d Tobago
conventional short form: Trinidad and Tobago

Government type:

parliamentary democracy

Capital:

name: Port-of-Spain
geographic coordinates: 10 39 N, 61 31 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

9 regional corporations, 2 city corporations, 3 borough
corporations, 1 ward
regional corporations: Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo, Diego Martin,
Mayaro/Rio Claro, Penal/Debe, Princes Town, Sangre Grande, San
Juan/Laventille, Siparia, Tunapuna/Piarco
city corporations: Port-of-Spain, San Fernando
borough corporations: Arima, Chaguanas, Point Fortin
ward: Tobago

Independence:

31 August 1962 (from UK)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 31 August (1962)

Constitution:

1 August 1976

Legal system:

based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in
the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President George Maxwell RICHARDS (since 17 March
2003)
head of government: Prime Minister Patrick MANNING (since 24
December 2001)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed from among the members of Parliament
elections: president elected by an electoral college, which consists
of the members of the Senate and House of Representatives, for a
five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on
11 February 2008 (next to be held by February 2013); the president
usually appoints as prime minister the leader of the majority party
in the House of Representatives
election results: George Maxwell RICHARDS reelected president;
percent of electoral college vote - NA

Legislative branch:

bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (31 seats; 16 members
appointed by the ruling party, nine by the President, six by the
opposition party to serve a maximum term of five years) and the
House of Representatives (41 seats; members are elected by popular
vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held on 5 November 2007
(next to be held in 2012)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote - PNM
46%, UNC 29.7%; seats by party - PNM 26, UNC 15
note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly with 12 members
serving four-year terms; last election held in January 2005; seats
by party - PNM 11, DAC 1

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court of Judicature (comprised of the High Cour