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124-469: The United National Congress ( abbr. UNC or UNCTT ) is one of two major political parties in Trinidad and Tobago and the current parliamentary opposition . The UNC is a centre-left party. It was founded in 1989 by Basdeo Panday , a Trinidadian lawyer, economist, trade unionist, and actor after a split in the ruling National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR). After spending six years in opposition,

248-685: A campaign of change against the PNM, the UNC was successful in the 2010 general election , and Persad-Bissessar was appointed as the first-ever female Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. The UNC won a majority of 21 seats. Their coalition controlled 29 seats in total; the Congress of the People won 6 seats and the Tobago Organization of the People won Tobago's only 2 seats. After the election,

372-629: A church, and killed the Spanish governor José de León y Echales . Among those killed in the governor's party was Juan Mazien de Sotomayor, missionary priest to the Nepuyo villages of Caura, Tacarigua and Arauca. The Spanish retaliated severely, slaughtering hundreds of native peoples in an event that became known as the Arena massacre . As a result, continuing Spanish slave-raiding, and the devastating impact of introduced disease to which they had no immunity,

496-493: A failing economy. However, Leader of the Opposition Kamla Persad-Bissessar faced backlash due to her statements on her opponent Prime Minister Keith Rowley as a "blank man on the other side", which many interpreted her as saying the "black man", however it was noted that later in her speech's transcript she referenced the "blank man" numerous times. The party also faced questions of corruption amid

620-524: A loss of support as Deputy Leader Jack Warner and Roodal Moonilal , MP for Oropouche, announced their support of Panday. In March, Senator Robin Montano's Senate appointment was revoked by Panday. Montano had supported Dookeran and opposed the return of Maharaj to the UNC. On 24 April, Panday was convicted of fraud for failing to disclose a bank account under the rules of the Integrity Act. He

744-454: A maritime tropical climate . There are two seasons annually: the dry season for the first five months of the year, and the rainy season in the remaining seven of the year. Winds are predominantly from the northeast and are dominated by the northeast trade winds . Unlike many Caribbean islands Trinidad and Tobago lies outside the main hurricane alleys; nevertheless, the island of Tobago was struck by Hurricane Flora on 30 September 1963. In

868-532: A militia unit just outside the town of Arima. The revolt was crushed at the cost of some 40 dead, and Daaga and his party were later executed at St Joseph. The apprenticeship system ended on 1 August 1838 with full emancipation. An overview of the population statistics in 1838, however, clearly reveals the contrast between Trinidad and its neighbouring islands: upon emancipation of the slaves in 1838, Trinidad had only 17,439 slaves, with 80% of slave owners having enslaved fewer than 10 people each. In contrast, at twice

992-527: A minimum of goods moving through the ports. On 1 December 1919, the striking dockworkers rushed the harbour and chased off the strikebreakers. They then proceeded to march on the government buildings in Port of Spain. Other unions and workers, many with the same grievances, joined the dock worker's strike making it a General Strike. Violence broke out and was only put down with help from the sailors of British Naval ship HMS  Calcutta . The unity brought upon by

1116-400: A period of five years, with a daily wage as low as 25 cents in the early 20th century, and they were guaranteed return passage to India at the end of their contract period. However, coercive means were often used to retain labourers, and the indentureship contracts were soon extended to 10 years from 1854 after the planters complained that they were losing their labour too early. In lieu of

1240-464: A police investigation that involved members of the UNC. The UNC won 19 of the 41 constituencies, giving them two more seat than previously held. The results in six constituencies were subject to recounts, causing the final election results to be delayed by a week. This was the first parliamentary election in Trinidad and Tobago where the result was not finalized the day after the election. However, after

1364-411: A result of negotiations between the two, Dookeran was nominated unopposed for the post of Political Leader and Panday was nominated unopposed for the party Chairmanship. However, both fielded rival slates for the remaining 16 executive posts. On 2 October, Panday's slate won 12 of the posts including two of the three deputy leader positions and, after a recount, the vice-chairmanship. Dookeran's slate won

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1488-400: A river and at the back of a school used as a polling station. The ballots were left out in the open with no visible attempts to destroy or hide them. Some names were found twice on the voting list, which may have allowed one individual to vote twice. Moonilal filed a complaint for these issues to be rectified, however Kamla Persad-Bissessar was declared the winner. In the 2016 local election ,

1612-602: Is abundant, with several species of sea urchin , coral , lobster , sea anemone , starfish , manta ray , dolphin , porpoise and whale shark present in the islands' waters. The introduced Pterois is viewed as a pest, as it eats many native species of fish and has no natural predators; efforts are currently underway to cull the numbers of this species. The country contains five terrestrial ecoregions: Trinidad and Tobago moist forests , Lesser Antillean dry forests , Trinidad and Tobago dry forests , Windward Islands xeric scrub , and Trinidad mangroves . Trinidad and Tobago

1736-452: Is also the brother of incarcerated businessman Krishna Maharaj , who died in a Florida prison in August 2024. He is also the brother of Indra Rambachan ( née Maharaj) who is the wife of Trinidad and Tobago National Award winner lawyer Roopnarine Rambachan. Maharaj also leads the Trinidad and Tobago Civil Rights Association. Maharaj is married to Lynette Maharaj who is also a lawyer. Maharaj

1860-688: Is colloquially called the Indian Party or the Hindu Party . The Spiritual Baptist and other racial and religious minorities of the country also support the party. In opposition since the 2015 general election , the party holds 19 out of 41 Members of Parliament in the House of Representatives and 6 out of 31 members of the Senate , as mandated by the Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago to

1984-461: Is likely to be far higher, given the generally accepted estimate that only about 7% of all fungi worldwide have so far been discovered. A first effort to estimate the number of endemic fungi tentatively listed 407 species. Information about micro-organisms is dispersed and very incomplete. Nearly 200 species of marine algae have been recorded. The true total number of micro-organism species must be much higher. Ramesh Maharaj Ramesh Maharaj

