ouse of Assembly with 15 members
serving four-year terms

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, judges are appointed by the
president on the advice of the prime minister; Supreme Court, judges
are appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister

Political parties and leaders: People's National Movement (PNM),
Patrick MANNING; United National Congress (UNC), Basdeo PANDAY;
National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR), A. N. R. ROBINSON;
Movement for Social Transformation (MOTION), David ABDULLAH; National
Joint Action Committee (NJAC), Makandal DAAGA; National Development
Party (NDP), Carson CHARLES; Movement for Unity and Progress (MUP),
Hulsie BHAGGAN

International organization participation: ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB,
ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES,
NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIH, UNU, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission : Ambassador Corinne Averille McKNIGHT
chancery: 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 467-6490
FAX: [1] (202) 785-3130
consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Brian J. DONNELLY
embassy: 15 Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain
mailing address: P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain
telephone: [1] (809) 622-6372 through 6376, 6176
FAX : [1] (809) 628-5462

Flag description: red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the
upper hoist side

Economy

Economy - overview: Trinidad and Tobago has earned a reputation as an
excellent investment site for international businesses. Successful
economic reforms implemented in 1995 are expected to bring an average
growth rate of 2% over the next three years, and foreign investment
and trade are flourishing. Unemployment - a main cause of the
country's socio-economic problems - is high, but has decreased to its
lowest point in five years. The country enjoys a healthy trade surplus
of $500 million, yet its heavy dependence on oil and petrochemical
prices makes its trade balance vulnerable to sudden shifts.
Furthermore, Caricom, Trinidad and Tobago's main market, is saturated,
provoking some countries to establish non-tariff trade barriers.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $17.1 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 3.1% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity -