Counties of Trinidad and Tobago

Historically, Trinidad was divided into eight counties, and these counties were subdivided into Wards. Tobago was adminstered as a Ward of County Saint David.
Caroni
Mayaro
Nariva
Saint Andrew
Saint David
Saint George
Saint Patrick
Victoria

Prior to reform of the system in the early 1990s these counties functioned as the administrative bodies for Local Government with the following modifications:

Saint George was divided into Saint George East, Saint George West, the City of Port of Spain and the Royal Borough of Arima.

The Borough (City after 1988) of San Fernando was separate from County Victoria.
After 1980 the Borough of Point Fortin was separated from the County Saint Patrick.
Saint Andrew and Saint David were combined under a single County Council.
Nariva and Mayaro were combined under a single County Council.

Since its establishment in 1980 the Tobago House of Assembly has gradually assumed many of the roles of the central government, in addition to those of local government.

Counties and Wards still play a role in revenue collection by the government.

Activities in Trinidad and Tobago

Watersports

There are good facilities for all types of watersports, especially at the beaches along the north and east coasts of Trinidad, and all around Tobago. Buccoo Reef, just off the southwest coast of Tobago, and Speyside offer exciting scuba diving with magnificent coral formations and abundant marine life. Trips in glass-bottomed boats are very popular. Tobago has some of the finest reefs in the Caribbean and many scuba schools located at Speyside and Store Bay.

Fishing

All kinds of fishing - from deep-sea to inland - are widely available and usually rewarding on and off both islands. Kingfish, Spanish mackerel, wahoo, bonito, dolphin fish and yellow tuna are the usual catches, with grouper, salmon and snapper also to be found off the west and north coasts of Trinidad. In Tobago, there is an increasing number of boats available for hire.

Birdwatching and wildlife
These islands have a unique wealth of wild birds and flowers, butterflies and fish, mostly undisturbed, yet accessible. The islands boasts no less than 622 species of butterfly and over 700 species of orchid. The latter are perhaps best seen in Trinidad’s Botanic Gardens in Port of Spain (along with a wide selection of indigenous trees, shrubs, ferns and cacti). The Emperor Valley Zoo has a similarly representative selection of local wildlife - reptile as well as mammal.

Birdwatchers on Trinidad should head for the Nariva Swamp, the Aripo Savannah and the Asa Wright Nature Center and look out in particular for the national bird, the scarlet ibis, conserved in the Caroni Bird Sanctuary. The sight of these scarlet birds flying in formation to roost before sundown is a stunning and colorful spectacle.

While on Tobago a visit to Little Tobago Island is recommended, particularly if you’re keen on birds. Boats leave from Speyside. Hummingbirds are ubiquitous on Tobago; there are 19 recorded species, seven of which are unique to the island. There are specialist birdwatching tours and nature trips available, details of which can be provided by any hotel.

Other
Golf can be enjoyed just outside Port of Spain (Maraval) or in Tobago at the marvelous Mount Irvine Golf Course, former host to the Johnny Walker Pro Am. Cricket is the major spectator sport and the season runs from February to June. The best national and international matches can be seen at the Queen’s Park Oval, in Port of Spain.

Trinidadians are keen on racing, and the Arima Velodrome hosts a number of major meetings, particularly around New Year and Easter. It is possible to bet on all English and much US racing in any of the racepools in Port of Spain and Scarborough.

Tourist Attractions in Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad

Port of Spain
The home of carnival, steel bands, calypso and limbo dancing, Trinidad and Tobago’s blend of different cultures gives them an air of cosmopolitan excitement. Port of Spain, surrounded by the lush green hills of the Northern Range, is the capital and business hub of oil-rich Trinidad. The city captures the variety of Trinidadian life, with bazaars thronging beneath modern skyscrapers and mosques rubbing shoulders with cathedrals.

