Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago is the southern‐most island country in the Caribbean. Located 130 km south of Grenada and 11 km north east of the Venezuelan coast, Trinidad and Tobago share maritime boundaries with Barbados, Grenada, Guyana and Venezuela. Trinidad is traversed by three distinct mountain ranges that are a continuation of the Venezuelan coastal cordillera. As it was once part of continental South America, Trinidad has an assortment of tropical vegetation and wildlife considerably more varied than most Caribbean islands. Tobago has a generally similar but less varied flora.

Trinidad and Tobago have a maritime tropical climate with two seasons annually: a dry season from January to May, and a rainy season for the remainder of the year. Annual minimum and maximum temperatures are 23 °C and 31 °C, respectively, with a mean daily temperature of 26 °C. The island receives an average of 1 600 mm of rainfall per year, usually concentrated in the months of June through December -—
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—-, when brief, intense showers frequently occur. During the dry season, drought plagues the island's central interior. Trinidad and Tobago lie outside the main hurricane alleys. Hurricane Ivan was the most powerful storm to pass close to the islands in 2004. In the northern part of the country the climate is cooler due to constant cloud and mist cover and heavy rains in the mountains.

Trinidad and Tobago is one of the most developed economies in the Caribbean, with a correspondingly high GDP per capita of US$17 000, current prices, in 2019 -—
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—-. The economy is strongly influenced by the petroleum industry and has a viable manufacturing sector that supplies food, beverages and cement to the Caribbean region. The United States of America and many Latin American countries are important export destinations. Oil and gas typically account for around 40 per cent of GDP and 80 per cent of exports, but less than 5 per cent of employment. According to items attribute is mandatory, about 60 per cent of employed men work in services and 86 per cent of women. Tourism is important, especially to Tobago, and has been growing, but is not as central to the economy as in some other Caribbean islands. In 2019, the country received 480 thousand tourist arrivals with an inbound tourism expenditure of 2 per cent over GDP -—
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—-. The main agricultural products include citrus and cocoa.

The islands of Trinidad and Tobago have produced writers of international stature, including Samuel Selvon, Earl Lovelace and Nobel Prize for Literature winner V.S. Naipaul, as well as the noted cultural historian and cricket writer C.L.R. James.

The cuisine of Trinidad and Tobago reflects the rich diversity of African, Arabic, Cajun, Creolean, European, Indian, Spanish and Chinese influence among others. Indian dishes like channa (chickpeas), curry, aloo choka (potatoes) and roti (flatbread) are popular. The Creole cuisine adds stewed chicken, red beans and homemade ginger beer. Chowmein, dumplings and crab represent Chinese dishes consumed in the country. People of the country are known to be highly generous with food at religious and social events and festivals.