Republic of Trinidad & Tobago

1. Republic of Trinidad & Tobago

2. The flag Red: The warmth of the sun; the courage and friendliness of the people White: The sea by which the islands are connected Black: The strength, unity, and wealth of the land

3. Map of the Island Geography Southernmost islands in Caribbean Sea. Trinidad 1,864 miles² = 4,828 km². Tobago 116 miles² = 300km² Trinidad is +/- 7 miles from the coast of Venezuela on the South American mainland.

4. Geography • 3mountain ranges, east to west. • The mountainous north coast heavily wooded. • Central part more flat where sugar cane is grown. • The East–West corridor is an urban–industrial • Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, asphalt, gypsum, coal, iron, limestone, sand, gravel, argillite, and fluorspar • Exports: $9.161 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, steel products, fertilizer, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus, flowers

5. History • 1st inhabitants Amerindians Arawaks; (Carib Indians)from South America +/- 100 years before Christopher Columbus • European settlers bring (foreign diseases) native population greatly reduced • Today few full-blooded descendants remain.

6. Trinidad named by Christopher Columbus (3rd voyage to the New World) 31 July 1498. • He saw a trinity of hills along the southeastern coast. • The island was called Iere: "the land of the hummingbird," by its native Amerindian inhabitants. • Tobago's name probably derived fromtabaco (tobacco in Spanish).

7. Colonialtimes • Under colonial rule, slaves shipped from Africa to work on sugar plantations. • After abolition of African slave trade (1834) East Indian and Chinese peasants hired as indentured servants to work the fields. • Many chose to stay and live in Trinidad and Tobago, even after the practice of indentured servitude ended in 1917

8. Present dayPopulation • Trinidadians (not Tobagonians) refer to citizens of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago as: "Trinidadians“ or "Trinis,”

9. Colonialization Medallionshowing the Capture of Trinidad and Tobagoby the British in 1797 Main influence on culture ofTrinidad and Tobago: • Spain(300 years),France and Britain. (all 3 claimed islands during colonial history) • Tobago passed between Britain and France several time • In 1797, Trinidad under British control (Sir Ralph Abercromby) captured the island from Spain. • In 1802, Trinidad and Tobago officially British colonies under the Treaty of Amiens

10. Independance Partial self-government in 1925 1958 to 1962 part of the West Indies Federation. On Aug. 31, 1962 Independence Aug. 1, 1976, Trinidad and Tobago become republic (remaining within Commonwealth) • Monetary unit: Trinidad and Tobago dollar • Head of State: President A.N.R. Robinson • Head of Government: Prime Minister BasdeoPanday

11. Language • English, official language in Trinidad & Tobago • Mainspoken languageby all Trinidadiansregardless of ethnicityis: dialect/ creole(reflects the Spanish, Indian, African and Europeanheritage) 3. The creolelanguages and othervernaculars are spoken in informalsituations, and there is noformalized system of writing 4. Patois (a variety of FrenchCreole) was once the most widely spoken language in Trinidad, and there are variousremnants of the language in everydayvernacular. 5.TrinidadianEnglish, largelyinfluencedbyFrench, FrenchCreole, Spanish, and byBhojpuri/Hindi. Literacy rate: 99% (2003 est.)

12. Return to Spanish • Due to Trinidad'slocationon the coast of SouthAmerica, slowlyredevelopingconnectionwith the Spanish-speakingpeoples • In 2004 the governmentinitiated the Spanish as a First ForeignLanguage (SAFFL) public launch in March 2005. • GovernmentregulationsnowrequireSpanish to betaught to everyonebeginning at the primary school level • The governmentannouncedthatSpanish is to become the second official language of the country by 2020 alongsideEnglish.

13. A little talk.. • Langniappea little extra • Free up relax, let go • Sockeyetoo easy for words • Ole talk emptychatter • Lime spend time talking/lauging and hanging out with your friends • Long Eye envious • Macosomeone who minds the business of others • Play mas : put on a costume and go to Carnival with a band • While class and ethnic differences matter, as do contexts, sociability are highly valued, punctuality is not expected. • "Trinidad time" refers to habitual lateness and "jus' now" means "in a little while" but in practice can mean hours. • On city streets it is common for men to verbally harass women and women generally lose status if they reply. • In country districts, it is expected that one salutes passers by with a "good morning" or "good aftimiernoon

14. Custom and Culture • As a multi-cultural population, Trinidad and Tobago has embraced the customs, traditions, and folklore of many regions, including Africa, India, Europe, and the Far East. • Religions: Roman Catholic 26%, Anglican 8%, Baptist 7%, Pentecostal 7%, Seventh-Day Adventist 4%, other Christian 6%, Hindu 22%, Islam 6%, none 2% • There are followers of Sai Baba and Rastafarians. Afro-Christian forms of worship are prevalent (Orisha religion, Spiritual Baptists) • There are folk beliefs injumbies (ghosts, spirits).

15. Carnival • Carnivalin Trinidad and Tobagooriginalrootsin West African festivals and FrenchCatholiccarnivalcelebrations • When drums and religiouspracticeswereprohibited, slavesfoundnewways to pass ontheirheritage(singing, dancing and music was added to transformCarnivalintowhat we seetoday) • Carnivalis celebrated 2days beforeAshWednesday(beginsthe season of Lent) • In the earliesttimes, similarcelebrationswere held at the end of harvest, hence the Crop Over celebrations in someotherCaribbeanislands. • As harvest festivals werereduced, the festival time becamethe pre-Lent festival tiedto the Roman Catholiccarnevale (farewell to the flesh

16. Typical T&T • Birthplaceof calypso music and the steelpan(claimed to be the onlyacoustic musical instrument inventedduring the 20th century) Otherindigenous art formsinclude: • Soca (a derivate of calypso), • Parang (Venezuelan-influencedChristmasmusic) • Chutney, and Pichakaree (musical formswhichblend the music of the Caribbean and India) • The famous Limbo dance.

17. Author: V.S. Naipaul • Born in Trinidad in 1932, the descendant of indenturedlabourersshippedfrom India, • educated at Queen's Royal College, Port of Spain, in 1950 won a scholarship to Oxford. • From 1954 to 1956 Naipaul was a broadcaster for the BBC's Caribbean Voices • Between the years 1957 and 1961 regular fiction reviewer for the New Statesman • Since 1950 Naipaul has lived in Britain, but travelled extensively.

18. V.S Naipaul 2001 Nobel Laureate in Literature, Sir V. S. Naipaul, displays his Nobel Prize Medal while Lady Naipaul beams with pride. Naipaul, who is a British citizen, was born in Trinidad. leading novelist of the English-speaking Caribbean. Winner of the Nobel Prize in literature 2001. Subsequent novels developed more political themes and he began to write about colonial and post-colonial societies in the process of decolonisation. V. S. Naipaul is also the author of a number of works of non-fiction including three books about India.

19. The novel: Miguel street Miguel Street is a semi- autobiographicalnovelby V.S Naipaul set in wartime Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago written in 1959. presents a series of separate episodes of childhoodexperiencedbyanunnamednarrator, all happening in and around Miguel Street, a street in western Port of Spain The book is the story of greatambitionsthatnever went anywhere.

20. Themes • values within a small community • cruelty • self-respect, beauty and imagination • escape

21. VocabularyOld fashioned English terms example: “ague”= FeverCaribbean English example: Dolly ain’t have no mooma now! ( mother)