2108-427: Is noted particularly for its large number of bird species, and is a popular destination for bird watchers . Notable species include the scarlet ibis , cocrico , egret , shiny cowbird , bananaquit , oilbird and various species of honeycreeper , trogon , toucan , parrot , tanager , woodpecker , antbird , kites , hawks , boobies , pelicans and vultures ; there are also 17 species of hummingbird, including

2232-661: The Boa constrictor and the spectacled caiman . There are at least 47 species of snakes, including only four dangerous venomous species (only in Trinidad and not in Tobago), lizards such as the green iguana , the Tupinambis cryptus and a few species of fresh water turtles and land tortoises. are present. Of the amphibians, the golden tree frog and Trinidad poison frog are found in the highest peaks of Trinidad's Northern Range and nearby on Venezuela 's Paria Peninsula. Marine life

2356-434: The 5 November 2007 general election , the party won 29.73% of the popular vote and 15 out of 41 seats. On 24 January 2010, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, member of parliament for Siparia, was elected the new leader of the UNC. In the internal election, she won 13,932 votes compared to 1,359 for Basdeo Panday and 1,072 for Ramesh Maharaj and became the first female leader of a major political party in Trinidad and Tobago. Based on

2480-523: The Central Range fold and thrust belt consists of Cretaceous and Eocene sedimentary rocks , with Miocene formations along the southern and eastern flanks. The Naparima Plain and the Nariva Swamp form the southern shoulder of this uplift. The Southern Lowlands consist of Miocene and Pliocene sands, clays, and gravels. These overlie oil and natural gas deposits, especially north of

2604-508: The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia , now part of Latvia ) all attempting to colonise the island with little success. From 1654 the Dutch and Courlanders managed to gain a more secure foothold, later joined by several hundred French settlers. A plantation economy developed based on the production of sugar, indigo and rum, worked by large numbers of African slaves who soon came to vastly outnumber

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2728-469: The People's Partnership 's government, Vasant Bharath, on Team Lotus. Former senator and Minister of Transport in the People's Partnership's government, Devant Maharaj , was an early candidate for political leader, but was never formally nominated as he dropped out on nomination day on the 15th of November 2020, citing irregularities in the voting process. He endorsed Vasant Bharath and Team Lotus. Focus on

2852-520: 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 is situated 11 kilometres (6 nautical miles) off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and 130 kilometres (70 nautical miles) south of Grenada . It shares maritime boundaries with Barbados to the east, Grenada to

2976-626: The Trinidad Labour Party (TLP), Tubal Uriah "Buzz" Butler of the British Empire Citizens' and Workers' Home Rule Party , and Adrian Cola Rienzi , who led the Trinidad Citizens League (TCL), Oilfields Workers' Trade Union , and All Trinidad Sugar Estates and Factory Workers Union . As the movement developed calls for greater autonomy from British colonial rule became widespread; this effort

3100-533: The Trinity "), fulfilling a vow made before setting out on his third voyage of exploration. Tobago's cigar-like shape, or the use of tobacco by the native people, may have given it its Spanish name ( cabaco , tavaco , tobacco ) and possibly some of its other Indigenous names, such as Aloubaéra (black conch) and Urupaina (big snail), although the English pronunciation is /təˈbeɪɡoʊ/ . Indo-Trinidadians called

3224-595: The United Labour Front , left the NAR to form the Caucus for Love, Unity and Brotherhood 1988 (CLUB '88) which was chaired by Rampersad Parasram . CLUB '88 evolved into the UNC with Panday as leader and Parasram as its first chairman. The UNC won 13 seats in the 1991 general election and became the official opposition. It won a 14th seat in a by-election and gained another in 1995 when Ralph Maraj defected from

3348-752: The West Indies Federation in 1958 as a vehicle for independence, however the Federation dissolved after Jamaica withdrew following a membership referendum in 1961. The government of Trinidad and Tobago subsequently chose to seek independence from the United Kingdom on its own. Trinidad and Tobago gained its independence from the United Kingdom on 31 August 1962. However, Elizabeth II remained head of state, represented locally by Governor-General Solomon Hochoy , until

3472-508: The landslide victory of the Tobago Council of the People's National Movement at the 2013 Tobago House of Assembly election , loss in the 2015 Trinidad and Tobago general election and loss in the 2020 Trinidad and Tobago general election . The candidates for political leader were incumbent Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Team Star against former member of parliament for St. Augustine and former Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment in

3596-420: The ocelot , West Indian manatee , collared peccary (known as the quenk locally), red-rumped agouti , lappe , red brocket deer , Neotropical otter , weeper capuchin and red howler monkey ; there are also some 70 species of bat , including the vampire bat and fringe-lipped bat . The larger reptiles present include 5 species of marine turtles known to nest on the islands' beaches, the green anaconda ,

3720-517: The tufted coquette which is the world's third smallest. Information about invertebrates is dispersed and very incomplete. About 650 butterflies, at least 672 beetles (from Tobago alone) and 40 corals have been recorded. Other notable invertebrates include the cockroach , leaf-cutter ant and numerous species of mosquitoes , termites , spiders and tarantulas . Although the list is far from complete, 1,647 species of fungi, including lichens, have been recorded. The true total number of fungi

3844-407: The "Cacique" (native chief) Wannawanare (also known as Guanaguanare) granted the area around modern Saint Joseph to Domingo de Vera e Ibargüen, and withdrew to another part of the island. The settlement of San José de Oruña was later established by Antonio de Berrío on this land in 1592. Shortly thereafter the English sailor Sir Walter Raleigh arrived in Trinidad on 22 March 1595 in search of

