKR]
International organization participation:
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
Diplomatic representation in the US:
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, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
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) 622-6371 through 6376
FAX: [1] (868) 628-5462
Flag description:
red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist
side to the lower fly side
Economy Trinidad and Tobago
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 2006 are good as prices for oil,
petrochemicals, and liquefied 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.