Small Country Profiler: Trinidad and Tobago

Day 607, 11:25 • Published in Ireland Cuba • by Harrilal

From earlier articles you may have gathered that I completely support the addition of eCaribbean countries or at the very least, the addition of the eCaribbean as a country itself. This will be my first in a series of small country articles explaining the global significance of these minnows in the shark tank.

Rather than flood the forums with pointless bumps or worse again, start a "eCaribbean Now!" thread every two days, I've chosen to simply write about it here. This is mainly because the developers have probably already seen all the "eXYZ Now!" threads. So, aside from a million different people (not just a guy and his three organizations) signing a petition or a healthy donation to the game (which, I cannot afford), nothing will change the plans that they have. Essentially, the small country articles I write are less to pressure the developers and more to help open a few players' eyes that small countries often have very big roles.

As the title suggests, the first in the series will be Trinidad and Tobago. I am sorry, friends over in the eJamaica camp. It's just that to kick off the series, I NEED to do a country that I am really passionate about to set the bar high for myself. I promise that the next one will be eJamaica. Wow... that was a long introduction. Ah well, here it goes!


Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) is the southernmost island in the Caribbean. It is located just off the coast of Venezuela. It is quite small and measures in at a "whopping" 5,128 square kilometres (1,980 sq miles). With a country so small, what could they possibly have to offer the world at large?

For one, the culture of the island has spread worldwide and most of the world is completely unaware. Any movies, commercials, television shows or musical performances that have the steelpan (or steel drum, as it's better known outside the islands) is using a piece of Trinbagonian culture. This fully tuned acoustic instrument originated in T&T. Other musical contributions are calypso and soca music. While calypso is not as popular as it once was, it is still present in various mediums and occasionally pops up in the mainstream. Soca, on the other hand, is slowly growing in popularity.

The Limbo (yes, the dance where you bend under the horizontal pole) is also from T&T. T&T has also produced a few internationally acclaimed authours. Originally I would have been hesitant to say V.S. Naipaul (Nobel prize winner!), since he had a rocky history with the islands, but since his visit in 2007 he's repaired those bridges he burnt years ago. C.L.R James was also from T&T.

Once a year, T&T holds its Carnival. It is the biggest celebration of its kind in the Caribbean and one of the best known in the world. Admittedly it is dwarfed in size by Brazil's carnival. However its influence is still fairly significant. T&T's Carnival has spawned many similar celebrations worldwide (Caribana in Toronto, Notting Hill Carnival in London and Miami Carnival to name a few).
And of course, like any other country T&T has a slew of athletes and performers that are internationally known.

T&T is also a transport hub for the region. Many flights from other islands stop in T&T before heading to major international destinations (New York, London, Miami, Toronto, Caracas). Likewise, many flights from those international destinations stop in T&T before going on to the other islands.

Now for the real reason you came here (probably?). Economically and politically, T&T is a powerhouse of the Caribbean region. While this in itself is not a major feat (relatively speaking), some of its decisions do in fact have repercussions throughout the entire Americas and sometimes the world.

As a founding member of the political bloc known as CARICOM (Caribbean Community), T&T has always been involved in efforts to strengthen the economic/political pull of both the country and the region at large. It is simple enough to scoff at one island and go to another, but when the entire bloc agrees on an issue it becomes significantly more difficult. Decisions on import/exports, free markets, and other major issues that affect the region are often decided with the sway of T&T (Jamaica and Barbados as well).

T&T is the business capital of the Caribbean and it has a regional role as a major producer of asphalt, ammonia, iron and other heavy industrial products.

In terms of its resources, T&T is no small fry on the world stage. When looking at oil production, T&T is in the first half of producers of the world (coming in at number 45). When looking at natural gas production and its numerous variants (such as liquefied natural gas) T&T is number 22 in the world. T&T is the 13th largest natural gas exporter (not producer) in the world.
Other exports include steel products, cereal products, sugar, fruits and vegetables.

Thankfully, despite being a developing nation, T&T is not deep in the pocket of the IMF. There is a significant debt ($3.4 billion) but it is manageable and T&T has not been crippled by insane interest rates. In fact, there is a descending trend in terms of external debt.

All in all, T&T is doing well economically thanks to its abundant natural resources (primarily oil/gas). Politically it is fairly significant. Culturally, it chock full of internationally known traditions.
Now you know and knowing is half the battle!

Together we aspire! Together we achieve!