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Trinidad and Tobago enjoys a warm tropical climate, tempered by the north-east trade winds. The average daytime temperature is 29? C (83? F), with maximums in the mid 30s. The wet season is from June to December, but rain usually falls in short, intense bursts, and most days have lots of sunshine. The early months of the year are drier.
Trinidad
Do you have a sister or brother that?s really lively? That?s Trinidad!
When first-time visitors come to the Caribbean, they may expect to find a laid-back paradise of pina coladas and poolsides. Trinidad challenges the status quo; breaks the mold. You can chart your own adventure with our help of course, and discover the unexpected with a vast choice of festivals, fun events and a host of other adrenaline-generating activities.
Port of Spain, our bustling capital city, is filled with an enchanting myriad of art galleries and restaurants. At the National Museum you can delve into the culture of our country and its diverse people.
The gorgeous, sandy beaches along our North Coast provide the perfect atmosphere for seclusion, rest and recreation. Dominated by densely forested peaks, the northern interior offers excellent hiking trails framed by canopies of lush, indigenous rain forest, while the low, predominantly agricultural plains of Central Trinidad strike a fascinating contrast.
Our East Coast is home to protected wetlands and miles of beach frontage lined by groves of coconut palms, known to locals as the ?Cocal?. The island?s ?Industrial Capital? is a hilly, friendly base from which to explore the island?s modern oil towns, picturesque fishing villages and calm, deserted beaches.
Tobago
The more serene of the siblings, Tobago is home to the oldest protected rainforest in the Western Hemisphere. It really is the last of the unspoilt Caribbean. Once you behold her beauty, you will understand why Tobago was Robinson Crusoe?s isle ? and why our European settlers fought over her ownership more than any other Caribbean island. This strip of elongated land, just 41 by 14 kilometres, abounds with natural allure - palm-lined beaches, lush rain forests and pristine coral reefs teeming with rich marine life.
Contrasts of rolling hills against wave-beaten shores create a stunning backdrop for the island?s unequalled beauty. The South (Windward) Coast is washed by the dark green, wave-whipped Atlantic and is lined with vibrant fishing villages, while the North (Leeward) Coast provides Tobago with some of its finest beaches. In the main, the eastern landscape of the interior rises steeply into tall peaks and rolling hillocks, providing shelter for the oldest protected forest reserve in the Western Hemisphere.
The islands' first inhabitants were Amerindians of the Arawak and Carib tribes. Columbus encountered Trinidad in 1498, but the island remained a neglected corner of the Spanish empire until the 1780s, when an influx of French Catholic settlers and their African slaves marked the real beginning of the country's modern history. After Trinidad was captured by the British in 1797, the population began to grow steadily; during the 19th century, labourers were imported from various other parts of the world - chiefly India, but also China and the Portuguese island of Madeira. Tobago was long fought over by Dutch, French, British, and Latvian settlers, but from 1762 was controlled primarily by Britain. In 1888 the two islands became a single political entity, a crown colony of the British empire. Since independence in 1962, Trinidad and Tobago has been a parliamentary democracy; in 1976 it became a republic within the Commonwealth, cutting ceremonial ties with the old "mother country". In 1980 the Tobago House of Assembly was re-established, giving a significant degree of internal self-government to the smaller island.
The nation's capital is Port of Spain, in north-west Trinidad. Other important Trinidadian towns include San Fernando, Arima, Chaguanas and Point Fortin. Tobago's capital is Scarborough.
Port of Spain
The capital city of our twin island Republic, Port of Spain, enjoys the reputation of being one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the entire Caribbean. Here, modern high rise buildings rub shoulders with more traditional Caribbean architecture.
The year was 1757 and Port of Spain was a mere little seaside port. The capital of this then-Spanish colony was at the time located in the Northern Range at San ?Jose de Oruna? or St. Joseph as we call it today. It was the arrival of Governor Pedro de La Moneda that precipitated the move ? he was appalled at the dilapidated state of St. Joseph and preferred to run the affairs of the colony from ?Puerto d?Espana?. He had little support for this move, since, at the time, Port of Spain was little more than two streets and a swamp.
Port of Spain is now a sprawling city that has grown to encompass its former suburbs of Woodbrook, St. Clair and Belmont. Ringed by the hills of the Northern Range and fronted by the Gulf of Paria, it is a buzzing city where you can find some of the best shopping in the Caribbean, several historic buildings worth visiting and lots of great food. But perhaps what is most interesting about Port of Spain is the diversity of our people ? a true representation of Trinidad and Tobago.
Scarborough
While Tobago has been the most fought-over territory in the entire Caribbean, Scarborough has been the most fought-over settlement. After the Europeans first settled the village in 1654, the area and its environs was known as Lampsinsburgh - and it took many battles among the English, the Dutch and the French to have it emerge as the "Scarborough" we know today. In 1769, the House of Assembly was transferred from Georgetown to Scarborough, making it the capital of the island.
Today, Scarborough is still the chief port and administrative centre of Tobago - you can get a wonderful bird's eye view of the town from the British-built Fort King George which guards her from an impressive height. It is a town rich with history and still resplendent with the charm and natural beauty for which Tobago is famous.
The Borough of Chaguanas, located in Central Trinidad is one of our oldest known settlements, pre-dating the Spanish colonists. The story goes that it was named after the indigenous tribe that lived in the area at the time, the Chaguanes.
Historically, Chaguanas was ignored by the Spanish and only came into prominent use after the island became a British colony. The area was considered to be excellent for the cultivation of sugar cane and as a result, several large estates, including "Felicite" and "Woodford Lodge" came into being. At this time, Chaguanas was known for being an agricultural centre specifically relating to the cultivation and production of sugar cane. Records indicate that it was one of the first places to receive indentured East Indian labourers, starting from 1845. These workers were brought in to work on estates after the abolition of slavery and to this day there remains a large population of East Indian descendants in Chaguanas.
Today, the town remains a central meeting place. Not only is it noted for its produce market, it is also home to several malls for fine bargain shopping. Situated just off the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway, it still a hub for the surrounding districts. Another interesting feature of Chaguanas is "Hanuman House", a building of great significance to the literary world, having been the inspiration for several works by Nobel Laureate Sir. V.S. Naipaul, most notably "A House for Mr. Biswas".
Trinidad and Tobago is the Caribbean's strongest economy, thanks to abundant natural resources, including both oil and natural gas. There is also a healthy industrial sector, including manufacturing and heavy industry. Tourism, mainly concentrated in Tobago, is also important, and agriculture remains a small but crucial part of the national economy.
The official language is English, but the local dialect contains many words and expressions borrowed from Trinidad and Tobago's many ancestral cultures.