The architecture of the city incorporates a mixture of styles: these include Victorian houses with gingerbread fretwork; the German Renaissance Queen’s Royal College; Stollmeyer’s Castle, an imitation of a Bavarian Castle; the President of the Republic’s residence and the Prime Minister’s office at Whitehall (both built in Moorish style); and the 19th-century Gothic Holy Trinity Cathedral. Places of interest include the shopping district centered on Frederick Street; the Royal Botanic Gardens; the Red House (a stately colonial building, now the seat of government) and the National Museum and Art Gallery.

Excursions
The magnificent Queen’s Park Savannah, to the north of the capital and within walking distance, is spread out at the foot of the Northern Range. A mixture of natural and manmade beauty, with attractive trees and shrubs (including the African Tulip, or ‘Flame of the Forest’), it forms a backdrop to playing fields and elaborate mansions, now mostly government offices and embassies. On the outskirts of the city is Fort George. Built in 1804, it offers an excellent view of Port of Spain and the mountains of northern Venezuela.

Maracas Bay, Las Cuevas and Chaguaramas are the nearest beaches to Port of Spain. Maracas tends to be the place to go after Carnival has finished. Approximately 13km (8 miles) to the south of the capital by road and boat is the Caroni Bird Sanctuary, home of the Scarlet Ibis. The Diego Mountain Valley, 16km (10 miles) from Port of Spain, contains one of the island’s most beautiful water wheels.

Elsewhere
In the rapidly expanding town of Chaguanas, it is possible to sample a wide range of West Indian culinary specialties, particularly East Indian fare. Arima, the third-largest town on the island, has an Amerindian Museum at the Cleaver Woods Recreation Center in the west of town and the nation’s new horse racing track.

About 13km (8 miles) north is the Asa Wright Nature Center at Blanchisseuse, containing a collection of rare specimens such as the Oilbird or Guacharo. The Aripo Caves are noted for their stalactites and stalagmites. Asa Wright is a must for birdwatching enthusiasts. There is a good hotel there, but rooms are limited and need to be booked well in advance.

On the east coast is Valencia, a lush tropical forest near the Hollis Reservoir. Cocal and Mayaro are also worth visiting. San Fernando is the island’s second town and the main commercial center in the south. Close by is the fascinating natural phenomenon of the Pitch Lake, a 36.4 hectare (90 acre) lake of asphalt which constantly replenishes itself.

Tobago
Tobago is very different from her sister isle 32km (20 miles) away. It is a tranquil island with calm waters and vast stretches of white sand beaches. In the east, the volcanic part of the island is precipitous and heavily wooded, with the oldest protected rainforest in the western hemisphere. The island is so beautiful and fertile that just about every western European colonial power has fought to have it.

Scarborough
The capital, Scarborough, has many quaint houses which spill down from the hilltop to the waterside, as well as interesting Botanical Gardens. It is overshadowed by the Fort King George built in 1779 during the many struggles between the French and the English, an excellent point from which to view the sunset.

The Court House built in 1825 is today used as the meeting place for the Tobago House of Assembly, while Tobago Museum showcases artifacts from Tobago’s early American Indian and colonial days.

Excursions
There are a number of fine beaches throughout the island, each with their own flavor. They include Pigeon Point on the northwest coast (admission is charged for use of facilities); Store Bay and Turtle Beach, where brown pelicans can be seen diving into the waters to catch fish; Man O’War Bay, at the opposite end of the island; and Mount Irvine and Bacolet Bays.

It is worth remembering that there is no such thing as a private beach in Trinidad and Tobago, and though some hotels discourage the use of their facilities, most do not mind unless they are very busy, especially if you use their bar and beach restaurants.

Many beaches have public facilities. Buccoo Reef is an extensive coral reef lying a mile offshore from Pigeon Point. Excursions can be made in glass-bottomed boats and it is an excellent place for snorkeling. These trips run from Store Bay or Pigeon Point, leaving every day at around 1100.

