Trinidad and Tobago 🇹🇹
Trinidad and Tobago is a country in North America with a population of 1,531,044. Its capital is Port of Spain. The official currency is TTD, and the main languages are English.
Quick facts
- Capital: Port of Spain
- Continent: North America
- Population: 1,531,044
- Area: 5,130 km²
- Density: 298 people per km²
- Currency: TTD
- Languages: English
- ISO code: TT
Where Trinidad and Tobago sits
Trinidad and Tobago 🇹🇹 is one of 23 countries in North America, with its capital at Port of Spain. It covers 5,130 square kilometres — 167th in the world — and is home to about 1,531,044 people, 152nd globally.
The countries it shares a continent with include United States, Mexico, Canada, Guatemala and Haiti. If you are learning geography region by region — which works far better than alphabetically, because memory for places is spatial — those are the ones to learn alongside it.
How Trinidad and Tobago compares
Raw figures are hard to hold on their own, so it helps to anchor them. In population, Trinidad and Tobago sits closest to Bahrain and Equatorial Guinea. In land area, its nearest counterparts are Brunei and Palestine.
At 298 people per square kilometre it is about 5.0 times the world average of 59.4. It ranks higher by population than by area, so it is more crowded than its size alone suggests.
English is an official language in 58 countries here, among them Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas and Barbados, and 53 others. The TTD is used by Trinidad and Tobago and no one else.
To see Trinidad and Tobago next to every other country, sort the country rankings by population, area or density; its currency and languages are listed alongside every other country's in world currencies and world languages.
How to remember Trinidad and Tobago
Port of Spain is on the Gulf of Paria, on the northwest coast of the island of Trinidad. Two islands, two words in the country's name, and the capital is on the first one. For the flag, picture a black road with white kerbs running across a red field.
The flag of Trinidad and Tobago: red, black and white
🇹🇹 The flag is a red flag with a black diagonal band edged in white, running from the top corner by the flagpole to the bottom corner on the far side. The colours stand for the elements of earth, water and fire. Black stands for the wealth of the land and the dedication of the people, white for the sea and equality, and red for the sun and the people's courage and friendliness.
Region and neighbours
Trinidad and Tobago is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, made up of the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, just off the northeast coast of Venezuela. As an island country it has no land neighbours.
Three facts about Trinidad and Tobago
- Trinidad has Pitch Lake, the largest natural reservoir of asphalt in the world.
- Trinidad and Tobago is the birthplace of the steelpan and of calypso and soca music.
- The country became independent from the United Kingdom on 31 August 1962.
Sources: Wikipedia: Trinidad and Tobago, Wikipedia: Flag of Trinidad and Tobago, Wikipedia: Port of Spain, CIA World Factbook.
Quiz yourself on Trinidad and Tobago
- North American capitals quiz — match Trinidad and Tobago to Port of Spain
- North American flags quiz — spot the Trinidad and Tobago flag among its neighbours
- Island nations quiz — Trinidad and Tobago is an island country
Quizzes that include Trinidad and Tobago
Three angles are worth covering for any country — where it is, what its flag looks like, and what its capital is. For Trinidad and Tobago those are:
- North America map quiz — place it on a blank map
- North America flags quiz — identify its flag among its neighbours
- North America capitals quiz — match it to Port of Spain
- Trinidad and Tobago capital quiz — five quick questions starting with Trinidad and Tobago
- Daily Map Challenge — five countries to find on a blank world map, the same five for everyone each day
Doing all three for one continent before moving on is far more efficient than learning flags globally, then capitals globally, then the map.
Read more about Trinidad and Tobago
- Capital of Trinidad and Tobago: Port of Spain — the capital in detail, with size and density rankings
- All 23 countries of North America
Nearby countries
- Antigua and Barbuda 🇦🇬 — capital Saint John's
- Bahamas 🇧🇸 — capital Nassau
- Barbados 🇧🇧 — capital Bridgetown
- Belize 🇧🇿 — capital Belmopan
- Canada 🇨🇦 — capital Ottawa
- Costa Rica 🇨🇷 — capital San José
- Cuba 🇨🇺 — capital Havana
- Dominica 🇩🇲 — capital Roseau
- Dominican Republic 🇩🇴 — capital Santo Domingo
- El Salvador 🇸🇻 — capital San Salvador
- Grenada 🇬🇩 — capital Saint George's
- Guatemala 🇬🇹 — capital Guatemala City
Frequently asked questions
What are the colours of the Trinidad and Tobago flag?
The flag of Trinidad and Tobago is a red flag with a black diagonal band edged in white, running from the top corner by the flagpole to the bottom corner on the far side. The colours stand for the elements of earth, water and fire. Black stands for the wealth of the land and the dedication of the people, white for the sea and equality, and red for the sun and the people's courage and friendliness.
Which countries border Trinidad and Tobago?
None. Trinidad and Tobago is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, made up of the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, just off the northeast coast of Venezuela, so it has no land borders with other countries.
How can I remember the capital of Trinidad and Tobago?
Port of Spain is on the Gulf of Paria, on the northwest coast of the island of Trinidad. Two islands, two words in the country's name, and the capital is on the first one. For the flag, picture a black road with white kerbs running across a red field.