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

US diplomatic representation:
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: red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper
hoist side

Economy
-------

Economic overview: Trinidad and Tobago's oil- and
petrochemical-dependent economy enjoys a high per capita income,
although living standards have declined since the boom years of
1973-82. The country managed to record a second successive year of
economic growth in 1995, the first period of substantial expansion
since the early 1980s. A broad economic reform program, including
the floating of the exchange rate, trade and capital market
liberalization, and an extensive privatization program by the
previous administration has left the incoming PANDAY government in a
relatively sound economic position. Trinidad and Tobago's economic
prospects continue to depend heavily on world petroleum prices,
however, and further progress toward diversification will be an
important challenge in the medium term.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $16.2 billion (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate: 3.5% (1995 est.)

GDP per capita: $12,100 (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: 4.8%
industry: 44.5%
services: 50.7% (1995 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.4% (1995)

Labor force: 404,500
by occupation: construction and utilities 13%, manufacturing,
mining, and quarrying 14%, agriculture 11%, services 62% (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate: 17.8% (December 1995)

Budget:
revenues: $1.65 billion
expenditures: $1.61 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1996 est.)

Industries: petroleum, chemicals, tourism, food processing,
cement, beverage, cotton textiles

Industrial production growth rate: 1% (1994 est.)

Electricity:
capacity: 1,150,000 kW
production: 3.9 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 2,740 kWh (1993)

Agriculture: cocoa, sugarcane, rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables;
poultry

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for South American drugs
destined for the US and Europe and producer of c