Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago, formally the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island republic in the Caribbean and the southernmost country in the world. It is well-known for its abundance of fossil fuels. Located 130 kilometres (81 miles) south of Grenada and 11 kilometres (6.8 miles) off the coast of northern Venezuela, the country of Trinidad and Tobago is made up of the two major islands, Trinidad and Tobago, as well as several smaller islands. Its coastal borders with Barbados to the northeast, Grenada to the northwest, and Venezuela to the south and west are shared with these countries. It is widely agreed that Trinidad and Tobago is regarded to be a part of the Western Hemisphere. In some geographical definitions, Trinidad and Tobago are considered to be part of the Windward Islands and the Lesser Antilles, however in others, Trinidad and Tobago are considered to be a different island group.
Following the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1498, the island of Trinidad and Tobago was inhabited for centuries by indigenous peoples before becoming a colony of the Spanish Empire. In 1797, the Spanish governor, José Mara Chacón, abandoned the island to a British squadron under the leadership of Sir Ralph Abercromby, who took the island as a prisoner of war. During the same time period, the island of Tobago changed hands more often than any other island in the Caribbean, passing through the hands of Spanish, British, French, Dutch, and Courlander colonists. Trinidad and Tobago were given to the United Kingdom by the Treaty of Amiens in 1802 as distinct nations, and they were reunited in 1889. Trinidad and Tobago attained independence in 1962 and became a republic in 1976, becoming the first Caribbean country to do so.
According to purchasing power parity (PPP), Trinidad and Tobago has the third highest GDP per capita in the Americas, behind only the United States and Canada in this category. In accordance with the World Bank, it is classified as a high-income economy. In contrast to other Caribbean countries and territories, which are mainly reliant on tourism, the economy of Trinidad and Tobago is predominantly industrial, with a concentration on petroleum and petrochemicals; a major portion of the country's income is obtained from its vast deposits of oil and gas.
As the birthplace of steelpan, the limbo, and music styles such as calypso, soca, rapso, parang, chutney, and chutney soca, Trinidad and Tobago is widely recognised for its African and Indian cultures. This is reflected in the large and famous Carnival and Diwali celebrations as well as the Hosay festival, which are all held in the island nation.