Trinidad and Tobago

 


Discover a little about Trinidad and Tobago with our potted geography, history and interesting facts... and enjoy our collection of flag printables and colouring page.

Englishman's Bay, island of Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago
Englishman's Bay, island of Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago

A Little Geography...

  • The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is a two island Caribbean state situated south of Grenada, off the coast of Venezuela.
  • Trinidad is mountainous, more industrial and lively, with the majority of the 1,3000,000 inhabitants, although the north coast is picturesque. Tobago is less developed, has lovely white beaches and is popular with divers.
  • Trinidad is very near South America and boasts the most diverse flora and fauna in the Caribbean.
  • The Trinidad Piping Guan or Pawi is a very rare large bird found in the forests alongside many wild orchids.
  • At La Brea Pitch Lake you can see the world's largest natural asphalt lake and bathe in the water which contains sulphur.

A Little History...

  • Once inhabited by Amerinidians , Christopher Columbus's visit in 1498 heralded a period of Spanish colonisation and the native inhabitants were sent away into slavery. After 300 years, the islands were captured by the British, and French planters settled after the French revolution. Slaves were imported to work on sugar plantations.
  • Trinidad was granted independence in 1962 and became  a republic in 1976.

And Some Interesting Facts...

  • The capital, Port of Spain, hosts a famous annual carnival before Lent. Locals dress in colourful costumes and dance in the streets to soca and calypso music. The tradition of dressing up dates back to French aristocrats hosting masquerade balls; whilst slaves imitated this behaviour and joined the party after gaining their freedom when slavery was abolished in 1838. Tasty street food such as pelau, a rice dish with pepper sauce, are eaten during the festival.
  • Trinidad is fortunate to have large reserves of oil and natural gas, which is exported to the US. The income per person in this country is double the average for nearby South America.
  • Trinidad has many famous citizens including cricketer Brian Lara, nobel prizewinning author V.S. Naipaul and footballer Dwight Yorke.

The Trinidad and Tobago Flag

Flag of Trinidad and Tobago

The Trinidad and Tobago flag features the colours red, black and white to represent fire, earth and water. The flag was adopted following independence from the United Kingdom on 31 August 1962.


Our Trinidad and Tobago Printable Activities

Packing For Trinidad And Tobago Worksheet

Packing For Trinidad And Tobago Worksheet

Sunscreen is one essential you might need for Trinidad and Tobago, but what else should you pack for a trip to this country? Fill the suitcase with your ideas...

Trinidad and Tobago Booklet

Trinidad and Tobago Booklet

Useful for a library of country fact files or for a lapbook here are two Trinidad and Tobago booklets for you to print and use.  

Trinidad and Tobago Flag Jigsaw

Trinidad and Tobago Flag Jigsaw

If you are lucky enough to visit Trinidad and Tobago you could take along this jigsaw for 5 minutes peace on the flight. It can be enjoyed anywhere though. Cutting guides can be found here.  

Trinidad and Tobago National Flower Colouring Page

Trinidad and Tobago National Flower Colouring Page

The beautiful Chaconia, the national flower of Trinidad and Tobago, is illustrated in fine detail on this colouring page.

Fun Fact: The Chaconia is also known as the Pride of Trinidad & Tobago or Wild Poinsettia

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