immigrants from northern India) 40%, mixed 14%, white 1%, Chinese 1%,
other 1%

Religions: Roman Catholic 32.2%, Hindu 24.3%, Anglican 14.4%, other
Protestant 14%, Muslim 6%, none or unknown 9.1%

Languages: English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.9%
male: 98.8%
female : 97% (1995 est.)

@Trinidad and Tobago:Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
conventional short form: Trinidad and Tobago

Data code: TD

Government type: parliamentary democracy

National capital: Port-of-Spain

Administrative divisions: 8 counties, 3 municipalities*, and 1 ward**;
Arima*, Caroni, Mayaro, Nariva, Port-of-Spain*, Saint Andrew, Saint
David, Saint George, Saint Patrick, San Fernando*, Tobago**, Victoria

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 Arthur Napoleon Raymond ROBINSON (since 19
March 1997)
head of government: Prime Minister Basdeo PANDAY (since 9 November
1995)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed from among the members of Parliament
elections : president elected by an electoral college that consists of
the members of the Senate and House of Representatives for a five-year
term; election last held NA February 1997 (next to be held NA 2002);
prime minister appointed from among the members of Parliament;
following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party in
the House of Representatives is usually appointed prime minister
election results: Arthur Napoleon Raymond ROBINSON elected president;
percent of electoral college vote - 69%

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of a Senate (31
seats; members appointed by the president for a maximum term of five
years) and a House of Representatives (36 seats; members are elected
by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 6 November 1995 (next
to be held by December 2000)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote - PNM
52%, UNC 42.2%, NAR 5.2%; seats by party - PNM 17, UNC 17, NAR 2; the
UNC formed a coalition with the NAR
note: Tobago has a unicameral H