The Government of Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago - Government

Based on the etymolgy of Trinidad and Tobago, it was explorer Christopher COLUMBUS named the larger island "La Isla de la Trinidad" (The Island of the Trinity) on 31 July 1498 on his third voyage; the tobacco grown and smoked by the natives of the smaller island or its elongated cigar shape may account for the "tobago" name, which is spelled "tobaco" in Spanish. The Government system in this country is the parliamentary republic type and the different Administrative divisions includes:

9 regions, 3 boroughs, 2 cities, 1 ward

regions: Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo, Diego Martin, Mayaro/Rio Claro, Penal/Debe, Princes Town, Sangre Grande, San Juan/Laventille, Siparia, Tunapuna/Piarco

borough: Arima, Chaguanas, Point Fortin

cities: Port of Spain, San Fernando

ward: Tobago

National symbols

Scarlet ibis (bird of Trinidad), cocrico (bird of Tobago), Chaconia flower; national colors: red, white, black.

The flag

The National flag of Trinidad and Tobago has red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side to the lower fly side; the colors represent the elements of earth, water, and fire; black stands for the wealth of the land and the dedication of the people; white symbolizes the sea surrounding the islands, the purity of the country's aspirations, and equality; red symbolizes the warmth and energy of the sun, the vitality of the land, and the courage and friendliness of its people.

The National Anthem

Title	"Forged From the Love of Liberty"
Lyric/music	Patrick Stanislaus CASTAGNE

note: adopted 1962; song originally created to serve as an anthem for the West Indies Federation; adopted by Trinidad and Tobago following the Federation's dissolution in 1962

More about the government of Trinidad and Tobago

Constitution
Date of Independence	31 August 1962 (from the UK)
National holiday	Independence Day, 31 August (1962)
Legal system	English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court
International law organization participation	has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
History	Previous 1962; latest 1976
Amendments	Proposed by Parliament; passage of amendments affecting constitutional provisions, such as human rights and freedoms or citizenship, requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the membership of both houses and assent of the president; passage of amendments, such as the powers and authorities of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government, and the procedure for amending the constitution, requires at least three-quarters majority vote by the House membership, two-thirds majority vote by the Senate membership, and assent of the president; amended many times, last in 2007
Citizenship
Citizenship by birth	yes
Citizenship by descent only	yes
Dual citizenship recognized	yes
Residency requirement for naturalization	8 years
Executive Branch
Chief of state	President Christine KANGALOO (since 20 March 2023)
Head of government	Prime Minister Keith ROWLEY (since 9 September 2015)
Cabinet	Cabinet appointed from among members of Parliament
Elections/appointments	president indirectly elected by an electoral college of selected Senate and House of Representatives members for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 20 January 2023 (next to be held by February 2028); the president usually appoints the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives as prime minister
Election results	2023: Christine KANGALOO elected president by the electoral college on 20 January 2023; electoral college vote Christine KANGALOO (PNM) 48, Israel KHAN (UNC) 22 2018: Paula-Mae WEEKES (independent) elected president; ran unopposed and was elected without a vote; she was Trinidad and Tabago's first female head of state
Legislative branch
Description	Bicameral Parliament consists of: Senate (31 seats; 16 members appointed by the ruling party, 9 by the president, and 6 by the opposition party; members serve 5-year terms;) House of Representatives (42 seats; 41 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and the house speaker - usually designated from outside Parliament; members serve 5-year terms)
Elections	Senate - last appointments on 28 August 2020 (next appointments in August 2025) House of Representatives - last held on 10 August 2020 (next to be held in 2025)
Election results	Senate - percent by party - NA; seats by party - PNM 16, UNC 6, independent 9; composition - men 19, women 13, percentage women 40.6% House of Representatives - percent by party - NA; seats by party - PNM 23, UNC 19; composition - men 30, women 12, percentage women 28.6%; total Parliament percentage women 33.8%
Judicial branch
Highest court(s)	Supreme Court of the Judicature (consists of a chief justice for both the Court of Appeal with 12 judges and the High Court with 24 judges); note - Trinidad and Tobago can file appeals beyond its Supreme Court to the Caribbean Court of Justice, with final appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)
Judge selection and term of office	Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister and the parliamentary leader of the opposition; other judges appointed by the Judicial Legal Services Commission, headed by the chief justice and 5 members with judicial experience; all judges serve for life with mandatory retirement normally at age 65
Subordinate courts	Courts of Summary Criminal Jurisdiction; Petty Civil Courts; Family Court
Diplomatic representation in the US
Chief of mission	Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Venessa RAMHIT-RAMROOP (since 3 March 2024)
Chancery	1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036-1975
Telephone	[1] (202) 467-6490
FAX	[1] (202) 785-3130
Email address and website	[email protected] https://foreign.gov.tt/missions-consuls/tt-missions-abroad/diplomatic-missions/embassy-washington-dc-us/
Consulate(s) general	Miami, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
Chief of mission	Ambassador Candace A. BOND (since 8 December 2022)
Embassy	15 Queen's Park West, Port of Spain
Mailing address	3410 Port of Spain Place, Washington DC 20521-3410
Telephone	(868) 622-6371
FAX	(868) 822-5905
Email address and website	[email protected] https://tt.usembassy.gov/