Trinidad and Tobago
Webpages concerning "Trinidad and Tobago"
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Wikipedia-Article "Trinidad"
- For other uses, see Trinidad (disambiguation).
Trinidad (Spanish, "Trinity") is the largest of the 23 islands which make up the country of Trinidad and Tobago. Trinidad is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just 11 km (7 miles) off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. Trinidad has an area of 4,769 km² (1,864 sq. mi.) and is located between 10°3′N 60°55′W and 10°50′N 61°55′W.
History
- Main article: History of Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad was originally settled by Amerindians of South American origins. It was rediscovered by Christopher Columbus on his third voyage in 1498. Trinidad remained in Spanish hands until 1797 (when it was ceded to the British), but it was largely settled by the French and their African Slaves. After the Abolition of the Slave Trade in the British Empire in 1834 several Immigrant Indentured Laborer groups, including Portuguese, Chinese and East Indians, were employed to fill the labour void created when the liberated Africans left the plantations. In 1888 it was united with Tobago into a single crown colony. The united entity, Trinidad and Tobago, obtained its independence from the British Empire in 1962 and became a republic in 1976.
Today
- See the entry on Trinidad and Tobago for more detailed information.
Today Trinidad is a colourful and lively island, the result of a fusion of many different cultures and beautiful natural features. It hosts an annual pre-Lenten Carnival (Monday and Tuesday preceding Ash Wednesday) that is considered by many to be the most spectacular in the world and draws tourists from many places across the globe. This party atmosphere is present not just at carnival time but throughout the year as Trinidadians or 'Trinis' enjoy a culture laced with music and dancing. Styles of popular music include calypso, soca and reggae; whilst at Christmas time a Latino style of music known as 'parang' is played and listened to. Parang itself is a remnant of the Spanish influence on Trinidad's culture. Trinis are proud of their national identity and flavour.
Indian traditions have also become an important part of the island's culture. Divali, the annual Hindu festival of lights is celebrated nationally. A week before Divali night there is a week long festival of Indian song, dance and shows called the Divali Nagar which is held at the Divali Nagar site in Chaguanas.
Areas of natural beauty include: a variety of beautiful beaches (e.g. Maracas, Las Cuevas, Mayaro and Grande Riviere), swamps (Nariva and Caroni), areas of seasonal tropical forests and the hills of the Northern Range. Trinidad is also the home of such animals as the leopard-like ocelot, the manatee, caimans and the Scarlet Ibis (see List of birds of Trinidad and Tobago).
Trinidad is also an industrial island with a diversified economy, based to a large extent on oil and natural gas,industry and agriculture. It is one of the leading gas-based export centres in the world, being the leading exporter of ammonia and methanol and among the top five exporters of liquefied natural gas. This has allowed Trinidad to capitalise on the large mineral reserves within its territories. It has good transport links and infrastructure, although some roads in more rural areas are in disrepair.
The largest religious groups on the island are Roman Catholics and Hindus. There are also substantial Anglican, Presbyterian, Muslim, Methodist, Spiritual Baptist, Orisha and independent fundamentalist/evangelical Christian groups.
The capital of Trinidad is Port-of-Spain, located in the northwest of the island. The largest city (by population - see 2000 census), San Fernando, is in the southwest. Between them lies the town of Chaguanas, an important shopping area, and central to the once vibrant sugar industry.
Wikipedia-Article "Tobago"
Tobago is the smaller of the two main islands that make up the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located in the southern Caribbean Sea, northeast of the island of Trinidad and south of Grenada.
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Geography
Tobago has a land area of 300 km² (116 mi²), and is approximately 42 kilometres long and 10 kilometres wide. It is located at latitude 11° 9' N, longitude 60° 40' W, slightly north of Trinidad. The population is 54,084 (2000). The capital of Tobago is Scarborough, with a population of about 17,000. While Trinidad is multiethnic, the population of Tobago is overwhelmingly Afro-Tobagonian, although with a growing proportion of Indo-Trinidadians and Europeans (predominantly Germans and Scandinavians). Between 1990 and 2000 the population of Tobago grew by 11.28%, making it one of the fasting growing areas of the country.