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3968-614: The 1992 Rio Convention on Biological Diversity , and it has produced a biodiversity action plan and four reports describing the country's contribution to biodiversity conservation. These reports formally acknowledged the importance of biodiversity to the well-being of the country's people through provision of ecosystem services . Information about vertebrates is rather comprehensive, with 472 bird species (2 endemics), about 100 mammals, about 90 reptiles (a few endemics), about 30 amphibians (including several endemics), 50 freshwater fish and at least 950 marine fish. Notable mammal species include

4092-433: The 27th of October 2020, Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced the date for the internal election to be held on Sunday the 6th of December 2020. On election night, Persad-Bissessar said her Team Star was on the path to defeat Bharath's Team Lotus. She called for unity within the party and said their main political opponent was the People's National Movement . She claimed under her continued leadership that she would work to make

4216-628: The 4 remaining posts. Members of Dookeran's slate called for Panday's resignation as Leader of the Opposition. Gerald Yetming , MP for St. Joseph, joined the Opposition backbenches in protest of Panday's refusal to relinquish his position. In February 2006, Panday announced that he had reconciled with Maharaj, who marked his return to the party by speaking at a party rally held at Mid-Centre Mall in Chaguanas on 19 February. At that rally, Dookeran criticized his party for accepting Maharaj's return and

4340-497: The Black Power leaders be arrested. Some army leaders who were sympathetic to the Black Power movement, notably Raffique Shah and Rex Lassalle , attempted to mutiny; however, this was quashed by the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard . Williams and the PNM retained power, largely due to divisions in the opposition. In 1963 Tobago was struck by Hurricane Flora , which killed 30 people and resulted in enormous destruction across

4464-571: The British without fighting. Trinidad thus became a British crown colony , with a largely French-speaking population and Spanish laws. British rule was later formalised under the Treaty of Amiens (1802). The colony's first British governor was Thomas Picton , however his heavy-handed approach to enforcing British authority, including the use of torture and arbitrary arrest , led to his being recalled. British rule led to an influx of settlers from

4588-706: The Caribbean because it is farther south. Historian E. L. Joseph claimed that Trinidad's Indigenous name was Cairi or "Land of the Humming Bird ", derived from the Arawak name for hummingbird, ierèttê or yerettê . However, other authors dispute this etymology with some claiming that cairi does not mean hummingbird ( tukusi or tucuchi being suggested as the correct word) and some claiming that kairi , or iere , simply means island . Christopher Columbus renamed it "La Isla de la Trinidad" ("The Island of

4712-707: The Couva South seat, and shortly thereafter was appointed Attorney General, a position he held until October 2001, after facing the polls in 2000. He was sworn in as Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs on 19 December in 2000. As Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mr Maharaj was assigned the responsibility for the Registrar General, Administrator General, Copyright, Patents, Trademarks, Public Trustee, Intellectual Property, Law Reform and Revision, Legislative Drafting and Rent Restriction as well as appointments to Quasi Judicial Bodies. He

4836-700: The East Indians were imported in the largest numbers, starting from 1 May 1845, when 225 Indians were brought in the first ship to Trinidad on the Fatel Razack , a Muslim-owned vessel. Indentureship of the Indians lasted from 1845 to 1917, during which time more than 147,000 Indians came to Trinidad to work on sugarcane plantations. Indentureship contracts were sometimes exploitative, to such an extent that historians such as Hugh Tinker were to call it "a new system of slavery". Despite these descriptions, it

4960-612: The European colonists. Large numbers of forts were constructed as Tobago became a source of contention between France, Netherlands and Britain, with the island changing hands some 31 times prior to 1814, a situation exacerbated by widespread piracy. The British managed to hold Tobago from 1762 to 1781, whereupon it was captured by the French, who ruled until 1793 when Britain re-captured the island. The 17th century on Trinidad passed largely without major incident, but sustained attempts by

5084-666: The Grenadines (1990) and Grenada (1993). He is the author of several publications including a booklet entitled "Rule of Law in Trinidad and Tobago." Maharaj first entered the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago as a Temporary Opposition Senator in August 1991, towards the end of the 3rd Republican Parliament. Later that year, he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1991 as the Member for Couva South , where he served as Opposition Chief Whip. In 1995, he contested and won

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5208-562: The King of Spain. The land grant was 30 fanegas (13 hectares/32 acres) for each free man, woman and child and half of that for each slave that they brought with them. The Spanish sent a new governor, José María Chacón , to implement the terms of the new cédula . The Cédula was issued only a few years before the French Revolution . During that period of upheaval, French planters with their slaves, free coloureds and mulattos from

5332-713: The Los Bajos Fault. The Southern Range forms the third anticlinal uplift. The rocks consist of sandstones , shales , siltstones and clays formed in the Miocene and uplifted in the Pleistocene . Oil sands and mud volcanoes are especially common in this area. One of the natural wonders of the island is the Pitch lake lake, a natural pitch lake on the island of Trinidad. Which is the largest naturally occurring deposit of asphalt on Earth. Trinidad and Tobago has

5456-651: The Northern Range and the soils of the East–West Corridor are the most fertile. Trinidad is also notable for containing Pitch Lake , the largest natural reservoir of asphalt in the world. Tobago contains a flat plain in its south-west, with the eastern half of the island being more mountainous, culminating in Pigeon Peak, the island's highest point at 550 metres (1,800 ft). Tobago also contains several coral reefs off its coast. The majority of

5580-473: The Northern Range of Trinidad, the climate is often cooler than that of the sweltering heat of the plains below, due to constant cloud and mist cover, and heavy rains in the mountains. Record temperatures for Trinidad and Tobago are 39 °C (102 °F) for the high in Port of Spain, and a low of 12 °C (54 °F). Because the islands of Trinidad and Tobago lie on the continental shelf of South America, and in ancient times were physically connected to

