Trinidad and Tobago

Broadcast media

16 TV networks (11 commercial, 5 non-commercial), 2 of which are state-owned that broadcast on multiple stations; 9 TV subscription service providers (cable and satellite); 19 radio networks, 1 state-owned, broadcast over about 35 stations (2016)

Internet country code

.tt

Internet users

total: 846,000 | percent of population: 69.2% (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 126

Telephone system

general assessment: excellent international service; good local service | domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity over 190 telephones per 100 persons | international: country code - 1-868; submarine cable systems provide connectivity to US and parts of the Caribbean and South America; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Barbados and Guyana (2015)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 270,872 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 22 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 116

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 2.123 million | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 174 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 152

Agriculture - products

cocoa, dasheen, pumpkin, cassava, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, hot pepper, pommecythere, coconut water, poultry

Budget

revenues: $8.731 billion | expenditures: $9.758 billion (2014 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-4% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 143

Central bank discount rate

6.75% (04 March 2016 est.) | 6.75% (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 50

Commercial bank prime lending rate

8% (31 December 2015 est.) | 7.9% (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 106

Current account balance

-$166 million (2015 est.) | $1.822 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 134

Debt - external

$2.115 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $2.072 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 149

Economy - overview

Trinidad and Tobago attracts considerable foreign direct investment from international businesses, particularly in energy, and has one of the highest per capita incomes in Latin America. Economic growth between 2000 and 2007 averaged slightly over 8% per year, significantly above the regional average of about 3.7% for that same period; however, GDP has slowed down since then, contracting during 2009-2012, making small gains in 2013 and contracting again in 2014-2015. | Energy production and downstream industrial use dominate the economy. Trinidad and Tobago produces about nine times more natural gas than crude oil on an energy equivalent basis with gas contributing about two-thirds of energy sector government revenue. Oil and gas account for about 40% of GDP and 80% of exports but less than 5% of employment. In 2013, Trinidad and Tobago was the world’s sixth-largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter and is home to one of the largest natural gas liquefaction facilities in the Western Hemisphere. The United States is the country’s largest trading partner, accounting for 33% of its total imports and taking 44% of its exports. | Trinidad and Tobago is buffered by considerable foreign reserves and a sovereign wealth fund that equals about one-and-a-half times the national budget, but the country is in a recession and the government faces the dual challenge of gas shortages and a low price environment. A projected 70% decrease in energy revenue to the government in 2016 will likely force cuts to the government budget, which has increased by 35% over the past six years. | Economic diversification is a longstanding government talking point, and Trinidad and Tobago has much potential due to its stable, democratic government and its educated, English speaking workforce. Although Trinidad and Tobago enjoys cheap electricity from natural gas, the renewable energy sector has recently garnered increased interest. The country is also a regional financial center with a well-regulated and stable financial system. Other sectors the Government of Trinidad and Tobago has targeted for increased investment and projected growth include tourism, agriculture, information and communications technology, and shipping. Unfortunately, a host of other factors, including low labor productivity, inefficient government bureaucracy, and corruption, have hampered economic development.

Exchange rates

Trinidad and Tobago dollars (TTD) per US dollar - | 6.57 (2016 est.) | 6.4 (2015 est.) | 6.4041 (2014 est.) | 6.4041 (2013 est.) | 6.39 (2012 est.)

Exports

$11.81 billion (2014 est.) | $12.77 billion (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 81

Exports - commodities

petroleum and petroleum products, liquefied natural gas, methanol, ammonia, urea, steel products, beverages, cereal and cereal products, cocoa, fish, preserved fruits, , cosmetics, household cleaners, plastic packaging

Exports - partners

US 26.3%, Argentina 12%, Brazil 6.6%, Chile 5.3%, Dominican Republic 5.2%, Barbados 5% (2015)

Fiscal year

1 October - 30 September

GDP (official exchange rate)

$25.43 billion (2015 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$45.19 billion (2015 est.) | $45.1 billion (2014 est.) | $45.56 billion (2013 est.) | note: data are in 2015 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 111

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 60.2% | government consumption: 13% | investment in fixed capital: 13.8% | investment in inventories: 0% | exports of goods and services: 44.4% | imports of goods and services: -31.5% (2014 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 0.5% | industry: 37.7% | services: 61.4% (2015 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$30,900 (2015 est.) | $31,500 (2014 est.) | $31,400 (2013 est.) | note: data are in 2015 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 58

GDP - real growth rate

0.2% (2015 est.) | -1% (2014 est.) | 2.3% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 207

