Trinidad and Tobago (2003) | Isle of Man (2001) | |
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 | there are 24 local authorities each with its own elections |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 22.2% (male 125,470; female 119,270)
15-64 years: 70% (male 402,137; female 370,600) 65 years and over: 7.9% (male 38,928; female 47,804) (2003 est.) |
0-14 years:
17.51% (male 6,562; female 6,306) 15-64 years: 65.19% (male 24,061; female 23,845) 65 years and over: 17.3% (male 5,076; female 7,639) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | cocoa, sugarcane, rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; poultry | cereals, vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry |
Airports | 6 (2002) | 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
total:
1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2002) |
- |
Area | total: 5,128 sq km
land: 5,128 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total:
572 sq km land: 572 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Delaware | slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | 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. | Part of the Norwegian Kingdom of the Hebrides until the 13th century when it was ceded to Scotland, the isle came under the British crown in 1765. Current concerns include reviving the almost extinct Manx Celtic language. |
Birth rate | 12.74 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 11.58 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $1.54 billion
expenditures: $1.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $117.3 million (1998) |
revenues:
$485 million expenditures: $463 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est.) |
Capital | Port-of-Spain | Douglas |
Climate | tropical; rainy season (June to December) | cool summers and mild winters; temperate; overcast about one-third of the time |
Coastline | 362 km | 160 km |
Constitution | 1 August 1976 | unwritten; note - The Isle of Man Constitution Act, 1961, does not embody the Manx Constitution |
Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
conventional short form: Trinidad and Tobago |
conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Isle of Man |
Currency | Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TTD) | British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Manx pound |
Death rate | 8.71 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 11.84 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $2.8 billion (2002 est.) | $NA |
Dependency status | - | British crown dependency |
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) 622-6372 through 6376, 622-6176 FAX: [1] (868) 628-5462 |
none (British crown dependency) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Marina Annette VALERE (as of February 2003)
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 |
none (British crown dependency) |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $24 million (1999 est.) | $NA |
Economy - overview | Trinidad and Tobago has earned a reputation as an excellent investment site for international businesses. A leading performer the past four years has been the booming natural gas sector. Tourism is a growing sector, although not proportionately as important as in many other Caribbean islands. The economy benefits from low inflation and a trade surplus. The year 2002 was marked by solid growth in the oil sector, offset in part by domestic political uncertainty. | Offshore banking, manufacturing, and tourism are key sectors of the economy. The government's policy of offering incentives to high-technology companies and financial institutions to locate on the island has paid off in expanding employment opportunities in high-income industries. As a result, agriculture and fishing, once the mainstays of the economy, have declined in their shares of GDP. Banking and other services now contribute 42% to GDP. Trade is mostly with the UK. The Isle of Man enjoys free access to EU markets. |
Electricity - consumption | 4.943 billion kWh (2001) | - |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | - |
Electricity - production | 5.315 billion kWh (2001) | - |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 99.8%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0.2% (2001) |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: El Cerro del Aripo 940 m |
lowest point:
Irish Sea 0 m highest point: Snaefell 621 m |
Environment - current issues | water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and raw sewage; oil pollution of beaches; deforestation; soil erosion | waste disposal (both household and industrial); transboundary air pollution |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
- |
Ethnic groups | black 39.5%, East Indian (a local term - primarily immigrants from northern India) 40.3%, mixed 18.4%, white 0.6%, Chinese and other 1.2% | Manx (Norse-Celtic descent), Briton |
Exchange rates | Trinidad and Tobago dollars per US dollar - 6.24 (2002), 6.23 (2001), 6.3 (2000), 6.3 (1999), 6.3 (1998) | Manx pounds per US dollar - 0.6764 (January 2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997), 0.6403 (1996); the Manx pound is at par with the British pound |
Executive branch | 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 NA 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% |
chief of state:
Lord of Mann Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor His Excellency Sir Timothy DAUNT (since 27 October 1995) head of government: Chief Minister Donald GELLING (since 3 December 1996) cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch for a five-year term; the Chief Minister is elected by the Tynwald; election last held 3 December 1996 (next to be held NA 2001) election results: Donald GELLING elected chief minister by the Tynwald |
Exports | NA (2001) | $NA |
Exports - commodities | petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, steel products, fertilizer, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus, flowers | tweeds, herring, processed shellfish, beef, lamb |
Exports - partners | US 56.9%, Jamaica 7.3%, France 4.4% (2002) | UK |
Fiscal year | 1 October - 30 September | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side to the lower fly side | red with the Three Legs of Man emblem (Trinacria), in the center; the three legs are joined at the thigh and bent at the knee; in order to have the toes pointing clockwise on both sides of the flag, a two-sided emblem is used |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $11.07 billion (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $1.4 billion (1999 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 1.6%
industry: 43.2% services: 55.2% (2000 est.) |
agriculture:
1% industry: 9% services: 90% (1999 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $10,000 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $18,800 (1999 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 3.2% (2002 est.) | 13.5% (1999 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 11 00 N, 61 00 W | 54 15 N, 4 30 W |
Geography - note | Pitch Lake, on Trinidad's southwestern coast, is the world's largest natural reservoir of asphalt | one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the southwest, and is a bird sanctuary |
Highways | total: 8,320 km
paved: 4,252 km unpaved: 4,068 km (1999 est.) |
total:
800 km paved: 800 km unpaved: 0 km (1999) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; producer of cannabis | - |
Imports | NA (2001) | $NA |