5704-512: The South American mainland, their biological diversity is unlike that of most other Caribbean islands, and has much more in common with that of Venezuela. The main ecosystems are: coastal and marine (coral reefs, mangrove swamps, open ocean and seagrass beds); forest; freshwater (rivers and streams); karst ; man-made ecosystems (agricultural land, freshwater dams, secondary forest); and savanna. On 1 August 1996, Trinidad and Tobago ratified

5828-669: The Spaniards to control and rule over the Indigenous population was often fiercely resisted. In 1687 the Catholic Catalan Capuchin friars were given responsibility for the conversions of the indigenous people of Trinidad and the Guianas . They founded several missions in Trinidad, supported and richly funded by the state, which also granted encomienda right to them over the native peoples, in which

5952-517: The Spanish never made any concerted effort to colonise the islands; Trinidad in this period was still mostly forest, populated by a few Spaniards with a handful of slaves and a few thousand Indigenous people. Indeed, the population in 1777 was only 1,400, and Spanish colonisation in Trinidad remained tenuous. In 1777, the captain general Luis de Unzaga 'le Conciliateur', married to a French Creole, allowed free trade in Trinidad, attracting French settlers and its economy improved notably. Since Trinidad

6076-773: The UNC and the PNM . The political leaders of the United National Congress have been as follows (any acting leaders indicated in italics): Key:    UNC     PNM     NAR PM : Prime Minister LO : Leader of the Opposition The new executive members of the UNC Youth Arm are as follows: The executive members of the UNC Women's Arm are: Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago , officially

6200-822: The UNC won 46.5% of the popular vote and 16 out of 36 seats in the House of Representatives. It became the opposition party to the ruling PNM government, which held the other 20 seats. In April 2005, the UNC was further weakened when Pointe-à-Pierre MP Gillian Lucky and San Juan MP Fuad Khan declared themselves to be "independent UNC members" and relocated to the Opposition backbenches. On 31 May 2005, Panday, his wife Oma, former UNC MP Carlos John, and party financier Ishwar Galbaransingh were arrested for bribery. Panday refused bail and remained in prison for eight days. On 2 September 2005, Panday announced that he would be willing to hand over party leadership to Winston Dookeran , MP for St. Augustine, if Panday could remain party chairman. As

6324-499: The UNC won control of the government in 1995, initially in coalition with the NAR and later on its own. In the 2000 general election , the UNC won an absolute majority in the Parliament . In 2001, a split in the party caused the UNC to lose its parliamentary majority and control of the government. From 2001 to 2010, the UNC was once again Parliamentary Opposition party. In May 2010, the UNC returned to government as

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6448-614: The United Kingdom and the British colonies of the Eastern Caribbean. English, Scots, Irish, German and Italian families arrived, as well as some free blacks known as " Merikins " who had fought for Britain in the War of 1812 and were granted land in southern Trinidad. Under British rule, new states were created and the importation of slaves increased, however by this time support for abolitionism had vastly increased and in England

6572-474: The coalition showed signs of weakening. The Movement for Social Justice, which did not win any seats in the election, left the coalition due to discontent with the running of the government. The Tobago Organization of the People failed to win a single seat in the 2013 Tobago House of Assembly elections. During 2013, the UNC lost 2 seats in by-elections in St. Joseph and Chaguanas West. In the 2015 general elections ,

6696-425: The colony were also subject to certain crown laws which segregated them from the rest of Trinidad and Tobago's population, such as the requirement that they carry a pass with them if they left the plantations, and that if freed, they carry their "Free Papers" or certificate indicating completion of the indenture period. Few Indians settled on Tobago however, and the descendants of African slaves continued to form

6820-412: The country at the time, holding Robinson and country's government hostage for six days before surrendering. The coup leaders were promised amnesty, but upon their surrender they were arrested, ultimately being released after protracted legal wrangling. The PNM under Patrick Manning returned to power following the 1991 Trinidad and Tobago general election . Hoping to capitalise on an improvement in

6944-524: The country became a founding member state of CARIFTA's successor, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), which is a political and economic union between several Caribbean countries and territories. Between the years 1972 and 1983, the country profited greatly from the rising price of oil and the discovery of vast new oil deposits in its territorial waters, resulting in an economic boom that substantially increased living standards. In 1976

7068-711: The country became a republic within the Commonwealth , though it retained the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council as its final appellate court. The position of governor-general was replaced with that of President ; Ellis Clarke was the first to hold this largely ceremonial role. Tobago was granted limited self-rule with the creation of the Tobago House of Assembly in 1980. Williams died in 1981, being replaced by George Chambers who led

7192-568: The country consists of two main islands, Trinidad and Tobago , separated by a 37-kilometre (20-nautical-mile) strait, plus a number of much smaller islands , including Chacachacare , Monos , Huevos , Gaspar Grande (or Gasparee), Little Tobago , and Saint Giles Island . Trinidad is 4,768 km (1,841 sq mi) in area (comprising 93.0% of the country's total area) with an average length of 80 kilometres (50 mi) and an average width of 59 kilometres (37 mi). Tobago has an area of about 300 km (120 sq mi), or 5.8% of

7316-471: The country entered a second oil boom, and petroleum, petrochemicals and natural gas continue to be the backbone of the economy. Tourism and the public service are the mainstay of the economy of Tobago, though authorities have attempted to diversify the island's economy. A partnership resulted in Manning's defeat by the newly formed People's Partnership coalition in 2010, with Kamla Persad-Bissessar becoming

7440-401: The country until 1986. By this time a fall in the price of oil had resulted in a recession, causing rising inflation and unemployment. The main opposition parties united under the banner of National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) and won the 1986 Trinidad and Tobago general election , with NAR leader A. N. R. Robinson becoming the new Prime Minister. Robinson was unable to hold together

7564-526: The country's area, is 41 km ( 25 + 1 ⁄ 2  mi) long and 12 km ( 7 + 1 ⁄ 2  mi) at its greatest width. Trinidad and Tobago lie on the continental shelf of South America, and are thus geologically considered to lie entirely in South America. The terrain of the islands is a mixture of mountains and plains. On Trinidad the Northern Range runs parallel with

