Sources 

Works Cited

“A Celebration of Festivals.” Go Trinidad and Tobago. Tourism Development Company Limited, n.d. Web. 19 May 2015. <http://www.gotrinidadandtobago.com/resources/documents/13/tnt-festivals.pdf>.

“Geography of Trinidad and Tobago.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 19 May 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Trinidad_and_Tobago>.

Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Gov.tt, n.d. Web. 19 May 2015. <http://www.ttconnect.gov.tt/gortt/portal/ttconnect/!ut/p/a1/04_Sj9CPykssy0xPLMnMz0vMAfGjzO>.

“Indigenous Trinidad and Tobago.” Dumurei. Dumurei.com, n.d. Web. 19 May 2015. <http://www.dumurei.com/indigenoustrinidadandtobago.html>.

“Learn More About Trade in Trinidad and Tobago.” OEC. Macro Connections, n.d. Web. 19 May 2015. <https://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/profile/country/tto/>.

“Trinidad and Tobago.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 19 May 2015. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/605453/Trinidad-and-Tobago>.

“Trinidad and Tobago.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 19 May 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinidad_and_Tobago>.

“TTD: The Trinidadian Dollar.” XE. The World’s Trusted Currency Authority, n.d. Web. 19 May 2015. <http://www.xe.com/currency/ttd-trinidadian-dollar>.

Climate of Trinidad and Tobago 

Trinidad and Tobago are part of a tropical climate, and the islands go through two different seasons throughout the year. The first season is the dry season, and the second is the wet season. The wet season spans from May to November, and the dry season fills the rest of the year. Of the wet and dry seasons, July is the wettest part of the year, and March is the driest season. During the wet season, the average rainfall is 209 mm of rain each month, but during the dry season the average rainfall is around 70 mm of rain each month. 

Temperatures in the islands fluctuate little, and the average temperature is 27 degrees Celsius, or 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The local average water temperature is around the 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Water supply on the islands is limited. During the rainy season, rainwater can be collected, and is more abundant for the islands, but during the dry season it is a lot harder to collect sources of fresh water. Because of this, often times rural areas will suffer from water shortages.

Unlike other Caribbean islands, Trinidad and Tobago do not often suffer from natural disasters such as hurricanes. This is because of the large mountain ranges that protect the islands from severe weather. 

Climate of the islands is often described as paradise, and the warm weather draws people to the beautiful islands for vacation on the beaches. The issue that goes unnoticed by these visitors is that the people on the islands often struggle for fresh water sources, and this is an issue that needs to be solved. 

A Brief History of Trinidad and Tobago 

Trinidad and Tobago's first inhabitants were of the Taino and Carib people. These people most likely originated from South America as it is the closest continent in proximity to the islands. Columbus was the first European to come to Trinidad and Tobago, and he came with the purpose to find new land, riches, and to spread the word of god. With the arrival of Columbus and his crew (the first Europeans to see the islands), things began to change. The existing communities were not treated well by the newly arrived Europeans. Although there was time where the islanders thought they were being treated well and equally, things started to go downhill as more and more people arrived, and the natives began to be used as slaves in the islands, and were asked to convert to Christianity. Word spread of the availability of slaves on the islands, and Spanish settlers settled on the islands to enslave and control the trade of the islander slaves. Years past, and the communities of Caribs and Taino people were broken apart and faded away. 

Trinidad's name has been linked by historians to mean "Land of the Humming bird", but it has also been discovered to be named by Columbus as "La Isla De La Trinidad" and the meaning of this name is "The Island of the Trinity". This means that the island may have already had a name before settled, but was formally named by Columbus with a name modeled after the original. 

Tobago's name has been credited to the island's cigar-shaped land. The Spanish word for cigar is cigarro, and historians link this word to the name of the island as it has resemblance to the current name, Tobago. 

Pirates were a large part of the culture, especially in the late 1600's. If one were not able to find a source on income on land, and had nowhere else to turn to, they could join a crew on the seas and make their living as a pirate. Pirates were especially interested in Trinidad and Tobago because of their easily pirated harbors. The harbors in Trinidad and Tobago were also especially interesting to pirates because of the large amount of goods moving from the islands to Spain. 

In 1783, in an effort to increase the population of Trinidad and Tobago, the Spanish government invited French plantation owners to move their plantations to Trinidad, and gave them benefits such as free land. Once the plantations arrived in the island, there was a need for more laborers, and so slaves were traded from Africa, and the slave population slowly turned from mostly Caribbean to mostly African. 

Slave trade was abolished in 1807, but it was not until 1838 that all slavery was abolished. This occurred when in 1833 the government decided that slavery would be officially abolished in 1840, and until then, slaves would stay on at plantations as apprentices. Slaves were outraged and peacefully protested the law, and in 1838 were granted full emancipation.

