In 2015, Trinidad and Tobago had a population of 1.3 million people, with the majority of the population being of African and East Indian descent. The economy was largely based on oil and gas production as well as tourism and manufacturing. Foreign relations in 2015 were largely focused on maintaining good relations with other Caribbean countries as well as countries in Europe, North America and South America. Trinidad and Tobago was a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Politics in Trinidad and Tobago in 2015 was dominated by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar who had been prime minister since 2010. During her time in office, she sought to improve economic development while maintaining good diplomatic relations with other nations. She also pushed for political reform including constitutional changes that would increase government transparency and accountability. See ehealthfacts for Trinidad and Tobago in the year of 2005.
Yearbook 2015
Trinidad and Tobago. In January, Finance and Economy Minister Larry Howei announced that the government had been forced to postpone planned public initiatives. According to COUNTRYAAH, Port-of-Spain is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago which is located in North America. The reason was that the country’s finances suffered heavily from the falling world market prices of oil and natural gas, products that the country is almost entirely dependent on for its export earnings. Among other things, the construction of a new port in the capital Port of Spain was postponed in the future. At the end of May, an agreement was signed which means that the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago do not have a visa for short stays in the EU countries.
- Also see AbbreviationFinder.org for Trinidad and Tobago country abbreviations, including geography, history, economy and politics.
In the parliamentary elections held in September, the People’s National Movement (PNM) almost doubled the number of seats compared to the last election, from twelve to 23 out of a total of 41 seats. As a result, the party regained its position as the country’s largest, and party leader since 2010, Keith Rowley, sworn in as new prime minister. The United National Congress (UNC), which was a leader in the coalition that ruled the country in 2010-15, was given 17 seats and the coalition partner the People’s Congress a parliamentary seat. The Independent Liberal Party (ILP), formed in 2013 by UNC outbreaks, received less than 1% of the vote, leaving it without representation in Parliament.
Prior to the election, Rowley accused the government coalition of being responsible for a conspiracy aimed at murdering him, a statement that was firmly rejected by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. After the election loss, Persad-Bissessar was challenged for the post of UNC party leader but received overwhelming support from party members in a vote.