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Where is Trinidad and Tobago?
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Trinidad is located at the southerly tip of Venezuela and is
part of the Caribbean. It is a twin isle with its other half
known as the sister isle of Tobago . The capital city of
Trinidad is Port of Spain that is home to the zoo, museums,
botanical gardens and a business hub. Each coast has something
to offer the West accommodates sailing enthusiasts, the East
coast offers stretches of long sandy beaches, the South offers
a view to Venezuela and the north coast offers Maracas Beach
the most popular beach. The scenery in Trinidad covers
everything from a bustling mall to the fields of tranquil
sugar cane. The Caroni Swamp is a superb example of a
Caribbean wetlands, where the national bird of the red Scarlet
Ibis bird nests. To get to the swamp you first take a boat
ride down the Caroni River where the tour boat operator points
out the resident caimans and wildlife.

The most unusual attraction has to be the "Benson & Hedges
Annual Raft About" where crowds of spectators and participants
gather at a beach venue to set sail in a homemade raft. The
fun loving crews set sail on the serene waters as they try to
stay afloat for the longest. It is an open-air event for the
public and tends to draw a young, robust crowd. Turtle
nestling on the East coast beaches has got to be one of the
best attractions. It begins as the sunsets and together with a
tour guide you can be up lose and personal to gigantic
Leatherback Turtles as they make their way from the sea to the
protected beaches where they find the perfect spot to lay
their 50 or so eggs. Tours are arranged prior to arrival and
there is a short lecture given, before the guides take you
down to the nesting area. Visitors are offered the chance to
sponsor a turtle by a donation of money. You will then get to
name your turtle and receive a certificate and be given
tracking information on your turtle.


Money and communication
The local currency is the TT dollar (TTD) it is made up of 100
dollars.
Coins are in denominations of cents 25 cents, 10 cents, 5
cents and a one-cent
Notes are in denominations of the TT dollar 5, 10, 20 and 100.
The TT dollar is roughly worth 27 cents US (2003 rate)
Banking hours are from Mon-Thurs 8am-2pm , (outside of malls)
Friday 8am-2pm ; 3pm - 5pm. Banks do not open on Saturday.
Banks within malls have extended opening hours.
Payphones are located mostly in heavy traffic areas with most
accepting local phone-cards rather than coins.
The prefix to call from outside of Trinidad is + 868 + number
The first three digits of local phone numbers denote the area
of the call

Other important things about Trinidad
The official language is English with a West Indian accent.
The currency used is the TT dollar they are six TT dollars to
one US dollar
Trinidad is 1864 sq miles
Population 1.3 million for Trinidad & Tobago.
The religion is mixed
The time zone is GMT-04:00

What is the history
of Trinidad and Tobago?
1498 - Christopher Columbus visits the islands, naming Trinidad after the three
peaks at its southeastern tip and Tobago after a local type of tobacco pipe.
1532 - Spain colonises Trinidad, appointing a governor to rule it.
1630s - The Dutch settle on Tobago and plant sugar-cane.
1781 - The French capture Tobago from the Spanish, transforming it into a
sugar-producing colony.
British rule.
1797 - A British naval expedition captures Trinidad from Spain, Trinidad was a
Spanish island for 200 years until this.
1802 - Spain cedes Trinidad to Britain under the Treaty of Amiens.
1814 - France cedes Tobago to Britain.
1834 - Slavery abolished; indentured workers brought in from India to work on
sugar plantations.
1889 - Trinidad and Tobago administratively combined as a single British colony.
1945 - Universal suffrage instituted.
1956 - Eric Williams, a moderate nationalist, founds the People's National
Movement (PNM).
1958 - Trinidad and Tobago joins the British-sponsored West Indies Federation.
1959 - Britain gives Trinidad and Tobago internal self-government with Williams
as prime minister.
Independence
1962 - Trinidad and Tobago leaves the West Indies Federation; becomes
independent with Williams as prime minister.
1967 - Trinidad and Tobago joins the Organisation of American States.
1968 - Trinidad and Tobago and other English-speaking Caribbean states form the
Caribbean Free Trade Area, which was replaced in 1973 by the Caribbean Common
Market.

Interesting Links:
See also:
http://io.uwinnipeg.ca/~forbes/Trinidad.htm
http://www.travelwithachallenge.com/Trinidad-Birds.htm
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