Imports - commodities | machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, live animals | timber, fertilizers, fish |
Imports - partners | US 42%, Cote d'Ivoire 5.5%, UK 5%, Japan 4.5%, Brazil 4.3% (2002) | UK |
Independence | 31 August 1962 (from UK) | none (British crown dependency) |
Industrial production growth rate | 2.6% (2002 est.) | 3.2% (FY96/97) |
Industries | petroleum, chemicals, tourism, food processing, cement, beverage, cotton textiles | financial services, light manufacturing, tourism |
Infant mortality rate | total: 24.97 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 26.93 deaths/1,000 live births female: 22.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
6.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 4.3% (2002 est.) | 2.5% (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO | none |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 17 (2000) | NA |
Irrigated land | 30 sq km (1998 est.) | 0 sq km |
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 on the advice of 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 | High Court of Justice (justices are appointed by the Lord Chancellor of England on the nomination of the lieutenant governor) |
Labor force | 564,000 (2000) | 36,610 (1998) |
Labor force - by occupation | construction and utilities 12.4%, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 14%, agriculture 9.5%, services 64.1% (1997 est.) | agriculture, forestry and fishing 3%, manufacturing 11%, construction 10%, transport and communication 8%, wholesale and retail distribution 11%, professional and scientific services 18%, public administration 6%, banking and finance 18%, tourism 2%, entertainment and catering 3%, miscellaneous services 10% |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 14.62%
permanent crops: 9.16% other: 76.22% (1998 est.) |
arable land:
9% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 46% forests and woodland: 6% other: 39% (includes 25% mountain and heathland) |
Languages | English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish, Chinese | English, Manx Gaelic |
Legal system | based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | English common law and Manx statute |
Legislative branch | bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (31 seats; members appointed by the president 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 15 members serving four-year terms |
bicameral Tynwald consists of the Legislative Council (a 11-member body composed of the President of Tynwald, the Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man, a nonvoting attorney general, and 8 others named by the House of Keys) and the House of Keys (24 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Keys - last held 21 November 1996 (next to be held NA November 2001) election results: House of Keys - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - independents 24 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 69.59 years
male: 67.07 years female: 72.23 years (2003 est.) |
total population:
77.64 years male: 74.26 years female: 81.2 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.6% male: 99.1% female: 98% (2003 est.) |
definition:
NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela | Western Europe, island in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Europe |
Maritime claims | measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
contiguous zone: 24 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the outer edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
exclusive fishing zone:
12 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | total: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 7,032 GRT/5,106 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, short-sea passenger 1 note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: US 1 (2002 est.) |
total:
157 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,917,402 GRT/8,333,858 DWT ships by type: bulk 27, cargo 13, chemical tanker 11, combination bulk 3, container 20, liquefied gas 13, petroleum tanker 43, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 18, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 5 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Belgium 1, Denmark 1, Germany 1, Netherlands 1, Sweden 1, UK 3 (2000 est.) |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
Military branches | Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (including Ground Force, Coast Guard, and Air Wing), Trinidad and Tobago Police Service | - |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $90 million (1999) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.4% (1999) | - |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 327,823 (2003 est.) | - |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 233,488 (2003 est.) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 31 August (1962) | Tynwald Day, 5 July |
Nationality | noun: Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s)
adjective: Trinidadian, Tobagonian |
noun:
Manxman (men), Manxwoman (women) adjective: Manx |
Natural hazards | outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms | NA |
Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, asphalt | none |
Net migration rate | -10.79 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 5.44 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Pipelines | condensate 253 km; gas 1,117 km; oil 478 km (2003) | - |
Political parties and leaders | National Alliance for Reconstruction or NAR [Hochoy CHARLES]; People's Empowerment Party or PEP [leader NA]; People's National Movement or PNM [Patrick MANNING]; Team Unity or TUN [Ramesh MAHARAJ]; United National Congress or UNC [Basdeo PANDAY] | there is no party system; members sit as independents |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Jamaat-al Musilmeen [Yasin BAKR] | none |
Population | 1,104,209 (July 2003 est.) | 73,489 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 21% (1992 est.) | NA% |
Population growth rate | -0.68% (2003 est.) | 0.52% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Pointe-a-Pierre, Point Fortin, Point Lisas, Port-of-Spain, Scarborough, Tembladora | Castletown, Douglas, Peel, Ramsey |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | - | NA |
Railways | minimal agricultural railroad system near San Fernando; common carrier railway service was discontinued in 1968 (2001) | total:
68.5 km (43.5 km electrified) |
Religions | Roman Catholic 29.4%, Hindu 23.8%, Anglican 10.9%, Muslim 5.8%, Presbyterian 3.4%, other 26.7% | Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society of Friends |
Sex ratio | 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: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: excellent international service; good local service
domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Barbados and Guyana |
general assessment:
NA domestic: landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system international: fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, satellite earth station, submarine cable |
Telephones - main lines in use | 252,000 (1999) | 51,000 (1999) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 17,411 (1997) | NA |
Television broadcast stations | 4 (1997) | 0 (receives broadcasts from the UK and satellite) (1999) |
Terrain | mostly plains with some hills and low mountains | hills in north and south bisected by central valley |
Total fertility rate | 1.78 children born/woman (2003 est.) | 1.65 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 10.8% (2002) | 0.6% (August 2000) |
Waterways | none | none |