At Fort James, there is a well-maintained red brick building, and at Whim, a large plantation house. Arnos Vale Hotel is a former sugar plantation, now a hotel; a disused sugar mill fitted out with formidable crushing wheels, made in 1857, is still on the grounds. Englishman’s Bay is an excellent place for a day trip. Birdwatching is a favorite pastime here. The hotel offers tea to non-residents during the late afternoon on the balcony above the gardens. This is a must for birdwatchers and needs to be booked by phone first.

Elsewhere
The fishing village of Plymouth has a mystery tombstone with inscriptions dating from 1700. Charlotteville is a fishing town commanding precipitous views of the headlands. Looming above the town is Pigeon Peak, the highest point on the island. There are good swimming beaches, including Pirate’s Bay, which can only be reached by boat. Tobago Forest Reserve in the east has many trails which provide excellent long hikes for the more active visitor.

On the Atlantic (windward) side of the island are many tiny villages including Mesopotamia and Goldsborough, the town of Roxborough and several beautiful bays. Speyside is a colorful beach settlement, from which can be seen tiny Goat Island and Little Tobago, a 182 hectare (450 acre) bird sanctuary.

Speyside offers excellent snorkeling and scuba diving. Windward (Atlantic) beaches are wilder but just as picturesque as those on the Caribbean. On the north coast are the beautiful villages of Castara and Parlatuvier.

Climate of Trinidad and Tobago

The tropical climate is tempered by northeast trade winds. The dry season is from November to May, but it is hottest between June and October.

The climate in Tobago is pleasant most of the year and although May, June and July can be wet at times, the differentiation between the wet and dry seasons is much less acute.

Required clothing: Tropical lightweights are required. Rainwear is advisable, especially for the wet season.

Nightlife in Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad has a wide and varied nightlife including hotel entertainment and nightclubs with calypso, limbo dancers and steel bands. During the carnival season (from New Year to Carnival, held 2 days before Ash Wednesday), both islands are alive with live music in the calypso tents and pan (steel band) yards.

In Tobago, the main Calypsonians from Trinidad travel over to perform at Shaw Park, Scarborough and Roxborough. There is something happening most nights of the week at this time - details available from the locals and the Tobago News.

Food and Dining in Trinidad and Tobago

Bars and restaurants open until late, with a very wide choice of local and Western food and drink. Chinese, Indian and West Indian cooking is available on both islands. Tobago also offers some notable seafood specialties such as lobster, conch and dumplings, crab and dumplings, and all types of fried fish. Local dishes include pilau rice and Creole soups, the best being sans coche, calaloo and peppery pigeon pea soup.

Tatoo, manicou, pork souse, green salad, tum-tum (mashed green plantains), roast venison, lappe (island rabbit), quenk (wild pig), wild duck and pastelles (meat folded into cornmeal and wrapped in a banana leaf - a specialty generally available over Christmas) are also well worth trying if you can.

Seafood in Trinidad includes bean-sized oysters and chip-chip (tiny shellfish similar in taste to clams). Crab malete is excellent, as is the freshwater fish cascadou. Indian dishes on both islands include roti (dahlpuri bread stuffed with chicken, fish, goat or vegetables), palhouri and hot curries. Excellent rums and Angostura bitters are used to make rum punch. The local beers are Carib and Stag.

Shopping in Trinidad and Tobago

Goods from all over the world can be found in Port of Spain, but local goods are always available. Special purchases include Calypso records, steel drums, leather bags and sandals, ceramics and woodcarvings. Gold and silver jewelry can be good value, as can Indian silks and fabrics. Rum should also be considered. Bright, printed fabrics and other summer garments are available in Trinidad and Tobago, particularly in Port of Spain.

Shopping hours
Mon-Thurs 0800-1600, Fri 0800-1800 and Sat 0800-1300. Some shops stay open later in Port of Spain, and malls are often open till 2100.

Shops close on public holidays, especially during Carnival.

Currency Information:

Currency
Trinidad and Tobago Dollar (TTUSD ) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of TTUSD 100, 20, 10, 5 and 1. Coins are in denominations of TTUSD 1, and 50, 25, 10 and 5 cents.

Currency exchange
Foreign currency can only be exchanged at authorized banks and some hotels. There are ATMs taking cash cards and credit cards in both Trinidad and Tobago (Scarborough only).

Credit and debit cards
American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are accepted by most banks, shops and tourist facilities. Many traders charge 5 per cent for the use of credit cards. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available.

Travelers cheques
These are very widely accepted and will often prove the most convenient means of transaction. Banks charge a fee for exchanging travelers cheques. Check for the best rates. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travelers are advised to take travelers cheques in US Dollars or Pounds Sterling.

Currency restrictions
The import of local currency is unlimited, provided declared on arrival. The export of local currency is limited to TTUSD 200. There is free import of foreign currency, subject to declaration. The export of foreign currency is limited to the equivalent of TTUSD 2500 per year.

Exchange rate indicators
The following figures are included as a guide to the movements of the Trinidad and Tobago Dollar against Sterling and the US Dollar

Banking hours
Mon-Thurs 0800-1400, Fri 0900-1200 and 1500-1700.

Port of Spain-Trinidad and Tobago

Port of Spain, population 49,000 (2000), is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago and the country’s third largest municipality by population, after Chaguanas and San Fernando. It is located on the Gulf of Paria, on the north-west coast of the island of Trinidad.

The city serves primarily as a retail and administrative centre. It also serves as a financial services centre and is home to two of the largest banks in the English-speaking Caribbean. It is one of the major shipping hubs of the Caribbean, with exports of agricultural products and asphalt. Bauxite from the Guianas and iron ore from Venezuela are trans-shipped via facilities at Chaguaramas, about five miles west of the city. The tallest building in Port of Spain (and in the entire country) is the Nicholas Tower..

History

Port of Spain was founded near the site of the Amerindian fishing village of Cumucurapo (”place of the silk cotton trees”), located in the area today known as Mucurapo, west of the city centre. The name Conquerabia is also recorded for an Amerindian settlement in this area; this may have been a separate village, another name for Cumucurapo, or the result of miscomprehension by early Spanish settlers, who established a port here: “Puerto de los Hispanioles”, later “Puerto de Espana”. In 1560, a Spanish garrison was posted near the foot of the Laventille Hills, which today form the city’s eastern boundary.

The part of today’s downtown Port of Spain closest to the sea was once an area of tidal mudflats covered by mangroves. The first Spanish buildings here, in the 16th and 17th centuries, were open mud-plastered ajoupas, interspersed between large silk cotton trees and other trees. The fort was a mud-walled enclosure with a shack inside, a flagpole, two or three cannon, and few Spanish soldiers. The Caribs were transient, travelling to the mainland (now Venezuela) and up the Orinoco River.

The French naval commander Comte D’Estrees visited in 1680, and reported that there was no Port of Spain. But in 1690, Spanish governor Don Sebastien de Roteta reported in writing to the King of Spain: “Already six houses have been made and others have been started. There is already a church in this place, so that it was unnecessary to build a new.”

In 1699, the alcalde of Trinidad reported to the King that the natives “were in the habit of showering scorn and abuse upon the Holy Faith and ridiculed with jests the efforts of the Holy Fathers”.

By 1757, the old capital, San Jose de Oruna (modern St. Joseph), about seven miles inland, had fallen into disrepair, and Governor Don Pedro de la Moneda transferred his seat to Port of Spain, which thus became Trinidad’s de facto capital. The last Spanish Governor of Trinidad, Don Jose Maria Chacon, devoted much of his time to developing the new capital.

He compelled the island’s Cabildo (governing council) to move to Port of Spain, and limited its powers to the municipality. The 1783 Cedula of Population, which encouraged the settlement of French Catholics in the island, led to a rapid increase in the town’s population and its geographical extension westwards.

From the small cluster of buildings at the foot of the Laventille Hills, eleven streets were laid out west to the area bounded by the St. Ann’s River, thus establishing the grid pattern which has survived in downtown Port of Spain to the present day. Along the sea shore was the Plaza del Marina (Marine Square), a parade ground. By 1786, the town had a population of about three thousand.

