Local time--:--:--Port 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.

At a glance

Capital: Port of Spain
Language guide: Languages spoken & official status
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 map

Geography & environment

Landscape

Trinidad and Tobago consists of two main islands near the northern coast of South America. Trinidad has plains, wetlands and several ranges of hills, while Tobago has a prominent central ridge and a more compact mountainous landscape.

The Caroni Swamp represents Trinidad’s coastal wetland environment. Tobago’s forested uplands provide a contrasting setting above beaches and bays. Their proximity to South America and different terrain help explain the variety of habitats across the country.

Climate & seasons

The islands are tropical and warm throughout the year. A wetter season alternates with a drier period, with local rainfall differences influenced by terrain.

Wetlands & forests

Mangroves, tropical forest, savanna and marine habitats occur in different places. Seasonal rainfall changes river and wetland conditions. Forested uplands supply streams that connect inland land use with coastal waters.

Flag

Red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper left to the lower right

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Landscapes & nature

Languages

Public and official use

English is the official language. Trinidadian and Tobagonian Creole English varieties are widely used in everyday life.

Community and regional languages

Heritage languages include Caribbean Hindustani and French Creole, with Spanish, Chinese languages and others also present. Their use varies by community and generation rather than being uniform across the two islands.

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

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.

1845
Indentured workers begin arriving from India
1962
Independence from Britain
1976
Trinidad and Tobago becomes a republic

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

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

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Population & economic trends

Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.

Population, 1970–2025

Millions of people

1.42025 · millions of people

Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.

Sources: World Bank · Population

View data table

Population: source values and plotted units
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 dollars

22.12025 · 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

Real GDP: source values and plotted units
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.

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

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.