Map of Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago is a country in North America with its capital at Port of Spain, home to about 1.37 million people across 5,128 km². The interactive map below plots 2 cities and towns, 1 mountain summits and 8 ports recorded for Trinidad and Tobago in YearMaps.
- Population
- 1.37 million
- Area
- 5,128 km²
- Capital
- Port of Spain
- Continent
- North America
Interactive Map of Trinidad and Tobago
Centred on Port of Spain at 10.6520° N, 61.5170° W. Use the layer panel to switch on rivers, dams, ports, peaks and historical borders.
About Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost archipelagic country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several smaller islets. The capital city is Port of Spain, while its largest and most populous municipality is Chaguanas. Trinidad and Tobago comprises the southernmost islands of the Caribbean eastern islands chain, and it is close to the continent of South America, being north to northeast of Venezuela and northwest of Guyana.
Trinidad and Tobago is located six nautical miles (11 km; 6.9 mi) north to northeast off the coast of Venezuela, 70 nautical miles (130 km; 81 mi) south of Grenada, and 155 nautical miles (287 km; 178 mi) southwest of Barbados. Indigenous peoples inhabited Trinidad for centuries prior to Spanish colonisation, following the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1498. Spanish governor José María Chacón surrendered the island to a British fleet under Sir Ralph Abercromby's command in 1797. Trinidad and Tobago were ceded to Britain in 1802 under the Treaty of Amiens as separate states and unified in 1889. Trinidad and Tobago obtained independence in 1962, and became a republic in 1976.
Unlike most Caribbean countries and territories, which rely heavily on tourism, the economy is primarily industrial, based on large reserves of oil and gas. The country sees fewer hurricanes than most of the Caribbean because it is farther south.
Trinidad and Tobago is well known for its African and Indian Caribbean cultures, reflected in its large and famous Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, Hosay, and Diwali celebrations, as well as being the birthplace of the steelpan, the limbo, and musical styles such as calypso, soca, rapso, chutney music, and chutney soca.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Trinidad and Tobago (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Geography and Climate of Trinidad and Tobago
First colonized by the Spanish, Trinidad and Tobago came under British control in the early 19th century. The emancipation of enslaved people in 1834 disrupted the twin islands' sugar industry. Contract workers arriving from India between 1845 and 1917 augmented the labor force, which boosted sugar production as well as the cocoa industry. The discovery of oil on Trinidad in 1910 added another important export that remains the country's dominant industry. Trinidad and Tobago attained independence in 1962. The country is one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean, thanks largely to petroleum and natural gas production and processing. The government is struggling to reverse a surge in violent crime.
- Location
- Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela.
- Climate
- Tropical; rainy season (June to December)
- Terrain
- Mostly plains with some hills and low mountains.
- Highest point
- El Cerro del Aripo 940 m.
- Lowest point
- Caribbean Sea 0 m.
- Coastline
- 362 km.
- Land borders
- Total: 0 km.
- Natural resources
- Petroleum, natural gas, asphalt.
- Land use
- Agricultural land: 10.5% (2023 est.); arable land: 4.9% (2023 est.); permanent crops: 4.3% (2023 est.); permanent pasture: 1.4% (2023 est.); forest: 44.2% (2023 est.); other: 45.2% (2023 est.)
- Natural hazards
- Outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms.
- Geographic note
- Pitch Lake, on Trinidad's southwestern coast, is the world's largest natural reservoir of asphalt.
- Languages
- English (official), Trinidadian Creole English, Tobagonian Creole English, Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Trinidadian Creole French, Spanish, Chinese.
- Religions
- Protestant 32.1% (Pentecostal/Evangelical/Full Gospel 12%, Baptist 6.9%, Anglican 5.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 4.1%, Presbyterian/Congregational 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.)
- Ethnic groups
- East Indian 35.4%, African descent 34.2%, mixed - other 15.3%, mixed - African/East Indian 7.7%, other 1.3%, unspecified 6.2% (2011 est.)
- Economy
- High-income Caribbean economy; major hydrocarbon exporter; key tourism and finance sectors; high inflation and growing public debt; long foreign currency access delays; large foreign reserves and sovereign wealth fund.
From the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived edition of 2026-01-22. The Factbook is no longer updated, so figures reflect that edition.
Trinidad and Tobago in Numbers
- Population
- 1.37 million
- GDP
- US$25.9 billion
- GDP per person
- US$18,967
- Life expectancy
- 73.6 years
- Population growth
- -0.04% a year
- Population density
- 267 per km²
- Urban population
- 54.0%
- Surface area
- 5,128 km²
- Forest cover
- 44.2%
- Arable land
- 5.8%
- Access to electricity
- 100.0%
- Internet users
- 82.2%
Indicators from World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). The year under each figure is its reference year.
