III.

Population

Trinidad and Tobago has a population of 1,229,953 (2009 estimate), of whom about 51,350 live on the island of Tobago. The population density is about 240 per sq km (621 per sq mi). More than 76 per cent of the population lives in urban areas. The capital Port-of-Spain has a population of 55,000 (2003 estimate). Other important towns on the island of Trinidad are San Fernando, population 55,784 (1995), Arima, 24,874 (1995), and Point Fortin (20,084; 1995). The capital and main town of Tobago is Scarborough, with a population of about 4,000 (1990 census).

About 40 per cent of the population is of African descent, and a similar percentage is classified as East Asian, being mainly of Indian descent. A further 18 per cent is of mixed ethnic origin, with the rest of the population being of European, Chinese, Syrian, or South American descent. This cosmopolitan mix, among the most ethnically diverse in the Caribbean, owes its origins to slavery and its abolition. African slaves were imported in the 18th century to work the plantations. However, following emancipation in 1834 there was a shortage of labour and the British government encouraged immigration from India, China, and Madeira.

Life expectancy is 68 years for males and 74 years for females (2009). The infant mortality rate is 30 deaths per 1,000 live births (2009).

A.

Religion

The country’s history and ethnic complexity is reflected in the religions practised. Christianity has the largest number of adherents, with Roman Catholicism (about 30 per cent of the population), Anglicanism (11 per cent), and Pentecostalism (7.5 per cent) being the main denominations. There are also large Hindu and Muslim (see Islam) congregations (about 24 and 6 per cent respectively).

B.

Language

English is the official language but as a result of the population mix Caribbean Hindustani (also known as Trinidad Bhojpuri) is also spoken by many. The involvement of Spain in the country’s colonial history has left pockets along the southern peninsula where Spanish is spoken. For the same reason, a French-based creole (Lesser Antillean Creole French) is spoken in parts of the north and west of Trinidad. Tobagonian Creole English and Trinidadian Creole English are spoken on the respective islands.

C.

Education

Education is free and is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 12 years. Attendance at secondary level has doubled over the past 25 years and in 2002–2003 about 82 per cent of the relevant age group attended. The adult literacy rate is about 99 per cent (2007). Higher education is provided by teacher-training colleges, technical institutes, and the University of the West Indies (1960), which has a campus in St Augustine, Trinidad.

D.

Culture

The highlight of Trinidad’s cosmopolitan culture is its world-famous carnival, or De Mas, a huge street party with hundreds of thousands of costumed masqueraders parading and dancing to calypso songs and steel bands, which are known locally as “pan”. It takes place annually on the two days before Ash Wednesday, but festivities start weeks beforehand with the launching of costume designs, the latest calypso and steel-band competitions. Trinidadians also celebrate Muslim and Hindu religious festivals. Calypso, one of the best-known expressions of the country’s complex musical heritage, dates from the 18th century and is a mixture of musical forms from all the immigrant groups, with witty lyrics and often political commentary. Rapso, a contemporary development, fuses calypso and rap. Chutney is an Indian version of calypso, which is being blended with soca (a mixture of soul and calypso) to create chutney soca. Pan music developed out of the “tamboo bamboo” bands that used tins, pans, and bamboo to make percussion instruments until the World War II, when it was discovered that oil drums could be converted into instruments with their top surfaces tuned to all ranges and pitches. Parang comes from the Spanish heritage and is sung in Spanish accompanied by guitar, cuatro, mandolin, and tambourine. There are also Indian drumming and vocal styles that are used at the Hindu and Muslim festivals.

The visual arts are portrayed most clearly in the costumes and designs for carnival, or in Peter Minshall’s designs for the opening ceremonies of the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games. However, there are also many fine painters and sculptors, with a tradition going back to the artist Michel Jean Cazabon, who was born in 1813. Trinidad also has a well-developed oral and literary tradition with many internationally known writers. These include C. L. R. James, Samuel Sevlon, Shiva Naipaul and his brother the Nobel Prize-winning V. S. Naipaul, the historian and former prime minister Dr Eric Williams, Earl Lovelace, and Valerie Belgrave. The monologues of Paul Keens-Douglas are an entertaining introduction to the local dialect. Trinidad and Tobago has a strong cricketing tradition. Two of the best-known players are Learie Constantine, later Baron Constantine, and Brian Lara.