IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES,
NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Michael A. ARNEAUD
chancery: 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 467-6490
FAX: [1] (202) 785-3130
consulate(s) general: Miami and New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Edward E. SHUMAKER, III
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

@Trinidad and Tobago:Economy

Economy-overview: Trinidad and Tobago has earned a reputation as an
excellent investment site for international businesses. Successful
economic reforms were implemented in 1995, 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, yet its
heavy dependence on oil and petrochemical prices makes its trade
balance vulnerable to sudden shifts. Tourism is a major foreign
exchange earner, with 260,000 arrivals in 1995, 80% from Europe.

GDP: purchasing power parity-$13.2 billion (1996 est.)

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

GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$10,400 (1996 est.)

GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 2%
industry: 45%
services: 53% (1995 est.)

Inflation rate-consumer price index: 3.4% (1996)

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

Unemployment rate: 16.1% (December 1996)

Budget:
revenues: $1.7 billion
expenditures: $1.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $243
million (1997 est.)

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

Industrial production growth rate: 7.5% (1995)

Electricity-capacity: 1.15 million kW (1995)

Electricity-production: 3.9 billion kWh (1995)

Electricity-consumption per capita: 3,068 kWh (1995)

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

Exports:
total value: $2.5 billion (f.o.b., 1996)