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7688-526: The country's first female prime minister. However, the PP were defeated in 2015 by the PNM under Keith Rowley . In August 2020, the governing People's National Movement won general election , earning the incumbent Prime Minister Keith Rowley a second term in office. Trinidad and Tobago is situated between 10° 2' and 11° 12' N latitude and 60° 30' and 61° 56' W longitude , with the Caribbean Sea to

7812-415: The defection of Maharaj; two of his supporters, Agriculture Minister Trevor Sudama and Information Technology Minister Ralph Maraj, formed a new political party: Team Unity . Early elections were called in 2001 , in which the UNC was reduced to 18 seats in the House of Representatives . The opposition PNM, which also won 18 seats, was called upon to form the government. During the 2002 general elections ,

7936-558: The drainage pattern of Trinidad. The east coast is noted for its beaches, most notably Manzanilla Beach . The island contains several large swamp areas, such as the Caroni Swamp and the Nariva Swamp . Major bodies of water on Trinidad include the Hollis Reservoir , Navet Reservoir , Caroni Reservoir . Trinidad is made up of a variety of soil types, the majority being fine sands and heavy clays. The alluvial valleys of

8060-521: The economy, Manning called an early election in 1995, however, this resulted in a hung parliament . Two NAR representatives backed the opposition United National Congress (UNC), which had split off from the NAR in 1989, and they thus took power under Basdeo Panday , who became the country's first Indo-Trinidadian Prime Minister. After a period of political confusion caused by a series of inconclusive election results, Patrick Manning returned to power in 2001, retaining that position until 2010. In 2003

8184-520: The election results that the UNC would die, pointing that it had the lowest voter turn out for an UNC internal election and says that the COVID-19 pandemic had nothing to do with it as the last internal election was the same. He further said that Kamla Persad-Bissessar killed the party "beyond repair" and that the only way to end the "tribal politics" was for a new party to be formed. However, political analyst Mukesh Basdeo disagreed with Panday, saying that

8308-598: The first President of the Senate was J. Hamilton Maurice. The 1960s saw the rise of a Black Power movement , inspired in part by the civil rights movement in the United States. Protests and strikes became common, with events coming to head in April 1970 when police shot dead a protester named Basil Davis. Fearing a breakdown of law and order, Prime Minister Williams declared a state of emergency and ordered that many of

8432-429: The fragile NAR coalition, and his economic reforms, such as the implementation of an International Monetary Fund Structural Adjustment Program and devaluation of currency led to social unrest. In 1990, 114 members of the Jamaat al Muslimeen , led by Yasin Abu Bakr (formerly known as Lennox Phillip) stormed the Red House (the seat of Parliament ), and Trinidad and Tobago Television , the only television station in

8556-411: The full powers granted to him in the Party's Constitution. However, Dookeran's call for internal change within the UNC was negatively viewed by some of the party's 'old guards' who felt their position threatened. Panday loyalists organised themselves into a five-member Leadership Council, composed of the three Deputy Leaders (Persad-Bissessar, Wade Mark, and Jack Warner), the Party CEO Tim Gopeesingh, and

8680-414: The infighting, Panday returned to active politics in August 2006 and attempted to publicly broker a reconciliation between the two factions. This proved fruitless. Many, including Panday's supporters, privately held the view that Panday was working behind the scenes to undermine Dookeran's support within the Executive. Dookeran, who was seen as the legitimate Political Leader of the UNC, was unable to exercise

8804-461: The infrastructure on Trinidad and provided many locals with well-paying jobs; however, the social effects of having so many young soldiers stationed on the island, as well as their often unconcealed racial prejudice, caused resentment. The Americans left in 1961. In the post-war period the British began a process of decolonisation across the British Empire. In 1945 universal suffrage was introduced to Trinidad and Tobago. Political parties emerged on

8928-605: The island Chinidat or Chinidad which translated to the "land of sugar". The usage of the term goes back to the 19th century when recruiters in India would call the island Chinidat as a way of luring workers into indentureship on the sugar plantations. The islands that make up modern-day Trinidad and Tobago lie at the southern end of the Lesser Antilles group. Both Trinidad and Tobago were originally settled by Indigenous people who came through South America. Trinidad

9052-506: The island became a Crown colony in 1877. With the sugar industry in a state of near-collapse and the island no longer profitable, the British attached Tobago to their Trinidad colony in 1889. In 1903, a protest against the introduction of new water rates in Port of Spain erupted into rioting; 18 people were shot dead, and the Red House (the government headquarters) was damaged by fire. A local elected assembly with some limited powers

9176-464: The island to a British fleet under the command of Sir Ralph Abercromby in 1797. Trinidad and Tobago were ceded to Britain in 1802 under the Treaty of Amiens as separate states and unified in 1889. Trinidad and Tobago obtained independence in 1962, and became a republic in 1976. Unlike most Caribbean nations and territories, which rely heavily on tourism, the economy is primarily industrial with an emphasis on petroleum and petrochemicals ; much of

9300-514: The island, however these were largely divided along racial lines: Afro-Trinidadians and Tobagonians primarily supported the People's National Movement (PNM), formed in 1956 by Eric Williams , with Indo-Trinidadians and Tobagonians mostly supporting the People's Democratic Party (PDP), formed in 1953 by Bhadase Sagan Maraj , which later merged into the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) in 1957. Britain's Caribbean colonies formed

9424-415: The island. In the 1530s Antonio de Sedeño, a Spanish soldier intent on conquering the island of Trinidad, landed on its southwest coast with a small army of men, intending to subdue the Indigenous population of the island. Sedeño and his men fought the native peoples on many occasions, and subsequently built a fort. The next few decades were generally spent in warfare with the native peoples, until in 1592,