Gross national saving

8% of GDP (2015 est.) | 18.1% of GDP (2014 est.) | 20.7% of GDP (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 159

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% | highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$8.386 billion (2014 est.) | $8.871 billion (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 104

Imports - commodities

mineral fuels, lubricants, machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals, live animals

Imports - partners

US 35.6%, China 6.8%, Gabon 6.6% (2015)

Industrial production growth rate

-5% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 188

Industries

petroleum and petroleum products, liquefied natural gas (LNG), methanol, ammonia, urea, steel products, beverages, food processing, cement, cotton textiles

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.7% (2015 est.) | 5.7% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 170

Labor force

649,100 (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 155

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 3.6% | manufacturing, mining, and quarrying: 11.2% | construction and utilities: 85.2% | services: 62.9% (2014 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$177.4 million (31 December 2015 est.) | $171.6 million (31 December 2014) | $170 million (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 117

Population below poverty line

17% (2007 est.)

Public debt

67.4% of GDP (2015 est.) | 57.6% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 47

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$13.59 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $12.33 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 70

Stock of broad money

$13.51 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $11.94 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 97

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$1.266 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 81

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$382.9 million (31 December 2014 est.) | $311.7 million (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 115

Stock of domestic credit

$7.432 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $6.93 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 111

Stock of narrow money

$7.422 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $6.907 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 89

Taxes and other revenues

34.3% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 64

Unemployment rate

3.2% (2015 est.) | 3.3% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 24

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

48 million Mt (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 58

Crude oil - exports

30,800 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 51

Crude oil - imports

78,340 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 54

Crude oil - production

78,630 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 48

Crude oil - proved reserves

700 million bbl (1 January 2015 es) | country comparison to the world: 44

Electricity - consumption

9.1 billion kWh (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 96

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 201

Electricity - from fossil fuels

100% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 39

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 205

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 186

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 115

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 206

Electricity - installed generating capacity

2.353 million kW (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 105

Electricity - production

9.3 billion kWh (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 100

Electricity access

population without electricity: 12,452 | electrification - total population: 99.8% | electrification - urban areas: 100% | electrification - rural areas: 99% (2012)

Natural gas - consumption

24.67 billion cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 37

Natural gas - exports

17.41 billion cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 14

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 138

Natural gas - production

41.59 billion cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 20

Natural gas - proved reserves

325.7 billion cu m (1 January 2014 es) | country comparison to the world: 37

Refined petroleum products - consumption

56,000 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 106

Refined petroleum products - exports

113,800 bbl/day (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 44

Refined petroleum products - imports

31,630 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 140

Refined petroleum products - production

139,200 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 71

Area

total: 5,128 sq km | land: 5,128 sq km | water: 0 sq km | country comparison to the world: 174

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Delaware

Climate

tropical; rainy season (June to December)

Coastline

362 km

Elevation

mean elevation: 83 m | elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m | highest point: El Cerro del Aripo 940 m

Environment - current issues

water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and raw sewage; oil pollution of beaches; deforestation; soil erosion

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

11 00 N, 61 00 W

Geography - note

Pitch Lake, on Trinidad's southwestern coast, is the world's largest natural reservoir of asphalt

Irrigated land

70 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

agricultural land: 10.6% | arable land 4.9%; permanent crops 4.3%; permanent pasture 1.4% | forest: 44% | other: 45.4% (2011 est.)

Location

Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

measured from claimed archipelagic baselines | territorial sea: 12 nm | contiguous zone: 24 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm | continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental margin

Natural hazards

outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, asphalt

Population - distribution

population on Trinidad concentrated in the western half of the island; on Tobago in the southern half

Terrain

mostly plains with some hills and low mountains

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

Capital

name: Port of Spain | geographic coordinates: 10 39 N, 61 31 W | time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: yes | citizenship by descent: yes | dual citizenship recognized: yes | residency requirement for naturalization: 8 years

Constitution

previous 1962; latest 1976; amended many times, last in 2007 (2016)

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago | conventional short form: Trinidad and Tobago | etymology: explorer Christopher COLUMBUS named the larger island "La Isla de la Trinidad" (The Island of the Trinity) on 31 July 1498 on his third voyage; the tobacco grown and smoked by the natives of the smaller island or its elongated cigar shape may account for the "tobago" name, which is spelled "tobaco" in Spanish

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador John L. ESTRADA (since 19 April 2016) | embassy: 15 Queen's Park West, Port of Spain | mailing address: P. O. Box 752, Port of Spain | telephone: [1] (868) 622-6371 through 6376 | FAX: [1] (868) 822-5905