Trinidad and Tobago in Depth
History
Trinidad and Tobago were originally settled by Indigenous peoples migrating from South America. The earliest known settlement is at Banwari Trace in southwestern Trinidad, dating back to approximately 5000 BCE, making it the oldest pre-Columbian archaeological site in the Caribbean. The site has yielded artifacts and the remains of "Banwari Man," the oldest human skeleton found in the region.
At the time of European contact, Trinidad was inhabited by various Indigenous groups, including Arawakan-speaking peoples such as the Nepoya and Shebaya, and Cariban-speaking groups like the Yao. Tobago was inhabited by the Kalina (mainland Caribs).
Christopher Columbus was the first European to see Trinidad, on his third voyage to the Americas in 1498.
Geography
Trinidad and Tobago is situated between 10° 2' and 11° 12' N latitude and 60° 30' and 61° 56' W longitude, with the Caribbean Sea to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, and the Gulf of Paria to the west. It is located in the far south-east of the Caribbean region, with the island of Trinidad being just 6 nautical miles (11 km; 6.9 mi) off the coast of Venezuela in mainland South America across the Columbus Channel. The islands are a physiographic extension of South America.
Economy
Trinidad and Tobago is the most developed nation and one of the wealthiest in the Caribbean and is listed in the top 40 (2010 information) of the 70 high-income countries in the world. Its gross national income per capita of US$20,070 (2014 gross national income at Atlas Method) is one of the highest in the Caribbean. In November 2011, the OECD removed Trinidad and Tobago from its list of developing countries. Trinidad's economy is strongly influenced by the petroleum industry. Tourism and manufacturing are also important to the local economy. Tourism is a growing sector, particularly on Tobago, although proportionately it is much less important than in many other Caribbean islands. Agricultural products include citrus and cocoa.
Demographics
The population of the country estimated at between 1.4 to 1.5 million by the mid 2020s.
The ethnic composition of Trinidad and Tobago reflects a history of conquest and immigration. While the earliest inhabitants were of indigenous heritage, the two dominant groups in the country are now those of Indian-South Asian heritage and those of sub-Saharan African heritage.
Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonians make up the country's largest ethnic group (approximately 35.4%); they are primarily the descendants of indentured workers from India, brought to replace freed (formerly enslaved) Afro–Trinidadians who refused to continue working on the sugar plantations. Through cultural preservation many residents of Indian descent continue to maintain traditions from their ancestral homeland.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Trinidad and Tobago (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Trinidad and Tobago: Key Facts
| Currency | Trinidad and Tobago dollar |
|---|---|
| Official language | English |
| Head of state | Christine Kangaloo |
| Head of government | Kamla Persad-Bissessar |
| Form of government | parliamentary republic |
| Calling code | +1868 |
| Internet domain | .tt |
| Highest point | El Cerro del Aripo |
| Lowest point | Caribbean Sea |
| Established | 1 August 1976 |
Facts from Wikidata Q754 (CC0).
History of Trinidad and Tobago: Empires and States
The atlas records 4 polities whose mapped territory included part of Trinidad and Tobago, from The Spanish Empire in 1534 CE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here | Extent |
|---|---|---|
| The Spanish Empire | 1534–1796 CE | A large part |
| British Colonial Empire | 1797–1962 CE | A large part |
| The British Empire | 1797–1962 CE | A large part |
| Republic of Trinidad and Tobago | 1963–2024 CE | A large part |
Historical Maps of Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Visiting Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago (TT) is a nation consisting primarily of two Caribbean islands, Trinidad and Tobago, just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. The country is the most industrialised and one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean. Overall, tourism is not a major industry (though the island of Tobago has proportionally more), leaving the islands replete with natural unspoiled beauty not found in most other Caribbean countries.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Trinidad and Tobago (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in Trinidad and Tobago
2 cities recorded. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Port-of-Spain | 294,934 | Port of Spain | National capital |
| 2 | San Fernando | 166,039 | San Fernando | Populated place |
Highest Mountains in Trinidad and Tobago
1 mountain recorded. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aripo Peak | 940 m | 3,084 ft | South America |
Aripo Peak
Mountain · 940 m
Aripo Peak is a mountain rising to 940 metres (3,084 ft) in Trinidad and Tobago, in the South America region. From PeakBagger.com, with kind permission..
El Cerro del Aripo, at 940 metres (3,084 ft), is the highest point in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is part of the Aripo Massif and is located in the Northern Range on the island of Trinidad, northeast of the town of Arima.