9548-523: The island. Partly as a result of this, tourism came to replace agriculture as the island's primary source of income in the subsequent decades. On 1 May 1968, Trinidad and Tobago joined the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA), which provided a continued economic, rather than political, linkage between the former British West Indies English-speaking countries after the West Indies Federation failed. On 1 August 1973,

9672-499: The leadership election occurred when Anita Haynes, Public Relations Officer of the UNC, was questioned by reporters on whether or not the Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar would resign. Devant Maharaj was a leading figure in calling for Kamla Persad-Bissessar to step down as political leader. He actively called for her to step down on social media and on billboards he had put up. On

9796-515: The less populated colonies of the West Indies, with the least developed plantation infrastructure. The British had begun to take a keen interest in Trinidad, and in 1797 a British force led by General Sir Ralph Abercromby launched an invasion of Trinidad . His squadron sailed through the Bocas and anchored off the coast of Chaguaramas . Seriously outnumbered, Chacón decided to capitulate to

9920-511: The long-rumoured " El Dorado " ("City of Gold") supposedly located in South America. He attacked San José, captured and interrogated Antonio de Berrío, and obtained much information from him and from the Cacique Topiawari; Raleigh then went on his way, and Spanish authority was restored. Meanwhile, there were numerous attempts by European powers to settle Tobago during the 1620–40s, with the Dutch, English and Couronians (people from

10044-556: The majority of the island's population. An ongoing economic slump in the middle-to-late 19th century caused widespread poverty. Discontent erupted into rioting on the Roxborough plantation in 1876, in an event known as the Belmanna Uprising after a policeman who was killed. The British eventually managed to restore control; however, as a result of the disturbances Tobago's Legislative Assembly voted to dissolve itself and

10168-524: The majority party in the People's Partnership . The UNC's Political Leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar , was sworn in as the first female Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago . Kamla Persad-Bissessar was Prime Minister from 2010 until 2015. The party symbol is the sun rising above the Trinity Hills . Historically, the UNC has been supported by a majority of Indo-Trinidadians and Tobagonians , especially Hindu Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonians , thus it

10292-472: The months following, infighting in the UNC increased. Dookeran and the party Executive were entrenched in opposing positions. Dookeran organised his own political apparatus and held political meetings without the Executive's consent. He also ceased to attend Executive meetings and his few allies on the Executive were removed. Persad-Bissessar also replaced Dookeran's supporters in the appointed Senate. Amidst

10416-445: The nation's wealth is derived from its large reserves of oil and natural gas. Trinidad and Tobago is well known for its African and Indian cultures, reflected in its large and famous Carnival , Diwali , and Hosay celebrations, as well as being the birthplace of the steelpan , the limbo , and music styles such as calypso , soca , rapso , parang , chutney , and chutney soca music. The country gets fewer hurricanes than most of

10540-506: The native peoples were forced to provide labour for the Spanish. One such mission was Santa Rosa de Arima, established in 1689, when Indigenous people from the former encomiendas of Tacarigua and Arauca ( Arouca ) were relocated further west. Escalating tensions between the Spaniards and Indigenous people culminated in violence in 1689, when Indigenous people in the San Rafael encomienda rebelled and killed several priests, attacked

10664-497: The native population was virtually wiped out by the end of the following century. During this period Trinidad was an island province belonging to the Viceroyalty of New Spain , together with Central America, present-day Mexico and what would later become the southwestern United States . In 1757 the capital was moved from San José de Oruña to Puerto de España (modern Port of Spain ) following several pirate attacks. However

10788-476: The neighbouring islands of Martinique , Saint Lucia , Grenada, Guadeloupe and Dominica migrated to Trinidad, where they established an agriculture-based economy (sugar and cocoa). These new immigrants established local communities in Blanchisseuse , Champs Fleurs, Paramin , Cascade, Carenage and Laventille . As a result, Trinidad's population jumped to over 15,000 by the end of 1789, and by 1797

10912-435: The new Opposition Leader. Persad-Bissessar was appointed Opposition Leader the following day but stated that she would step aside should Panday's appeal prove successful. The Courts released Panday on bail on Friday 28 April, on the ground of his medical ailments. Following his release on bail, he tendered his resignation as chairman of the party on 1 May 2006. The UNC executive did not immediately accept his resignation. In

11036-463: The newly returned Maharaj. Panday was said to have been appointed as an advisor to the council. On 10 September at a large rally, Dookeran announced his resignation as UNC Political Leader and the formation of a new party: the Congress of the People . On 11 September, Panday resumed the Chairmanship of the party, and on 3 January 2007, Panday was reinstated as Political Leader of the party. In

11160-480: The north coast, and contains the country's highest peak ( El Cerro del Aripo ), which is 940 metres (3,080 ft) above sea level, and second highest ( El Tucuche , 936 metres (3,071 ft)). The rest of the island is generally flatter, excluding the Central Range and Montserrat Hills in the centre of the island and the Southern Range and Trinity Hills in the south. The three mountain ranges determine

11284-609: The north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, and the Gulf of Paria to the west. It is located in the far south-east of the Caribbean region, with the island of Trinidad being just 11 kilometres (6 nmi) off the coast of Venezuela in mainland South America across the Columbus Channel . The islands are a physiographic extension of South America . Covering an area of 5,128 km (1,980 sq mi),

11408-601: The northwest and Venezuela to the south and west. Trinidad and Tobago is generally considered to be part of the West Indies . The island country's capital is Port of Spain , while its largest and most populous municipality is Chaguanas . The island of Trinidad was inhabited for centuries by Indigenous peoples before becoming a colony in the Spanish Empire , following the arrival of Christopher Columbus , in 1498. Spanish governor José María Chacón surrendered

11532-462: The official parliamentary opposition. The party has 67 out of the 139 local councillors and is in control of 7 of the 14 regional corporations since the 2019 Trinidadian local elections . The party has no representation in the Tobago House of Assembly . As of December 2020, the UNC has 120,000+ registered members. The party was founded on 30 April 1989 following a split in the ruling NAR. Six members of parliament, all of whom were former members of