History
Tobago was inhabited by Island Caribs at the time of European contact. The island later changed hands between the French, Dutch, British and Courlanders. The island was finally ceded to the British in 1814. Originally a very wealthy sugar colony, Tobago's economy collapsed after the abolition of slavery. In 1888 Tobago was annexed to Trinidad.
See also History of Trinidad and Tobago, Courland colonization of the Americas
Climate
The climate is tropical, and the islands lie just south of the Atlantic hurricane belt. Average rainfall varies between 3800 mm on the Main Ridge to less than 1250 mm in the south-west of the island. There are two seasons, a wet season between June and December and a dry season between January and May.
Government
Local Government functions in Tobago are handled by the Tobago House of Assembly. The current Chief Secretary of the THA is Orville London. The People's National Movement controls 11 seats in the Assembly, while the Democratic Action Congress controls the other seat.
Hurricane Flora
Although Tobago lies to the south of the hurricane belt, it was nevertheless struck by Hurricane Flora on September 30, 1963. The effects of the hurricane were so severe that they changed the face of Tobago's economy. The hurricane laid waste to the plantations of Banana, Coconut and Cocoa, which largely sustained the economy. It also wreaked considerable damage to the largely pristine tropical rainforest that makes up a large proportion of the interior of the northern half of the island. Subsequently, many of the plantations were abandoned and the economy changed direction away from cash crop agriculture towards tourism.
Economy and Tourism
The principal economic forces in Tobago are tourism and government spending. Conventional beach and water-sports tourism is largely focussed in the south-east around the airport and the coastal strip. However ecotourism is growing in significance and much of this is focussed on the large area of protected forest in the centre and north of the main island and also on Little Tobago, a small island off the north east tip of the main island.
Tourism is concentrated in the southwest of the island, around Crown Point, Store Bay, Pigeon Point and Buccoo Reef. This area has large expanses of sand and is dominated by resort type developments. Tobago also has very many idyllic beaches around its coast line especially those at Castara, Bloody Bay and Englishman's Bay.
Tobago is linked to the world through the airport at Crown Point, and the Scarborough harbour. Domestic flights connect Tobago with Trinidad, and international flights connect with the Caribbean and Europe.
Ecology
The Tobago Forest Reserve (or the Main Ridge Reserve) claims to be the oldest protected forests in the western world. It was designated as a protected Crown reserve on April 17 1776 following representations by Soame Jenyns a Member of Parliament in Britain who had the responsibility for the development of Tobago. It has remained a protected area ever since.
This forested area has great biodiversity including many species of birds, mammals, frog and (non-poisonous) snakes. It is also one of the most approachable area of rain-forest since it is relatively small and there are Government appointed guides who provide an authoritative guiding service through the forest at very reasonable cost. The guides are very knowledgeable about the plants and the animals and can call down rare and exotic birds from the canopy by imitating their calls.
Little Tobago, the small neighbouring island supports some of the best dry forest remaining in Tobago. Little Tobago and St. Giles Island are important seabird nesting colonies, with Red-billed Tropicbird, Magnificent Frigatebird and Audubon's Shearwater amongst others.
Tobago is also a popular diving location since it is the most southerly of the Caribbean island with coral communities. Trinidad, which is further south has no significant coral because of low salinity and high silt content which result from its position close in the mouth of Venezuela's River Orinoco. Diving on Tobago tends to be centred at Speyside, almost diametrically across the island from the airport.
| Former Dutch colonies |
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| Aruba (current) | Berbice | Brazil (part) | Cape Colony | Ceylon | Demerara | Deshima | Dutch East Indies | Dutch Guiana | Essequibo | Dutch West Indies or Netherlands Antilles (current) | Netherlands New Guinea | New Netherland (New Amsterdam, New Sweden) | New Zealand (part) | Smeerenburg | Taiwan | Tobago | Travancore | Virgin Islands (part) |
| See also: Dutch colonisation of the Americas | Dutch East India Company | Dutch West India Company | New Holland |