01
Physical geography
Mostly plains with some hills and low mountains.
Local timePort of Spain ·
North America / Caribbean · Card 034
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago is a country in Caribbean. Its capital is Port of Spain.
Find Trinidad and Tobago
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Port of Spain
- Languages
- English
- Currency
- Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TTD)
- Population
- 1.4 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 5,130 km²1,980.70 square miles
- Independence
- 1962from the UK
Trinidad and Tobago in context
North America and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Port of Spain; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include English.
03
Location
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela.
Flag
Red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper left to the lower right
History & independence
Trinidad and Tobago had separate Indigenous and colonial histories before being administered together under Britain. Plantation labor included enslaved Africans and, after emancipation, indentured workers from India. Negotiations led to independence on 31 August 1962. The country became a republic in 1976.
-
Indentured workers begin arriving from India
-
Independence from Britain
-
Trinidad and Tobago becomes a republic
Economy
Main activities
Petroleum, natural gas, petrochemicals and related industries are central to exports. Manufacturing, financial services and commerce also contribute, while tourism is particularly important in Tobago. Energy prices strongly affect earnings and government revenue.
Industry and production
petroleum and petroleum products, liquefied natural gas, methanol, ammonia, urea, steel products, beverages, food processing, cement, cotton textiles
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people1.42025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 991,471 | 0.991 |
| 1980 | 1,121,744 | 1.122 |
| 1990 | 1,252,208 | 1.252 |
| 2000 | 1,319,774 | 1.320 |
| 2010 | 1,317,714 | 1.318 |
| 2020 | 1,366,725 | 1.367 |
| 2025 | 1,367,764 | 1.368 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars22.12025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 7,586,145,560 | 7.586 |
| 1991 | 7,822,257,351 | 7.822 |
| 1992 | 8,611,756,183 | 8.612 |
| 1993 | 8,554,133,650 | 8.554 |
| 1994 | 8,859,275,047 | 8.859 |
| 1995 | 9,196,805,731 | 9.197 |
| 1996 | 9,852,949,764 | 9.853 |
| 1997 | 10,594,172,851 | 10.594 |
| 1998 | 11,454,903,204 | 11.455 |
| 1999 | 12,374,138,298 | 12.374 |
| 2000 | 13,228,122,078 | 13.228 |
| 2001 | 13,779,539,519 | 13.780 |
| 2002 | 14,873,181,567 | 14.873 |
| 2003 | 17,021,016,161 | 17.021 |
| 2004 | 18,374,195,713 | 18.374 |
| 2005 | 19,515,038,111 | 19.515 |
| 2006 | 22,092,595,781 | 22.093 |
| 2007 | 23,142,924,113 | 23.143 |
| 2008 | 23,927,871,251 | 23.928 |
| 2009 | 22,877,023,931 | 22.877 |
| 2010 | 23,637,278,844 | 23.637 |
| 2011 | 23,567,701,471 | 23.568 |
| 2012 | 25,149,270,115 | 25.149 |
| 2013 | 25,996,346,050 | 25.996 |
| 2014 | 26,950,637,731 | 26.951 |
| 2015 | 26,841,141,793 | 26.841 |
| 2016 | 24,818,295,900 | 24.818 |
| 2017 | 23,608,962,518 | 23.609 |
| 2018 | 23,385,751,653 | 23.386 |
| 2019 | 23,495,134,888 | 23.495 |
| 2020 | 21,430,194,901 | 21.430 |
| 2021 | 21,276,595,988 | 21.277 |
| 2022 | 21,459,842,974 | 21.460 |
| 2023 | 21,774,542,875 | 21.775 |
| 2024 | 22,320,911,477 | 22.321 |
| 2025 | 22,145,074,351 | 22.145 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.807Very High human developmentRank 72 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.661
20000.714
20100.789
20200.800
20230.807
73.5 yearsLife expectancy at birth
10.8 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
A parliamentary republic. A President is head of state and a Prime Minister heads government. Parliament comprises a House of Representatives and a Senate.
Knowledge check
Three questions about Trinidad and Tobago.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
What is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.