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Anthony Wayne Jerome PHILLIPS SPENCER (since 27 June 2016) | chancery: 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 | telephone: [1] (202) 467-6490 | FAX: [1] (202) 785-3130 | consulate(s) general: Miami, New York

Executive branch

chief of state: President Anthony CARMONA (since 18 March 2013) | head of government: Prime Minister Keith ROWLEY (since 9 September 2015) | cabinet: Cabinet appointed from among members of Parliament | elections/appointments: 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); election last held on 15 February 2013 (next to be held by February 2018); the president usually appoints the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives as prime minister | election results: Anthony CARMONA (independent) elected president; electoral college vote - 100%

Flag description

red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side to the lower fly side; the colors represent the elements of earth, water, and fire; black stands for the wealth of the land and the dedication of the people; white symbolizes the sea surrounding the islands, the purity of the country's aspirations, and equality; red symbolizes the warmth and energy of the sun, the vitality of the land, and the courage and friendliness of its people

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

31 August 1962 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, 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

Judicial branch

highest resident 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); 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) | 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 appointed for life with mandatory retirement normally at age 65 | subordinate courts: Courts of Summary Criminal Jurisdiction; Petty Civil Courts; Family Court

Legal system

English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court

Legislative branch

description: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (31 seats; 16 members appointed by the ruling party, 9 by the president, and 6 by the opposition party; members serve 5-year terms;) and the House of Representatives (41 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms) | note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly (16 seats; 12 assemblymen directly elected by simple majority vote and 4 appointed councillors - 3 on the advice of the chief secretary and 1 on the advice of the minority leader; members serve 4-year terms) | elections: House of Representatives - last held on 7 September 2015 (next to be held in 2020) | election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote - NA; seats by party - PNM 23, UNC 18

National anthem

name: "Forged From the Love of Liberty" | lyrics/music: Patrick Stanislaus CASTAGNE | note: adopted 1962; song originally created to serve as an anthem for the West Indies Federation; adopted by Trinidad and Tobago following the Federation's dissolution in 1962

National holiday

Independence Day, 31 August (1962)

National symbol(s)

scarlet ibis (bird of Trinidad), cocrico (bird of Tobago), Chaconia flower; national colors: red, white, black

Political parties and leaders

Congress of the People or COP [Prakash RAMADHAR] | Democratic Action Congress or DAC [Hochoy CHARLES] (only active in Tobago) | Democratic National Alliance or DNA [Charles CARSON] (coalition of NAR, DDPT, MND) | Movement for National Development or MND [Garvin NICHOLAS] | National Alliance for Reconstruction or NAR [Lennox SANKERSINGH] | People's National Movement or PNM [Keith ROWLEY] | Tobago Organization of the People or TOP [Ashworth JACK] | United National Congress or UNC [Kamla PERSAD-BISSESSAR]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Jamaat-al Muslimeen [Yasin ABU BAKR]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

First colonized by the Spanish, the islands came under British control in the early 19th century. The islands' sugar industry was hurt by the emancipation of the slaves in 1834. Manpower was replaced with the importation of contract laborers from India between 1845 and 1917, which boosted sugar production as well as the cocoa industry. The discovery of oil on Trinidad in 1910 added another important export. Independence was attained in 1962. The country is one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean thanks largely to petroleum and natural gas production and processing. Tourism, mostly in Tobago, is targeted for expansion and is growing. The government is coping with a rise in violent crime.

Military branches

Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (TTDF): Trinidad and Tobago Army, Coast Guard, Air Guard, Defense Force Reserves (2010)

Military service age and obligation

18-25 years of age for voluntary military service (16 years of age with parental consent); no conscription; Trinidad and Tobago citizenship and completion of secondary school required (2012)

Age structure

0-14 years: 19.34% (male 120,214/female 115,821) | 15-24 years: 12.24% (male 77,738/female 71,629) | 25-54 years: 46.1% (male 292,819/female 269,855) | 55-64 years: 12.09% (male 73,457/female 74,062) | 65 years and over: 10.23% (male 54,334/female 70,550) (2016 est.)

Birth rate

13.1 births/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 152

Child labor - children ages 5-14

total number: 1,201 | percentage: 1% (2006 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

42.5% (2006)

Death rate

8.7 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 74

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 43.2% | youth dependency ratio: 29.8% | elderly dependency ratio: 13.5% | potential support ratio: 7.4% (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 95.1% of population | rural: 95.1% of population | total: 95.1% of population | urban: 4.9% of population | rural: 4.9% of population | total: 4.9% of population (2015 est.)

