mountains

_#_Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, asphalt

_#_Land use: arable land 14%; permanent crops 17%; meadows and
pastures 2%; forest and woodland 44%; other 23%; includes irrigated
4%

_#_Environment: outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical
storms

_#_Note: located 11 km from Venezuela

_*_People
_#_Population: 1,285,297 (July 1991), growth rate 1.1% (1991)

_#_Birth rate: 21 births/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Net migration rate: - 4 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Infant mortality rate: 18 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

_#_Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 73 years female (1991)

_#_Total fertility rate: 2.4 children born/woman (1991)

_#_Nationality: noun--Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s);
adjective--Trinidadian, Tobagonian

_#_Ethnic divisions: black 43%, East Indian 40%, mixed 14%, white 1%,
Chinese 1%, other 1%

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

_#_Language: English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish

_#_Literacy: 95% (male 97%, female 93%) age 15 and over can
read and write (1980)

_#_Labor force: 463,900; construction and utilities 18.1%;
manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 14.8%; agriculture 10.9%;
other 56.2% (1985 est.)

_#_Organized labor: 22% of labor force (1988)

_*_Government
_#_Long-form name: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago

_#_Type: parliamentary democracy

_#_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)

_#_Constitution: 31 August 1976

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

_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 31 August (1962)

_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet

_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper
house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives

_#_Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, Supreme Court

_#_Leaders:

Chief of State--President Noor Mohammed HASSANALI (since 18 March
1987);

Head of Government--Prime Minister Arthu