World Factbook
Trinidad and Tobago
Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Flag
description: red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper left to the lower right meaning: the colors represent the elements of earth, water, and fire; black also stands for the wealth of the land and the dedication of the people; white for the sea, the purity of the country's aspirations, and equality; red for the sun, the vitality of the land, and the people's courage and friendliness
Capital
name
Port of Spain
etymology
translation of the name the Spanish gave the town in 1595, Puerto de España; the name was anglicized after the British captured Trinidad in 1797
time difference
UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
geographic coordinates
10 39 N, 61 31 W
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
citizenship by birth
yes
citizenship by descent only
yes
dual citizenship recognized
yes
residency requirement for naturalization
8 years
Constitution
history
previous 1962; latest 1976
amendment process
proposed by Parliament; passage of amendments affecting constitutional provisions, such as human rights and freedoms or citizenship, requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the membership of both houses and assent of the president; passage of amendments, such as the powers and authorities of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government, and the procedure for amending the constitution, requires at least three-quarters majority vote by the House membership, two-thirds majority vote by the Senate membership, and assent of the president
Country name
etymology
explorer Christopher COLUMBUS named the larger island "La Isla de la Trinidad" (The Island of the Trinity) in 1498, possibly because of the three mountain peaks on the island; COLUMBUS may have gotten the name Tobago, spelled "tobaco" in Spanish, from the tobacco grown and smoked locally, or from its elongated cigar shape
conventional long form
Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
conventional short form
Trinidad and Tobago
Independence
31 August 1962 (from the UK)
Legal system
English common law; Supreme Court reviews legislative acts
Government type
parliamentary republic
Judicial branch
note
note: Trinidad and Tobago can file appeals beyond its Supreme Court to the Caribbean Court of Justice, with final appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)
highest court(s)
Supreme Court of the Judicature (consists of a chief justice for both the Court of Appeal with 12 judges and the High Court with 24 judges)
subordinate courts
Courts of Summary Criminal Jurisdiction; Petty Civil Courts; Family Court
judge selection and term of office
Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister and the parliamentary leader of the opposition; other judges appointed by the Judicial Legal Services Commission, headed by the chief justice and 5 members with judicial experience; all judges serve for life with mandatory retirement normally at age 65
Executive branch
cabinet
Cabinet appointed from among members of Parliament
chief of state
President Christine KANGALOO (since 20 March 2023)
election results
2023: Christine KANGALOO elected president by the electoral college on 20 January 2023; electoral college vote Christine KANGALOO (PNM) 48, Israel KHAN (UNC) 22 2018: Paula-Mae WEEKES (independent) elected president; ran unopposed and was elected without a vote; she was Trinidad and Tabago's first female head of state
head of government
Prime Minister Kamla Susheila PERSAD-BISSESSAR (since 1 May 2025)
most recent election date
20 January 2023
election/appointment process
president indirectly elected by an electoral college of selected Senate and House of Representatives members for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); the president usually appoints the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives as prime minister
expected date of next election
by February 2028
National holiday
Independence Day, 31 August (1962)
National color(s)
red, white, black
Political parties
People's National Movement or PNM United National Congress or UNC Tobago People’s Party or Tobago
Legislative branch
note
note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly (19 seats; 15 assemblymen directly elected by simple majority vote and 4 appointed councilors - 3 on the advice of the chief secretary and 1 on the advice of the minority leader; members serve 4-year terms)
legislature name
Parliament
legislative structure
bicameral
National anthem(s)
title
"Forged From the Love of Liberty"
history
adopted 1962; song originally written as an anthem for the West Indies Federation; Trinidad and Tobago adopted it when the Federation dissolved
lyrics/music
Patrick Stanislaus CASTAGNE
National symbol(s)
scarlet ibis (bird of Trinidad), cocrico (bird of Tobago), chaconia flower
National coat of arms
designed in 1962, the coat of arms shows the scarlet ibis (national bird of Trinidad) and the cocrico (national bird of Tobago); they support a shield displaying two hummingbirds, because Trinidad is home to 18 species of the bird and is called the “Land of Hummingbirds;” three gold ships on a backdrop of national colors represent Christopher Columbus, who visited the islands; the three peaks in the lower left refer to Trinidad being named after the Holy Trinity and also represent a famous mountain; the image of a gold ship's wheel in front of a coconut palm was also used on the Great Seals of British Colonial Tobago; the gold helmet represents Queen Elizabeth II of England (ruler of the country at the time), and the national motto promotes harmony in diversity
Administrative divisions
9 regions, 3 boroughs, 2 cities, 1 ward regions: Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo, Diego Martin, Mayaro/Rio Claro, Penal/Debe, Princes Town, Sangre Grande, San Juan/Laventille, Siparia, Tunapuna/Piarco borough: Arima, Chaguanas, Point Fortin cities: Port of Spain, San Fernando ward: Tobago
Legislative branch - lower chamber
chamber name
House of Representatives
term in office
5 years
number of seats
42 (all directly elected)
electoral system
plurality/majority
scope of elections
full renewal
most recent election date
4/28/2025
expected date of next election
April 2030
percentage of women in chamber
23.8%
parties elected and seats per party
United National Congress (UNC) (26); People's National Movement (PNM) (13); Other (2)
Legislative branch - upper chamber
chamber name
Senate
term in office
5 years
number of seats
31 (all appointed)
scope of elections
full renewal
most recent election date
5/23/2025
expected date of next election
May 2030
percentage of women in chamber
25.8%
Diplomatic representation in the US
FAX
[1] (202) 785-3130
chancery
1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036-1975
telephone
[1] (202) 467-6490
chief of mission
Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Venessa RAMHIT-RAMROOP (since 4 June 2025)
consulate(s) general
Miami, New York
email address and website
embdcinfo@foreign.gov.tt https://foreign.gov.tt/missions-consuls/tt-missions-abroad/diplomatic-missions/embassy-washington-dc-us/
Diplomatic representation from the US
FAX
(868) 822-5905
embassy
15 Queen's Park West, Port of Spain
telephone
(868) 622-6371
mailing address
3410 Port of Spain Place, Washington DC 20521-3410
chief of mission
Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Jenifer NEIDHART de ORTIZ (since January 2025)
email address and website
ptspas@state.gov https://tt.usembassy.gov/
International organization participation
ACP, ACS, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club (associate), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction