Trinidad Flag
*Trinidad and Tobago gained its independence from the United Kingdom on this date in 1962.
Trinidad, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it shares maritime boundaries with Barbados to the northeast, Grenada to the northwest, Guyana to the southeast, and Venezuela to the south and west.
The British had begun to take an interest in Trinidad, and in 1797 this prompted their invasion of the island. After independence from the UK, Elizabeth II remained head of state as Queen of Trinidad and Tobago until 1981.
Since 2003 the country has entered a second oil boom, and petroleum, petrochemicals, and natural gas continue to be the backbone of the economy. Tourism and public service are the mainstays of the economy of Tobago, though authorities have attempted to diversify the island's economy. A corruption scandal resulted in Manning's defeat by the newly formed People's Partnership coalition in 2010, with Kamla Persad-Bissessar becoming the country's first female Prime Minister. However, corruption allegations bedeviled the new administration, and the PP was defeated in 2015 by the PNM under Keith Rowley.
