Detailed interactive map Trinidad and Tobago
The native land of carnival, steel bands, calypso and limbo dancing, Trinidad and Tobago's mixture of different cultures and nationalities gives them an air of cosmopolitan agitation.
The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean. The country consists of two main islands, Trinidad and Tobago, and 21 smaller islands. The terrain of the islands is a mixture of mountains and plains. The two islands have distinct personalities. Trinidad is larger of the two islands, and is the location of most of the country's cities and activity. It is also the country's industrial center, especially for petroleum and natural gas production. Tobago is different from her sister isle. Tobago's idyllic natural beauty makes it one of the greatest escapes in the Caribbean. It is a calm island with turquoise waters and a number of fine beaches, each with their own flavor. It has forests of breadfruit, mango, cocoa, and citrus through which a chartreuse-colored iguana will suddenly dart. They include Pigeon Point on the southwest coast. Buccoo Reef, an extensive coral reef, lies offshore. Recently, tourism in Tobago has increased and now it’s a popular tourist destination. The people of Trinidad and Tobago are mainly of African or East Indian descent. Columbus landed on and named Trinidad in 1498, and Spaniards settled the island a century later. Spanish colonizers largely wiped out the original inhabitants Arawak and Carib Indians. During the colonial period, French, Dutch, and British forces fought over possession of Tobago, and the island changed hands 22 times--more often than any other West Indies island. The two islands of Trinidad and Tobago were incorporated into a single colony in 1888. Trinidad and Tobago became a republic in 1976.Port of Spain, the capital of the country surrounded by lush green hills, is a business hub of oil-rich Trinidad. Bazaars crowd near modern skyscrapers and mosques press the cathedrals in this city. Trinidad and Tobago is famous for its pre-Lenten Carnival. Dancing processions are accompanied by music from steel bands, with calypso and soca music played on large loudspeakers carried on large trucks. Every year during the last week in July and first week in August, the Tobago heritage festival takes place. It is a two week long show of dance, music, story telling, culture and food. The country is also the birthplace of calypso music and the steel pan, which is widely claimed to be the only acoustic musical instrument invented during the 20th century. Welcoming visitors, an impressive infrastructure of modern hotels, restaurants, airports, tourism offices and information centers has been developed to add to everybody comfort and pleasure.
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Trinidad and Tobago
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