the Travel Enthusiast
- 13 May
Adam in Amazing Places | NO COMMENTSThe Heavenly Trinidad and Tobago
The outstanding Maracas in Trinidad ©neiljs/flickr
Trinidad and Tobbago is a beautiful Caribbean island very close to Venezuela. It is unique compared to the other Islands of the Caribbean since the island was part of the South American mainland about 10.000 years ago and has a diverse fauna and flora which is similar to Venezuela.
The capital of the country is Port of Spain and the coastline is 362 km. Some other important cities are
- Chaguanas The town is well known for its Sugar refinery industry as well as bargain shopping. It has a population of 77,400.
- Marabella It is one of Trinidad and Tobago’s vibrant cities. With its constant nightlife, filled with bars, restaurants and clubs that are opened 24/7. The population is 26,700.
The infrastructure is developed and the country is easily accessible because of its size although there are no railways.
The political status of the country is republic. The official and national language of Trinidad and Tobago is English. Languages like Spanish, French, Chinese and Hindi are also spoken in the country.
The main attractions of the country are:
- Englishman’s Bay. It is said that this is the islands most beautiful bays. The surroundings are exceptional and lies between Castara and Parlatuvier.
- Castara Bay lies on the Picturesque village of Castara which is famous for its beautiful sandy beaches and palm trees.
- Maracas Bay is near the capital of Port of Spain and is known for its long beach and leisure activities such surfing and snorkeling
- Nylon Pool. In fact it is a sea shallow that resembles a swimming pool. It is known for its very clean water.
The climate of Trinidad and Tobago is tropical. From January to May is the dry season and from June to December is the wet season. The most common temperature is from 20 to 30 degrees.
Unlike other Caribbean islands, the topography, its diverse flora and fauna is more associated with the South American continent rather than the Caribbean hemisphere.
Trinidad and Tobago is known for its rivers, and thanks to these rivers, the island is well supplied. Trinidad’s highest point is El Cirro del Aripo which is 940 meters high. Mountain ranges, swamps, lakes, bays, jungles, rolling hills, beautiful beaches and tiny string islands also comprise the island.
Trinidad and Tobago is well known for its exceptional beaches and bays, Englishman’s Bay is one example ©Rob le Pair/flickr
Because Trinidad and Tobago is more industrialized than most Caribbean islands and focuses primarily on oil and natural gas exploitation, it faces issues such as deforestation, oil pollution of beaches, water pollution and soil erosion.
Despite those issues, the vegetation of the country is one of the greenest in the world. 50% of the country is covered by forests and jungles. It has various types of palm trees that are widespread throughout the island.
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travel search by Travelgrove (get this widget)Being a secular state, Trinidad and Tobago grants freedom of religion. Beside of Christianism(55%), Hinduism(19%) and Islam (5%) are also widely present.
In spite of the fact that the health care system has recently suffered, the country still has a good reputation for having well equipped hospitals all around the country and also for having a prosperous health care in general. Only below 2% of the population were reported being HIV positive.
The capital of Trinidad and Tobago from above, Port of Spain ©Glen/flickr
Trinidad and Tobago is one of the wealthiest nations in the Caribbeans.
Trinidad has a very complex economy despite the islands size; it mainly deals with agriculture, minerals extraction, industry and tourism.
It is third by GDP standards after the United States and Canada. The economy of the country is very industrialized (oil and natural gas extraction) but tourism, services, agriculture and mineral extraction also play and important role for it.
Immigration and customs in Trinidad and Tobago are severe. Visas are required for most foreign visitors. Import of honey, marine plants, animals, and coconut palm products is prohibited.
Travelling within the country is relatively easy. Once a former British colony, there’s left side traffic. Be wary, even if taxis are widespread throughout the country, they are not metered and fares must be agreed before taking a cab.
According to “The Travel Health”, vaccination against yellow fever is recommended when entering the country. Other precautionary measures are recommended against hepatitis B and diphtheria.
The Brief History of Trinidad and Tobago.
The islands of Trinidad and Tobago were known to be separate territories until 1888. Being a strategical important and good location for many reasons, it was constantly invaded by European powers for centuries.
Before Christopher Columbus’ arrival on the island in 1489, Trinidad and Tobago, like most of the Caribbean and some parts of South America, was inhabited by the Arawak indigenous people.
Etymologically, the name Tobago means “Tavaco” in Carib. The tavaco was a pipe that the Amerindians used to smoke tobacco leaves
Most of them werel killed by Dutch settlers in the 17th century. Later on more settlers from the Netherlands and France arrived.
The island was the price of several wars and battles between European powers (especially France and Great Britain) than any other Caribbean island. Spanish, Dutch, French and British influence is still widespread throughout the nation.
A quintessential Trinidad and Tobago view ©Timothy Corbin/flickr
Despite many conflicts over the island between France and Great Britain, Trinidad and Tobago was finally occupied by the British in 1797 and officially became a Crown Colony in 1802. Slavery was abolished in 1834 and free trade was established in 1846.
After a time of development, in the 1920’s the Trinidadians started organizing trade unions, wishing for greater democracy and later on, independence. Initially the new constitution brought limited rights for them. Not being satisfied with the limited rights for political expressions which started labor disturbances in 1937.
However in the 1950’s changes started to appear. Between 1959-1960 talks were being held in the UK which established a new constitution and also formed a full internal self-government and a bicameral parliament. Being one of the founding members of the West Indies, the foundation aimed for independence from the United Kingdom.
A scenic beach in Trinidad and Tobago ©Timothy Corbin/flickr
The country received its dream, it finally became independent from the United Kingdom in 1962 and while it retained Queen Elizabeth II as head of state, which was short lived since the country also became a republic in 1976.
In 1990, A Muslim militant faction called Jamaat al Muslimeen organized a coup d’etat against the parliament, taking prime minister Robinson and other members of the parliament for 5 days, which lead to a crisis.
The group surrendered, released the hostages and Patrick Manny took the position as prime minister in 1991.
Despite all the tragedies it faced, Trinidad and Tobago is still one of the wealthiest nations in the world and a popular tourist destination.
Tourists are attracted to its outstanding beaches and landscapes, making the destination one of a kind.
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