El Cerro del Aripo lies on the border of the St. George and St.Andrew Counties in the biodiverse Northern Range. Unlike many of Trinidad's mountain peaks, El Cerro del Aripo has a flat summit from which no views are available. Its climate is subtropical. Due to constant fog and cloud cover, temperature may decrease significantly at night compared to the lowlands, and the orographic influence of the Northern Range produces rainfall in the region that is the highest in the country, possibly exceeding 3500 mm per year. These climate factors of high rainfall, humidity (as fog and cloud), relatively lower temperatures and high winds permit the persistence of Elfin woodland and cloud forest at the summit, and tropical montane forest on the slopes and upper valleys below.
El Cerro del Aripo is home to the golden treefrog, only found in the highest peaks in Trinidad and the Paria Peninsula, Venezuela .
Adapted from Wikipedia: El Cerro del Aripo (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Elevation
- 940 m (3,084 ft)
- Global rank
- #566 of 641 indexed
- Region
- South America (#45)
- Subregion
- West Indies
- Country
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Coordinates
- 10.7200°, -61.2500°
Of the 641 named summits indexed in YearMaps, Aripo Peak ranks #566 by elevation, below Mount Gimie (950 m) and above Mount Ord (937 m).
- Ranges:
- Wilhelmina Gebergte (South America), Tumuc-Humac Mountains (South America)
- Neighbouring summits:
- Cerro El Copey (957 m), Mount Hillaby (340 m), Mount Gimie (950 m)
- Settlements below:
- Port-of-Spain (30 km), San Fernando (54 km), Saint George's (158 km)
More about Aripo Peak
Aripo Peak: Key Facts
| Topographic prominence | 940 m |
|---|---|
| Mountain range | Northern Range |
Facts from Wikidata Q1056103 (CC0).
Ports in Trinidad and Tobago
8 ports recorded. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on.
| # | Name | Channel Depth | Class | Sea | Max Vessel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scarborough | 38.4 m | Very Small | Caribbean Sea | medium vessels |
| 2 | Anse Tembladora | 34.7 m | Very Small | Caribbean Sea | large vessels |
| 3 | Point Fortin | 31.1 m | Very Small | Caribbean Sea | large vessels |
| 4 | Point Lisas Industrial Port | 31.1 m | Small | Caribbean Sea | large vessels |
| 5 | Point Lisas Port | 31.1 m | Small | Caribbean Sea | large vessels |
| 6 | Brighton | 31.1 m | Very Small | Caribbean Sea | large vessels |
| 7 | Galeota Point Terminal | 5.5 m | Small | Caribbean Sea | large vessels |
| 8 | Chaguaramas | — | Very Small | Caribbean Sea | large vessels |
Largest Islands of Trinidad and Tobago
2 islands recorded. Ranked by mapped area. An island divided between countries is listed under each, with the area of the whole island.
| # | Name | Area | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Indies | 1.73M km² | Island group |
| 2 | Trinidad | 4,351 km² | Island |
West Indies
Island group · 1.73M km²
West Indies is an island group in North America (West Indies), covering an estimated 1.73M km². It extends across Trinidad and Tobago, Curacao, Barbados and Saint Kitts and Nevis. It is the 7th-largest of the 445 islands with a mapped extent in YearMaps.
The West Indies are an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies in three archipelagos: the Greater Antilles, the Lesser Antilles, and the Lucayan Archipelago.
The subregion includes all the islands in the Antilles, in addition to The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, which are in the North Atlantic Ocean. The term is often interchangeable with "Caribbean", although the latter may also include coastal regions of Central and South American mainland nations.
Adapted from Wikipedia: West Indies (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Feature class
- Island group
- Mapped extent
- 1.73M km²
- Size rank
- #7 of 445 islands
- Region
- North America
- Subregion
- West Indies
- Countries
- Trinidad and Tobago, Curacao, Barbados, Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Coordinates
- 12.3123°, -60.8486°
- Summits:
- Aripo Peak (940 m)
- Ranges:
- Wilhelmina Gebergte (South America), Tumuc-Humac Mountains (South America)
- Settlements:
- Port-of-Spain (10 km), San Fernando (50 km)
More about West Indies
History
Many cultures were Indigenous to these islands, with evidence dating some of them back to the mid-6th millennium BCE. In the late 16th century, French, English and Dutch merchants and privateers began operations in the Caribbean Sea, attacking Spanish and Portuguese shipping and coastal areas. They often took refuge and refitted their ships in the areas the Spanish could not conquer, including the islands of the Lesser Antilles, the northern coast of South America, including the mouth of the Orinoco, and the Atlantic Coast of Central America.
Geology
The West Indies are a geologically complex island system consisting of 7,000 islands and islets stretching over 3,000 km (2,000 miles) from the Florida peninsula south-southeast to the northern coast of Venezuela. These islands include active volcanoes, low-lying atolls, raised limestone islands, and large fragments of continental crust containing tall mountains and insular rivers. Each of the three archipelagos has a unique origin and geologic composition.