11656-536: The party against Chanda Bhaggan and Christine Newallo Hosein. The voter turnout was the lowest recorded in an internal election for the UNC at the time. The 2020 general elections took place on the 10th of August 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic . The UNC's campaign was based on the incumbent PNM government's mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, not doing more to control the Venezuelan refugee crisis and having

11780-412: The party more united and stronger. She also acknowledged that there was some reports of elections issues, but that overall everything had gone well. Persad-Bissessar said that the low voter turnout was due to the COVID-19 pandemic , as it was in the general election. Bharath conceded shortly after midnight and congratulated Persad-Bissessar and wished her success. He also stated the party needs to determine

11904-410: The party received a significant number of votes despite the COVID-19 pandemic and that had the election been held in other conditions then it would have showed a decline in the interest of the party. He also stated that the pandemic deterred people from coming out to vote. He noted that smaller third parties were crushed in the 2020 general election and that most of the votes went to the two major parties,

12028-484: The party won 18 of the 41 seats in the elections to form the main Opposition party in the 11th parliament of Trinidad and Tobago. Persad-Bissessar was appointed Leader of the Opposition by President Anthony Carmona on 21 September 2015. An internal party election was held on 5 December 2015, which Kamla Persad-Bissessar won as political leader of the party against Roodal Moonilal and Vasant Bharath. Controversy arose when ballots in favor of Roodal Moonilal were found near

12152-422: The party won 54 of the 137 seats in the elections and held the majority in 6 of the 14 local councils. According to the election authorities, three of the UNC's candidates were found ineligible or withdrew themselves before polling day, resulting in a walkover victory for the PNM in one district. In the 2017 internal elections Kamla Persad-Bissessar won virtually all of the votes to continue as political leader of

12276-472: The party. The election had the lowest voter turnout for an UNC internal election with only 17,066 members out of 120,000+ members coming out to vote. This follows after the last internal election in 2017 was recorded to have the lowest voter turnout. Founder of the party, Basdeo Panday , commented before the election that the UNC had no future under the leadership of Kamla Persad-Bissessar nor Vassant Bharath and would eventually die out. He reiterated again after

12400-424: The passage of the 1976 Republican Constitution. Eric Williams of the People's National Movement became the first Prime Minister , serving in that capacity uninterrupted until 1981. The dominant figure in the opposition in the early independence years was Opposition Leader Rudranath Capildeo of the Democratic Labour Party . The first Speaker of the House of Representatives was Clytus Arnold Thomasos and

12524-562: The population of Port of Spain had increased from under 3,000 to 10,422 in just five years, with a varied population of mixed race individuals, Spaniards, Africans, French republican soldiers, retired pirates and French nobility. The total population of Trinidad was 17,718, of which 2,151 were of European ancestry, 4,476 were "free blacks and people of colour", 10,009 were enslaved people and 1,082 Indigenous people. The sparse settlement and slow rate of population-increase during Spanish rule (and even later during British rule) made Trinidad one of

12648-555: The population reside on the island of Trinidad, and this is thus the location of largest towns and cities . There are four major municipalities in Trinidad: the capital Port of Spain, San Fernando , Arima and Chaguanas . The main town on Tobago is Scarborough . The Northern Range consists mainly of Upper Jurassic and Cretaceous metamorphic rocks . The Northern Lowlands (the East–West Corridor and Caroni Plain ) consist of younger shallow marine clastic sediments . South of this,

12772-427: The reason for the low voter turnout then they need to "inspire their ground troops" to win the next general election. Bharath stated that he was willing to work with Persad-Bissessar to help rebuild the party. However, he mentioned that there were irregularities in the election which he had warned about and many were unable to vote. He said that active campaigner on Persad-Bissessar's team were presiding officers, his team

12896-459: The recount the UNC did not gain any constituencies, and remained the opposition in the parliament. The 2020 internal election took place on the 6th of December 2020, after Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar , the current leader of the UNC, faced losses commencing in January 2013 with the wipeout of her People's Partnership -led administration from the Tobago House of Assembly due to

13020-523: The return passage, the British authorities soon began offering portions of land to encourage settlement, and by 1902, more than half of the sugar cane in Trinidad was being produced by independent cane farmers; the majority of which were Indians. Despite the trying conditions experienced under the indenture system, about 90% of the Indian immigrants chose, at the end of their contracted periods of indenture, to make Trinidad their permanent home. Indians entering

13144-463: The ruling People's National Movement (PNM) party. In 1995, the UNC lost one seat when Hulsie Bhaggan, member of parliament for Chaguanas , left the party to form the Movement for Unity and Progress (MUP). In the 1995 general election , the UNC won 17 of 36 seats and formed a coalition government with the NAR which won 2 seats. In exchange for his support, NAR Political Leader A. N. R. Robinson

13268-476: The rural and agricultural workers in Trinidad, and encouraged the rise of a labour movement. Conditions on the islands worsened in the 1930s with the onset of the Great Depression , with an outbreak of labour riots occurring in 1937 which resulted in several deaths. The labour movement aimed to unite the urban working class and agricultural labour class; the key figures being Arthur Cipriani , who led

13392-550: The size of Trinidad, Jamaica had roughly 360,000 slaves. After the African slaves were emancipated many refused to continue working on the plantations, often moving out to urban areas such as Laventille and Belmont to the east of Port of Spain. As a result, a severe agricultural labour shortage emerged. The British filled this gap by instituting a system of indentureship . Various nationalities were contracted under this system, including Indians, Chinese, and Portuguese. Of these,