Ethnic groups

East Indian 35.4%, African 34.2%, mixed - other 15.3%, mixed African/East Indian 7.7%, other 1.3%, unspecified 6.2% (2011 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.22% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 30

HIV/AIDS - deaths

200 (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 74

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

10,800 (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 90

Health expenditures

5.9% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 131

Hospital bed density

2.7 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant mortality rate

total: 23 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 24.4 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 21.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 72

Languages

English (official), Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), French, Spanish, Chinese

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 72.9 years | male: 69.9 years | female: 75.9 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 138

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 99% | male: 99.2% | female: 98.7% (2015 est.)

Major infectious diseases

note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus (2016)

Major urban areas - population

PORT-OF-SPAIN (capital) 34,000 (2014)

Maternal mortality rate

63 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 112

Median age

total: 35.5 years | male: 35 years | female: 36 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 75

Nationality

noun: Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s) | adjective: Trinidadian, Tobagonian

Net migration rate

-6.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 200

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

32.3% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 31

Physicians density

1.18 physicians/1,000 population (2007)

Population

1,220,479 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 160

Population distribution

population on Trinidad is concentrated in the western half of the island, on Tobago in the southern half

Population growth rate

-0.17% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 212

Religions

Protestant 32.1% (Pentecostal/Evangelical/Full Gospel 12%, Baptist 6.9%, Anglican 5.7%, Seventh-Day Adventist 4.1%, Presbyterian/Congretational 2.5%, other Protestant 0.9%), Roman Catholic 21.6%, Hindu 18.2%, Muslim 5%, Jehovah's Witness 1.5%, other 8.4%, none 2.2%, unspecified 11.1% (2011 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 91.5% of population | rural: 91.5% of population | total: 91.5% of population | urban: 8.5% of population | rural: 8.5% of population | total: 8.5% of population (2015 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.09 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1.09 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female | total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.71 children born/woman (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 170

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 9.2% | male: 7.7% | female: 11.4% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 98

Urbanization

urban population: 8.4% of total population (2015) | rate of urbanization: -1.2% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Disputes - international

Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago abide by the April 2006 Permanent Court of Arbitration decision delimiting a maritime boundary and limiting catches of flying fish in Trinidad and Tobago's EEZ; in 2005, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago agreed to compulsory international arbitration under UN Convention on the Law of the Sea challenging whether the northern limit of Trinidad and Tobago's and Venezuela's maritime boundary extends into Barbadian waters; Guyana has expressed its intention to include itself in the arbitration, as the Trinidad and Tobago-Venezuela maritime boundary may also extend into its waters

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; producer of cannabis

Trafficking in persons

current situation: Trinidad and Tobago is a destination, transit, and possible source country for adults and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; women and girls from Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, and Colombia have been subjected to sex trafficking in Trinidad and Tobago’s brothels and clubs; some economic migrants from the Caribbean region and Asia are vulnerable to forced labor in domestic service and the retail sector; the steady flow of vessels transiting Trinidad and Tobago’s territorial waters may also increase opportunities for forced labor for fishing; international crime organizations are increasingly involved in trafficking, and boys are coerced to sell drugs and guns; corruption among police and immigration officials impedes anti-trafficking efforts | tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Trinidad and Tobago does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts decreased from the initiation of 12 prosecutions in 2013 to 1 in 2014; the government has yet to convict anyone under its 2011 anti-trafficking law, and all prosecutions from previous years remain pending; the government sustained efforts to identify victims and to refer them for care at NGO facilities, which it provided with funding; the government failed to draft a national action plan as mandated under the 2011 anti-trafficking law and did not launch a sufficiently robust awareness campaign to educate the public and officials (2015)

Airports

4 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 187

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 | over 3,047 m: 1 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 2 | 914 to 1,523 m: 1 | under 914 m: 1 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

9Y (2016)

Merchant marine

total: 4 | by type: passenger 1, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1 | registered in other countries: 2 (unknown 2) (2010) | country comparison to the world: 131

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 1 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 17 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 2,617,842 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 43,198,176 mt-km (2015)

Pipelines

condensate 257 km; condensate/gas 11 km; gas 1,567 km; oil 587 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Point Fortin, Point Lisas, Port of Spain, Scarborough | oil terminals: Galeota Point terminal | LNG terminal(s) (export): Port Fortin

Roadways

total: 9,592 km | paved: 5,524 km | unpaved: 4,068 km (2015) | country comparison to the world: 140