Trinidad basic facts
Official Name Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
Capital City Port-of-Spain
Population 1,300,000 (1994)
Official Language English
Currency Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TT$) (TTD1=100
Cents)
Notes $1, $5, $10, $20, $100
Coins 1 cent, 5, 10, 25, 50
Exchange Rate A floating rate system is in force.
Currently $1US=$6.24TT; $1CDN = $4.48TT
Taxes Departure Tax: $100TT (must be paid in local
currency)
Hotel Taxes 10% service charge, 10% Hotel Room Tax
Value Added Tax 15% on goods and services
Time Zone Summer: EST (Eastern Standard Time), equivalent
to GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)-5 hours; Winter: EST+1,
GMT-4. Daylight savings time is not observed in Trinidad
and Tobago.
Ethnic Profile 39.6% African descent 40.3% East Indian
descent
18.4% Mixed descent 0.6% European descent
0.4% Chinese descent 0.2% other
0.4% Not stated
Telephone/Fax Code 1 (868) + seven (7) digit local
number
Airports Trinidad: Piarco International Airport, 17
miles (27 km) from Port of Spain (airport code "POS")
Tobago: Crown Point International Airport, 7 miles
(10 km) from Scarborough (airport code "TAB")
Airlines Air Canada, American Airlines, BWIA International
Airways, British Caledonian, LIAT, Air Caribbean,
Surinam Airways, and several Charter Operators.
Emergency Services Police: call 999
Fire & Ambulance: call 990
Customs Travelers cheques and credit cards are accepted
by most establishments. For Customs and Excise purposes
only cash is accepted
Electricity 115 volts/230 volts (+/- 6%); 60hz
Business/Social Hints Appointments should be made
in advance.
For meetings, men should wear a lightweight suit,
this may be alternated with blazer and tie. Women
should wear equivalent suit.
It is customary to shake hands on meeting and taking
leave. Business cards are exchanged after introductory
formalities. Some companies/individuals are quite
formal whereas others rapidly dispense with formalities
once the initial introductions have been made.
Principal Banks These agencies have their main corporate
offices in Port of Spain and maintain international
links through their affiliates in North America and
Europe. Citibank Scotia Bank
First Citizens Bank Republic Bank
Royal Bank Intercommercial Bank
Banking hours are 0800-1400hrs Monday to Thursday,
0900-1200hrs and 1500-1700hrs on Fridays.
Major shopping malls also either contain ABMs (Automated
Banking Machines) or full service branches and generally
keep later opening hours ranging from 0800 - 1800hrs.
The banking system features LINX, which enables client
access to accounts from any ABM regardless of agency
in the country. LINX can also be used to make purchases
at retail outlets throughout the country. ABMs can
also be used to access advance cash withdrawals for
VISA, MasterCard and VISA Plus clients.
Business Hours Retail Outlets: 0800-1600hrs on Monday
to Thursday and Friday until 1800hrs. Retail outlets
based at shopping malls remain open till 2100hrs.
Offices: 0800 - 1600hrs Monday to Friday.
Mail Service is available from 0800 - 2100hrs. at
the Piarco Airport.
General offices operate from 0800 - 1530hrs. Duty
free shopping is available at the Cruise Ship Complex,
Piarco International Airport, and selected downtown
Port of Spain shops.
Media, Press Dailies: Trinidad Express, Trinidad
Guardian, NewsDay.
One (1) tri-weekly: The TNT Mirror.
Several weeklies: Catholic News, Tobago News, Bomb,
Blast, Show Time, The Independent
Media, Television Broadcast: TTT (channels 2 &13,
9 & 14); CCN TV-6 (channels 6 & 18); AVM Television
(channels 4 & 16).
Media, Radio AM: NBS Radio (610 AM); Radio Trinidad
(730AM)
FM: Hott 93 (93.5/93.1FM); The Rock (95.1FM); WEFM
(96FM); Music Radio 97 (97.1 FM); 98.9 YesFM (98.9
FM); NBS Radio (100 FM); WABC (103 FM); Radio Tempo
(105 FM); Classic Radio (106 FM); Central Radio (90.5
FM); Love (94.1 FM); Radio ICN (91.1 FM); Radio 104
(104 FM); Power 102 (102.5 FM)
Trinidad's Geography
Geography
Trinidad and Tobago are the southernmost islands of
the Caribbean archipelago, and are geologically an
extension of the South American continent.
Trinidad is separated from Venezuela by the seven
(7) mile (11km) straits of the Gulf of Paria.
Trinidad
Location: Latitude 10 1/2°N, Longitude 61 1/2°
W
Physical Area: Rectangular in shape, measures 37 miles
(60 km) by 50 miles (80 km).
Total Area: 1864 square miles (4828km2)
Major Cities: Port of Spain (capital), San Fernando
Major Towns: Arima, Point Fortin, Chaguanas
posted by Trinidad @ 9:03 AM 0 comments
Trinidad's economy
Trinidad and Tobago has the most diversified and
industrialised economy in the English-speaking Caribbean.
There are large reserves of petroleum and natural
gas, and well developed heavy industries - iron and
steel, methanol and nitrogenous fertilizers and petroleum
products.
Air, sea and land transportation links are excellent,
and telecommunications links with the Americas and
Europe are completely modern.
During the 1970's, high world oil prices created
a rapid expansion of the local economy, with real
GDP growing by 72.5% between 1970 and 1977. These
were the boom years in Trinidad and Tobago and much
of the country's infrastructure was developed during
this period. However, depressed oil prices coupled
with high levels of public expenditure led to a prolonged
period of economic contraction which began in 1988
and finally ended in 1993.
Now, after a period of radical economic adjustment
under IMF and World Bank supervision, the government
economic policy is well in line with prevailing market
principles: trade liberalisation, open market-driven
economy, rationalisation of the public sector, promotion
of private enterprise and foreign investment, and
development of exports and tourism.