13516-528: The slave trade was under attack. Slavery was abolished in 1833 , after which former slaves served an " apprenticeship " period. In 1837 Daaga, a West African slave trader who had been captured by Portuguese slavers and later rescued by the British navy, was conscripted into the local regiment. Daaga and a group of his compatriots mutinied at the barracks in St Joseph and set out eastward in an attempt to return to their homeland. The mutineers were ambushed by

13640-429: The strike was the first time of cooperation between the various ethnic groups of the time. Historian Brinsley Samaroo says that the 1919 strikes "seem to indicate that there was a growing class consciousness after the war and this transcended racial feelings at times." However, in the 1920s, the collapse of the sugarcane industry, concomitant with the failure of the cocoa industry, resulted in widespread depression among

13764-663: The time of European contact, Trinidad was occupied by various Arawakan -speaking groups including the Nepoya and Suppoya, and Cariban -speaking groups such as the Yao , while Tobago was occupied by the Island Caribs and Galibi . Christopher Columbus was the first European to see Trinidad, on his third voyage to the Americas in 1498. He also reported seeing Tobago on the distant horizon, naming it Bellaforma , but did not land on

13888-583: Was also the Official and Provisional Receiver, Provisional Liquidator and Custodian of Enemy Property. In 2007, Maharaj contested and won the Tabaquite constituency for the UNC-A , and had reprised the role of Chief Whip in the 9th Republican Parliament. Maharaj is the son of Nanan Maharaj and Dolly Nanan Maharaj. Maharaj is married to Lynette Maharaj and is the father of one son and twin daughters. Maharaj

14012-489: Was booed by the crowd. On 8 March 2006, Yetming announced he was formally leaving the UNC and would serve out his term as an independent. His chief reason was the return of Maharaj to the UNC, a move which he opposed. As internal wranglings continued in the party, it appeared that a rift between Dookeran and the Executive was deepening. Newspaper accounts indicated that pro-Panday executives and Dookeran were largely functioning independently of each other. Dookeran also suffered

14136-620: Was born to Hindu Indo-Trinidadians , Dolly and Nanan Maharaj, on 16 September 1945 in Diamond Village, Trinidad and Tobago . Maharaj (B/) has over 50 years experience in the legal profession having been admitted to practice at the English Bar in 1967. He has been in private practice as Senior Partner in the chambers of Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj and Company. He has also been admitted to practice as an attorney in St Vincent and

14260-517: Was considered underpopulated, Roume de St. Laurent, a Frenchman living in Grenada , was able to obtain a Cédula de Población from the Spanish king Charles III on 4 November 1783. A Cédula de Población had previously been granted in 1776 by the king, but had not shown results, and therefore the new Cédula was more generous. It granted free land and tax exemption for 10 years to Roman Catholic foreign settlers who were willing to swear allegiance to

14384-534: Was first appointed Minister Extraordinaire and then elected President in 1997. Two PNM MPs defected and supported the UNC as independent members. This gave the UNC an absolute majority and caused relations with the NAR to deteriorate. In the 2000 general election , the UNC won 19 seats and formed a majority government. However, internal party elections in 2001 exposed a rift in the party between Panday and Attorney-General Ramesh Maharaj , who fielded rival slates. Maharaj's slate termed itself 'Team Unity'. Though Panday

14508-400: Was first settled by pre-agricultural Archaic people at least 7,000 years ago, making it the earliest settled part of the Caribbean. Banwari Trace in south-west Trinidad is the oldest attested archaeological site in the Caribbean, dating to about 5000 BC. Several waves of migration occurred over the following centuries, which can be identified by differences in their archaeological remains. At

14632-407: Was introduced in 1913. Economically Trinidad and Tobago remained a predominantly agricultural colony; alongside sugarcane, the cacao ( cocoa ) crop also contributed greatly to economic earnings in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In November 1919, the dockworkers went on strike over bad management practices, low wages compared to a higher cost of living. Strikebreakers were brought in to keep

14756-409: Was not challenged as Political Leader, Maharaj's slate won 21 of the 24 executive posts, and Maharaj himself was elected Deputy Leader. Panday refused to recommend Maharaj as Acting Prime Minister in his absence. Maharaj countered by initiating investigations into charges of corruption by Panday and his supporters. Panday then reduced the ministerial portfolios of Maharaj and his supporters. This led to

14880-519: Was not granted access to a revised list of electors, that there were reports of voters being verbally abused and intimidated, there was paraphernalia of the Star Team being distributed at some precincts, and that his father John Bharath, a founding member of the UNC, was not on the voting list and that there were other people who were not on the revised voter list who were allowed to vote. Devant Maharaj called on Persad-Bissessar to embrace all and rebuild

15004-455: Was not truly a new form of slavery, as workers were paid, contracts were finite, and the idea of an individual being another's property had been eliminated when slavery was abolished. In addition, employers of indentured labour had no legal right to flog or whip their workers; the main legal sanction for the enforcement of the indenture laws was prosecution in the courts, followed by fines or (more likely) jail sentences. People were contracted for

15128-554: Was responsible for a growing middle class among all sections of the Trinidad population. The collapse of Trinidad's major agricultural commodities, followed by the Depression, and the rise of the oil economy, led to major changes in the country's social structure. The presence of American military bases in Chaguaramas and Cumuto in Trinidad during World War II had a profound effect on society. The Americans vastly improved

15252-414: Was sentenced to 2 years hard labour. At the UNC rally held that night Dookeran was not permitted to speak on the platform. Maharaj, however was seated centre stage at that rally. On 25 April, Panday's appointment as Opposition Leader was revoked by President George Maxwell Richards . In a surprise move the next day, seven UNC MPs announced their support of Deputy Political Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar as

15376-582: Was severely undermined by the British Home Office and by the British-educated Trinidadian elite, many of whom were descended from the plantocracy class. Petroleum had been discovered in 1857, but became economically significant only in the 1930s and afterwards as a result of the collapse of sugarcane and cocoa, and increasing industrialization. By the 1950s petroleum had become a staple in Trinidad's export market, and

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