Caribbean
Country Profiles
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago is one of the most prosperous in
the Caribbean due to petroleum and natural gas production and
processing. Pitch Lake, in southwest Trinidad, is the worlds
largest natural asphalt reservoir.
The two islands of Trinidad and Tobago cover an area of 5,128
square kilometres. Both islands are mostly plains with rolling
hills and low mountains. The climate is tropical, with a rainy
season from June to December. The country lies outside the
path of hurricanes and topical storms but still experiences
occasional earthquakes, hurricanes, tropical storms and flooding.
Trinidad and Tobago is a parliamentary democracy with President
George Richards as the head of state and Prime Minister Patrick
Manning as the head of government. The country is divided into
eight counties, three municipalities and one ward. The capital
of Trinidad and Tobago is Port of Spain.
|
People
|
|
|
Human Development Index Ranking (out of 173)
|
50
|
|
Population (millions)
|
1.3
|
|
Population growth rate (%)
|
0.5
|
|
Adult literacy rate (% age 15 and above)
|
93.8
|
|
Health
|
|
|
Life expectancy
|
74.3
|
|
Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 live births)
|
17
|
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People living with HIV/AIDS (% adults 15-49)
|
2.50
|
|
Population using improved water sources (%)
|
86
|
|
Population using adequate sanitation facilities
(%)
|
88
|
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Economy
|
|
|
GDP (US$ billions)
|
7.3
|
|
Population living below national poverty line (%)
|
21.0
|
Source: United Nation Human Development Reports,
Human Development Indicators 2002
--- indicates information not available
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