The Greater Antilles is geologically the oldest of the three archipelagos and includes both the largest islands (Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico) and the tallest mountains (Pico Duarte, Blue Mountain Peak, Pic la Selle, Pico Turquino) in the Caribbean.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: West Indies (CC BY-SA 4.0).
West Indies: Key Facts
| Area | 244,890 km² |
|---|---|
| Surrounded by | Atlantic Ocean |
Facts from Wikidata Q669037 (CC0).
Trinidad
Island · 4,351 km²
Trinidad is an island in North America (West Indies), covering an estimated 4,351 km².
Trinidad is the largest and most populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies 11 km (7 mi) off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean. With an area of 4,768 km2 (1,841 sq mi), it is also the fifth-largest in the Caribbean.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Trinidad (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Feature class
- Island
- Mapped extent
- 4,351 km²
- Size rank
- #201 of 445 islands
- Region
- North America
- Subregion
- West Indies
- Coordinates
- 10.4496°, -61.2400°
- Summits:
- Aripo Peak (940 m), Cerro El Copey (957 m), Mount Hillaby (340 m)
- Ranges:
- Wilhelmina Gebergte (South America), Tumuc-Humac Mountains (South America)
- Settlements:
- San Fernando (30 km), Port-of-Spain (38 km), Tucupita (179 km)
More about Trinidad
Geography
Major landforms include the hills of the Northern, Central and Southern Ranges (Dinah ranges), the Caroni, Nariva and Oropouche Swamps, and the Caroni and Naparima Plains. Major river systems include the Caroni, North and South Oropouche and Ortoire Rivers. There are many other natural landforms such as beaches and waterfalls.
Trinidad has two seasons per the calendar year: the rainy season and the dry season. El Cerro del Aripo, at 940 metres (3,084 ft), is the highest point in Trinidad. It is part of the Aripo Massif and is located in the Northern Range on the island, northeast of the town of Arima.
History
Kalinago people and Arawakan-speaking people lived in Trinidad long before Christopher Columbus encountered the islands on his third voyage on 31 July 1498. The island remained Spanish until 1797, but it was settled mostly by French colonists from the French Caribbean, especially Martinique. In 1889 the two islands became a single British crown colony. Trinidad and Tobago was granted self-governance in 1958 and independence from the United Kingdom in August 1962, and it became a republic in September 1976.
Geology
The Venezuela Tertiary Basin is a subsidence basin formed between the Caribbean and South American plates, and is bounded on the north by the coast ranges of Venezuela and the Northern Range of Trinidad, and bounded on the south by the Guiana Shield. This Guiana Shield supplied fine-grained clastic sediments, which with the subsidence, formed a regional negative gravity anomaly and growth faults. Oil and gas discoveries from the Pliocene Moruga Group include Teak (1968), Samaan (1971), Poui (1972) and Galeota. These fields are mainly faulted anticline traps producing from depths of 1.2 to 4.2 km (0.75 to 2.61 mi) subsea, with Teak possessing a hydrocarbon column almost 1 km (0.62 mi) thick.
Demographics
As of the 2011 Trinidad and Tobago Census, Trinidad's population was 37% Indo-Trinidadian, 32% Afro-Trinidadian, and 24% mixed race. Venezuela has also had a great impact on Trinidad's culture, such as introducing the music style parang to the island. Many groups overlap. For example, a "Dougla" is a person of African and Indian descent.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Trinidad (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Trinidad: Key Facts
| Area | 4,768 km² |
|---|---|
| Population | 1,267,145 |
| Highest point | El Cerro del Aripo |
| Surrounded by | Caribbean Sea, Columbus Channel |
Facts from Wikidata Q128323 (CC0).
Countries Bordering Trinidad and Tobago
Land and maritime neighbours.
More Maps in North America
Trinidad and Tobago: Quick Answers
- What is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago?
- The capital of Trinidad and Tobago is Port of Spain.
- What is the population of Trinidad and Tobago?
- Trinidad and Tobago has a population of about 1.37 million, the #156 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.
- How big is Trinidad and Tobago?
- Trinidad and Tobago covers 5,128 km², ranking #174 by area, with about 267 people per square kilometre.
- Which continent is Trinidad and Tobago in?
- Trinidad and Tobago is in North America.
- Which countries border Trinidad and Tobago?
- Trinidad and Tobago shares a land or maritime border with Venezuela.
- What is the largest city in Trinidad and Tobago?
- Port-of-Spain is the largest city in Trinidad and Tobago, with a metropolitan population of about 294,934.
- What is the highest mountain in Trinidad and Tobago?
- The highest summit recorded for Trinidad and Tobago in YearMaps is Aripo Peak at 940 m (3,084 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.