Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
conventional short form: Trinidad and Tobago
Data code: TD
Government type: parliamentary
democracy
National 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)
National holiday: Independence Day, 31 August (1962)
Constitution: 1
August 1976
Legal system: based
on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme
Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18
years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Arthur Napoleon Raymond ROBINSON (since
19 March 1997)
head of government: Prime Minister Basdeo PANDAY (since 9 November
1995)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed from among the members of Parliament
elections: president elected by an electoral college that consists
of the members of the Senate and House of Representatives for a five-year
term; election last held NA February 1997 (next to be held NA 2002);
prime minister appointed from among the members of Parliament; following
legislative elections, the leader of the majority party in the House
of Representatives is usually appointed prime minister
election results: Arthur Napoleon Raymond ROBINSON elected president;
percent of electoral college vote 69%
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of a Senate (31 seats; members appointed
by the president for a maximum term of five years) and a House of Representatives
(36 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives last held 6 November 1995
(next to be held by December 2000)
election results: House of Representatives percent of vote PNM
52%, UNC 42.2%, NAR 5.2%; seats by party PNM 15, UNC 19, NAR 1, independent
1; note the UNC formed a coalition with the NAR
note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly with 15 members
serving four-year terms
Judicial branch: Court
of Appeal, judges are appointed by the president on the advice of the
prime minister; Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the president
on the advice of the prime minister
Political parties and
leaders: People's National Movement (PNM), Patrick
MANNING; United National Congress (UNC), Basdeo PANDAY; National Alliance
for Reconstruction (NAR), Nizam MOHAMMED; Movement for Social Transformation
(MOTION), David ABDULLAH; National Joint Action Committee (NJAC), Makandal
DAAGA; National Development Party (NDP), Carson CHARLES; Movement for
Unity and Progress (MUP), Hulsie BHAGGAN
International organization
participation: ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB, ECLAC,
FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, 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
Flag description: red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper
hoist side
©
1999 CIA |
