Trinidad and Tobago

* Trinidad and Tobago is a twin island republic situated at the southernmost end of the Caribbean Island chain. Venezuela (South America) can easily be seen from any northwestern Trinidad hilltop, only seven miles away. The nation boasts a population of about 1.3 million persons of widely varying racial and religious backgrounds. It has a fascinating culture born from the mixture of these peoples and religions which has produced things like steel band, calypso, limbo, Caribbean style carnival, soca, chutney and some of the best food on earth.

* Trinbago has a vibrant economy; according to more than one news source Trinidad and Tobago has the third largest economy in the western hemisphere. I have not verified this, but I believe it; Trinidad is the second largest supplier of L.N.G. (liquefied natural gas) to the U.S. and is also a major oil producing country. Having the third largest economy would put Trinbago behind only the U.S. and Canada, and ahead of Mexico, Brazil, Columbia and Jamaica. The Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) went into limited effect on January 1, 2005, beginning a political and economic union among Caribbean states on the model of the European Union (EU) and African Union (AU). Trini banks and corporations already do brisk business throughout the region.

Trinidad

* Trinidad is the larger and more cosmopolitan of the two islands, with more cities, more population and more industry than Tobago. About 50 miles long and 37 miles wide, Trinidad is home to the capitol city, Port of Spain. Here you will find the seat of government, a sprawling commercial center and the scene of major carnival events. Other cities include Sangre Grande, Arima, San Fernando, Point Fortin, Chaguanas. San Juan and my favorite city name, Tunapuna.

* Almost half the population of Trinidad is of African origin with an equally large East Indian population. You will also find Trinis of Chinese, Syrian and European origin, and remnants of the Island's original inhabitants; Carib and Arawak "Indians". Trinis pride themselves on their racial tolerance and cosmopolitan culture, something that is in many instances true and in many others a cruel fantasy.

* Christobal Colon landed on (and named) Trinidad during his third voyage in the 1490's. The Spanish promptly set about slaughtering the natives and converting the survivors to Catholicism while enslaving them. In 1783 the sleepy backwater Spanish colony got the King of Spain to invite Catholic slave owners running from the revolt in Santo Domingo, and they flooded Trinidad with their slaves in tow.

* The British invaded in 1797, took Port of Spain without firing a shot, and set up more slave plantations. When slavery was outlawed in 1834, the British brought thousands of East Indian "indentures" to work the sugar cane fields abandoned by ex-slaves. Trinidad and Tobago were lumped together as one colony in 1889, independence from Britain came in 1962, and republic status a few years later.

* The most exciting event in recent history occurred when Trini Muslim dissidents stormed Parliament in the Red House (seat of government in Port of Spain) in 1990, taking the Prime Minister and the Members of Parliament hostage. After blowing up a police station, capturing the government TV station and shooting the Prime Minister in the foot, a three day seige ended with a reform agreement, release of the hostages and amnesty for the rebels. Coup members are walking the streets of Trinidad today.

Tobago

* Tobago is just a few miles offshore from Trinidad, and is largely populated by the descendants of African slaves. It is 26 miles long and 7 miles wide, with a mixture of picturesque rural fishing villages, gorgeous beaches and fancy resort hotels. A recent influx of German and other European ex-pats has started a mini land boom for prime real estate.

* Voted the Best Tourist Destination by travel writers in 2004, Tobago has reef tours, nature tours, fishing rentals, scuba shops and other tourist infrastructure aimed at making visitors feel they're in paradise while on vacation. Trinidad has some of the same things, but is more suited to business travelers than vacationers, except during Carnival. While Tobago is like what most Americans think of when they imagine a Caribbean island, Trinidad is more like New York with palm trees.

* Tobago was a separate colony until the late nineteenth century when it was joined to Trinidad by the British. Named for the tobacco grown there on slave plantations, Tobago changed hands seventeen times as the French, British, Dutch and Spanish navies (and pirates) battled for control of the island. The century long unification with Trinidad has not always been smooth; Tobagonians sometimes feel they are treated like a little brother by larger Trinidad. Occasionally there are rumblings about secession, but most citizens of both islands are proud to be Trinbagonians.

The Pitch Lake in southern Trinidad, source of much of the world's asphalt

Carnival Revelers

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