Trinidad and Tobago have a convoluted history because of the colonization of the Europeans. This leaves me wondering what would have happened if Columbus hadn't landed on the shores of Trinidad and Tobago so long ago. 

The Government of Trinidad and Tobago 

The government of Trinidad and Tobago is a system modeled after Great Britain, This means that there is a unitary state, governed by a parliament that is voted on semi-democratically. Trinidad and Tobago gained independence from Great Britain in 1962, but remained a part of the commonwealth. This means that while Trinidad and Tobago have their own cabinet led by a Prime Minister, that holds a Senate, and a House of Representatives along with a president, they still are part of an organization of other commonwealth countries that recognize the royal family of Great Britain. The commonwealth has 53 member states.
Law making goes through the two houses of the parliament. This means that when a bill is introduced, it goes through a process within both of the houses to become a new law. This is very similar to the legislative branch and decisions made in the United States.
Local decisions are made by regional corporations. Regional corporations are sections of the land that hold differing populations, city centers, and land areas. These groups are responsible for decisions such as employment projects. road maintenance, and public health issues. The regional corporations are governed by the Ministry of Local Government. Here is map with all of the regional corporations:

Citizens have rights in the government of Trinidad and Tobago when it comes to electing members of the House of representatives (the voting age for citizens is 18). But unlike the United States, the Senate is made of people appointed to the position by the Prime Minister. The people also do not have the power to elect either the president or the Prime Minister as the president is elected by an electoral college, and the president selects the Prime Minister from the parliament.

Two major political parties in Trinidad and Tobago are the People's National Movement, and the United National Congress. These parties often time follow racial lines, as most often Afro-Trinidadians support the People's National Movement, and Indo-Trinidadians follow the United National Congress.
A major issue in the islands today is the policy that surrounds the movement to reduce poverty in the country. Poverty is a large issue on the islands, and the government has tried initiatives to attempt and address the issue, but as different parties believe in different ways of helping those in poverty, there is disagreement over what decisions should be made, and what should be left unchanged.

Trinidad an Tobago have a complex government, and it is interesting to learn how it differs from the United States, as there is a much smaller land area, and population. It is also important to understand how being part of the commonwealth comes into play in the government and decision making. 

The Geography of Trinidad and Tobago 

Trinidad and Tobago are located in the southeast corner of the Caribbean Sea, just north of Venezuela. The closest area of the United States (Florida) to Trinidad and Tobago is about 1,615 mi and a three hour flight. Trinidad is about 1,980 square miles, and Tobago is 115.8 square miles. Trinidad is the larger of the two islands, and Tobago is situated about 40 miles northeast of Trinidad. Visitors and citizens can take a ferry between the two islands that is about 3 hours long. 

Trinidad has scattered topography. Trinidad has three main mountain ranges. The first is called the Northern mountain range and it consists of two large peaks: The first is El Cerro del Aripo and reaches 3,084 ft, and the second is El Tucuche which climbs to 3,070 ft. The second of the mountain ranges is called the Central mountain range and extends diagonally across the island, and reaches a maximum elevation of 1,066 ft. Finally, there is the Southern mountain range that consists of a broken line of hills that reaches a maximum elevation of about 1,000 ft.
Tobago is even more mountainous and is dominated by the Main mountain range which is 18 mi long and reaches a maximum elevation of 2,099 ft.  

Trinidad and Tobago consist of 365 km (or 226 mi) of coastline bordering the Atlantic Ocean, and Caribbean Sea, and consist of numerous bays, and beaches. The land between mountains is green and luscious, 43%f the land is forested, and the surrounding areas are flat plains. The land is rich with oil, and semi-fertile land.   

Flora and Fauna are numerous in the islands. Compared to other Caribbean islands, Trinidad and Tobago have the most diverse species as, in the past, their land was attached to South America. Trinidad and Tobago's most famous flora an fauna include the nine-banded armadillo, the west Indian manatee, the little tobago (bird), and many interesting species of plants living in the tropical dry forests located on the islands.    

Land use is a large subject in the islands, as space is limited. Space is used mainly for manufacturing plants, agriculture, retail and hotels, etc. This leaves an observer with the question, where do the islanders put their trash? Just like any other place, islanders throw away tons of trash each day (on average 4 lbs per day per person), so where does it all go on such a small island? There is an issue with where people put their trash, the people in the islands produce too much trash to have a place to put it, and conflict around this issue is a large topic. Currently, 1,000 tons of trash reach trash removal companies on the islands each day, and these companies along with the government are trying to find a way to make more space for it all. The method of land-filling is popularly used to remove this trash, and is done by filling the land with trash, and covering it up with dirt, and starting all over again with another layer, but space for this is limited. The largest of these landfills is called Beetham landfill, and it holds 65% of the islands' trash.

Trinidad and Tobago have beautiful land, but there are many issues surrounding how it should be used because it is so limited. Collectively, Trinidad and Tobago cover about as much as land as the state of Delaware, imagine trying to fit a whole country, and all that comes with it, into that small of a space. In comparison, Delaware can fit into the United States 1,528 times. Land use is an issue on many island nations, and it is interesting to see how each one handles its unique situation.  

Economy of Trinidad and Tobago 

The economy of Trinidad and Tobago is run by telephone services, tourism, and energy. Because of this jobs are mainly found with telephone companies, tourist destinations, and energy plants. The job market runs relatively well in the islands, as many people can find jobs in these major industries. Telephone companies hire citizens for costumer service, line maintenance and store managers. Tourist destinations hire waiters, managers, cleaners, and many others. The tourism industry, because of it's size, also creates opportunities for the population to build new businesses to cater to the hundreds of visitors each year. Energy plants supply jobs to all kinds of citizens, as they hire people for all sorts of jobs, from manual labor jobs to higher paying jobs like managing sites. 

The Trinidadian Dollar is the currency of the country, and it currently has a value of .15 US dollars. For example, a tube of toothpaste costs 2.15 USD, and 13.56 TD (Trinidadian Dollar). Average income on the islands is 10,810 USD. Compared to the average income in the United States which is 50,500 USD this is not a large income. This can be credited to the types of jobs found on the islands, not many high paying jobs can be found on either of the islands, and opportunities are more abundant in the United States. 

Trade is extremely important in Trinidad and Tobago, and because of the island's proximity to the ocean, large shipments of goods are sent out to other destinations, and arrive in the ports of Trinidad and Tobago each day. The island relies heavily on outside areas for many resources, so their imports are extremely important. Trinidad and Tobago's main imports include iron ore, gas, machines, chemical products, and food products. These products are critical to the islands, but the they also export many goods including: gas, car parts, baked goods, flavored water, fish, and toilet paper. The most prevalent of these exports is gas. The islands have sources of oil that make them able to trade readily with other nations.

Trinidad and Tobago have a very reliant economy, but thanks to the oil supply, they are able to trade easily with other countries. As the years go on, tourism also becomes a very important part of the economy, and it is interesting to see how these islands with little resources can strive to  thrive with what their land can offer. 

Trinidad and Tobago Culture

Trinidad and Tobago are an island country home to an interesting, and energetic culture. With a total of 1.3 million inhabitants, 96% of the population lives on Trinidad, and 4% live on Tobago. 35% of the population is Indo-Trinbagonian, 34% is Afro-Trinbagonian, 23% of the population is of a mixed ethnicity, and the remaining 8% identify with another ethnicity.  Most people who live in these islands originate from India, or west Africa, along with some Asian countries.
English is the country's official language, but there are many English-based creole languages spoken along with English including Trinidadian Creole, Tobagonian Creole, and French Creole. English spoken on the islands has a recognizable accent and dialect.
Trinidad and Tobago are home to many religious groups including Christianity (63% of the population), Hinduism (18%), Islam (5%), and many other various religions. In Christianity, there are six major denominations.

Trinidad and Tobago, because of the variation of ethnicity present, have a very mixed style of cuisine. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner each have exciting different variations. Breakfast is often times savory and includes vegetables, where lunch and dinner often times include chicken or fish, and use curries. All of these foods have different backgrounds: from India to Africa, Trinidad and Tobago cuisine has exotic flavors. Street food is also popular, as vendors scatter beaches along the coasts. Slushies, ice creams, and popsicles are popular on hot days, and sausage rolls, steamed buns, and pies are popular all year round. Here are some pictures of street food in the islands:

Carnival is a popular and exciting time of year in Trinidad and Tobago. The islands have large parties, festivals, and parades during this time, and the cities are full of color, people, music and performances. People spend can spend a whole year preparing for carnival, and it is an extremely popular activity to be a part of a carnival band. Here is a picture of carnival in Trinidad:

It has become so popular, that people come from all around the world to celebrate with the islands. While carnival may be the most well known festival in Trinidad and Tobago, there are many more holidays celebrated by the citizens. Trinidad and Tobago also celebrate Christian holidays such as Easter and Christmas, Muslim holidays like Eid Al-Fitr, and many other religious holidays. Special national holidays that Trinidad and Tobago celebrate that the United States do not have include Indian Arrival Day. and Emancipation Day.

Fashion and music are a large part of Trinidad and Tobago's culture. Fashion is vibrant in these islands as they hold a yearly fashion week, and through the year prepare fashionable carnival outfits and costumes. Music in Trinidad and Tobago is diverse ranging from dance hall music, to traditional sounds, to modern day American influenced pop music. Famous musicians from Trinidad and Tobago include Billy Ocean, Patrice Roberts, and Destra Garcia.

Trinidad and Tobago have vibrant cultures. Branching from places all around the world, the culture is not only interesting, but also diverse and accommodating to all many types of people.