Trinidad
&
Tobago
By Ifeaye S. Murray
Trinidad and Tobago
The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic
state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the
coast of north-eastern Venezuela and south of
Grenada in the Lesser Antilles. It shares maritime
boundaries with other nations including Barbados to
the northeast, Guyana to the southeast, and
Venezuela to the south and west.
History - Trinidad
• Christopher Columbus rediscovered the island of Trinidad on 31 July
1498.
• Spain colonises Trinidad in 1532.
• The island of Trinidad was surrendered to the British on 21 February
1797.
• Slavery was abolished in 1834
• Indentured workers from India were brought to work on the sugar
plantations in 1845
• The island of Tobago was annexed to Trinidad in 1889.
• Trinidad and Tobago becomes independent on 31 August 1962.
• Trinidad and Tobago becomes a Republic on 24 September 1976.
History - Tobago
• Columbus reported seeing Tobago on the distant horizon in 1498,
naming it Bellaforma, but did not land on the island.
• The present name of Tobago is thought to probably be a corruption of its
old name, "Tobaco".
• The Dutch colonise Tobago in the 1630s and plant sugar cane.
• The world’s oldest protected rainforest was set aside in Tobago in 1776.
• Tobago changed hands over 33 times for about 200 years among the
British, Dutch and French until it was ceded to Britain in 1814 for the
final time.
• Tobago was annexed to Trinidad in1889.
• Trinidad and Tobago becomes independent on 31 August 1962.
• Trinidad and Tobago becomes a Republic on 24 September 1976.
Tourism
There are many things for a tourist to do once he/she arrives in
Trinidad and Tobago.
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Some tourist attractions in T&T are:
Buccoo Reef, Tobago
Store Bay, Tobago
Maracas Bay, Trinidad
Asa Wright Nature Centre
Botanical Gardens
Emperor Valley Zoo
Caroni Bird Sanctuary
Carnival
Tobago Heritage Festival
Goat and Crab Races in Tobago
Pitch Lake at La Brea, South Trinidad
Transport
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The National airline of T&T, Caribbean Airlines(predecessor was BWIA), operates
routes from Trinidad to the USA, Canada and regionally.
There is a ferry service from Port of Spain(Trinidad) to Scarborough(Tobago).
There are two vessels that operate the route; The T&T Express and the T&T Spirit
There is a water taxi service from Port of Spain to San Fernando.
The Public Transport Service Corporation(PTSC)operates buses all over the
country.
There are ‘maxi taxis’ that operate all over the country. Just stop one and it will
take you to any destination on its route.
You can rent a car from many places in this country.
Main Cities
There are 4 main cities in T&T. Those cities are:
Port of Spain
San Fernando
Chaguanas
Scarborough
Food
There are many tasty delicacies to try out in T&T. Here are a
few of them.
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Doubles
Roti
Bake an’ Shark
Pelau
Culture
In Trinidad and Tobago we have a diverse culture. Here are a few aspects of it.
• Calypso, a type of music heard especially
around Carnival
• Carnival, dubbed the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’
• The Steelpan the National Instrument of T&T
• And many others!
Problems
Unfortunately, Trinidad and Tobago has a problem with crime. So if you
decide to visit, here are some precautions to take to ensure your safety.
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Don’t walk around with large sums of money.
Don’t accept anything from strangers.
Be aware of your surroundings
Secure your precious belongings.
Always walk together in groups, remember
tere is STRENGH IN NUMBERS!
WATCHING
FOR
THANKS
Bibliography
• Bing and Google for the images.
• Wikipedia for most of the info.
• YouTube for the excellent steel pan music.