Transportation in Trinidad and Tobago

Public transportations:

Public Transportation is provided by a government run bus service (known as the Public Transport Service Commission or PTSC), privately owned mini-buses (locally known as maxi-taxis) as well as privately owned cars. Maxi-taxis and some cars carry passengers along fixed routes for a fixed fare, although cars are slightly more expensive for similar routes carried by maxi-taxis because of their much smaller passenger capacities.

Travellers can also negotiate with car taxi drivers to go “off-route” for short distances for an additional charge if one’s destination is not exactly on the car taxi’s route. Car taxis are not allowed to utilise the Priority Bus Route however, and as such maxi-taxis and buses are preferable for speedily entering and exiting the cities (especially Port of Spain) during rush hour (7am-9am and 4pm-6pm).

In Port of Spain all maxi-taxis and buses heading out of the city are centrally housed in the transportation hub known as “City Gate”. In all other locations and for Port of Spain Intra-city transportation taxi-stands are scattered at various streets of the town or region, and after sunset some of these taxi-stands may change location, although this changed location is also fixed.

Recently there has also been a growth in popularity of American-style taxi-cabs which do not work along a fixed route and can be booked for specific times for specific journeys. They are several times more expensive than fixed-route public transport vehicles, however their prices are still well within the budget of budget-wary tourists and professionals who frequently call upon their services.
Railways: There is a minimal agricultural railroad system near San Fernando, but railway service was discontinued in 1968. (The small-gauge agricultural railroad was shut down in the late 1990s).

Highways:
total: 8,320 km
paved: 4,252 km
unpaved: 4,068 km (1996 est.)

Pipelines: crude oil 1,032 km; petroleum products 19 km; natural gas 904 km

Ports and harbours: Pointe-a-Pierre, Point Fortin, Point Lisas, Port-of-Spain, Scarborough, Tembladora

Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,439 GRT/4,040 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1 (1999 est.)

Airports: 6 (1999 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 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (1999 est.)

Religion in Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago is a multi-religious nation. The largest religous groups are the Roman Catholics and Hindus; the Anglicans, Muslims, Presbyterians, Methodist are among the smaller faiths. Two Afro-Caribbean syncretic faiths, the Shouter or Spiritual Baptists and the Orisha faith (formerly called Shangos, a less than complimentary term) are among the fastest growing religious groups, as are a host of American-style evangelical and fundamentalist churches usually lumped as “Pentecostal” by most Trinidadians (although this designation is often inaccurate). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has also expanded its presence in the country since the mid-1980s.

Census data from 1990, the latest available, states that 29.4% of the population was Roman Catholic, 23.8% Hindu, 10.9% Anglican, 5.8% Muslim, 3.4% Presbyterianism and 26.7% other.

Mainstream Christian denominations

Roman Catholic Church
Anglican Church of Trinidad and Tobago
Presbyterian Church of Trinidad and Tobago
Methodist Church of Trinidad and Tobago
Pentecostal Assemblies of the West Indies
South Caribbean Conference Seventh Day Adventist
Moravian Church of Trinidad and Tobago
Church of the Nazarene
Church of God
Ethiopian Orthodox Church
Stewards Christian Bretheren
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses

Afro-Caribbean syncretic groups
Spiritual Baptists
Independent Baptist
National Evangelical Spiritual Baptist
West Indies Spiritual Sacred Order
Baptist (Orthodox)
Orisha
Rastafari movement

Hindu groups
See also: Hinduism in the West Indies
Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha
Vishwa Hindu Parishad
Kabir Panth Association
Arya Pratinidhi Sabha
Shiva Dharma Sabha
Divine Life Society
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
SWAHA

Muslim groups
Trinidad Muslim League
Anjuman Sunnat-ul-Jamaat Association
Tackveeyatul Islamic Association
Jamaat al Muslimeen

The Government of Trinidad and Tobago provides substantial subventions to religious groups. In 2003 [1] the government provided TTUSD 420,750 to religious groups.