Trinidad+and+Tobago


 * Trinidad and Tobago Flag Meaning:**The red base represents the vigor of the land in Trinidad and Tobago, the friendliness and courage of its people, and the sun. The black represents the unity and __[|strength]__ of the people, as well as the natural wealth of the country. The white represents the surrounding sea and the purity and equality of all people under the sun. Together, the colors represent earth, water and fire, which connect the nation's people to the past present and future.
 * Trinidad and Tobago Flag History:**The flag of Trinidad and Tobago was adopted on August 31, 1962 when Trinidad and Tobago gained independence from Britain.
 * Interesting Trinidad and Tobago Flag Facts:**The flag was designed by the Trinidad and Tobago Independence Committee in 1962.
 * A Brief History of Trinidad & Tobago**

Trinidad
Columbus discovered Trinidad on Tuesday 31st of July 1498 on his third voyage. By all accounts his crossing was a hard one. He was forced to take a more southerly route to avoid a hostile French Fleet and this led him into the doldrums. While drifting in the still heat of the equator his water barrels burst and his food rotted. It was in this situation that Columbus sighted the Trinity Hills or the Three Sisters on the southern coast of Trinidad. To Columbus it must have seemed providential as he was down to his last casket of water. It is not certain why Columbus named Trinidad after the Holy Trinity, some say it was because he had entrusted this voyage to the Holy Trinity, others say it was because he had made a promise to name the first land he say in honour of the Holy Trinity. What ever the reason Trinidad was named after the Holy Trinity. Columbus first landed on the south coast near Point Erin to collect water. Later, after rounding Icacos Pt. he sailed into the Gulf of Paria and went on to explore the coast of Venezuela (which he thought was an island). He later returned to Trinidad and anchored in a bay of island of Chacachcare (one of the small islands off the coast of Trinidad). After claiming the island for Spain he sailed through the Grand Boca, it was at this point that he sighted Tobago in the distance and named it Bellaforma. The word "discovered" is often seen as contentious when applied to Columbus on two counts. Firstly, in a purely technical sense there were already native Indians who called the Americas home. Secondly, it seems Eurocentric and tends to imply that history starts from the day Europeans arrived. Regardless Columbus’ "discovery" marks the start of the modern history of the region and the event ushered in the forces which would shape what we see today. Trinidad was largely ignored until 1531 when an attempt was made to settle the island. This proved unsuccessful as did a later attempt in 1569. The first permanent settlement was made in 1592 by Domingo de Vera in the old capital of St. Joseph. Shortly after in 1595, Trinidad was visited by Sir Walter Raleigh (founder of Virginia) who was en route to what he thought was El Dorado, (he found mainly mosquitoes, bush and despair). In addition to visiting the Pitch Lake Raleigh felt it necessary to burn the newly St. Joseph. This was to be a familiar pattern for the next century as Trinidad became the base of choice for expeditions to El Dorado and a haven for smugglers and pirates. However these activities did little to develop the island and at times the Spanish population fell to as little as 160. Being in the backwaters of the Spanish Empire the local population was neglected and official ships rarely visited. Poverty became so widespread that in 1740 the local leaders wrote to the King complaining that they could only go to mass once a year and in clothes borrowed form one another! Turmoil in Europe, especially in France, and a liberalization of emigration policies by the Spanish authorities encouraged settles from France and the French Islands to the north (Martinique, Guadeloupe etc.). War in Europe also bought a fleet of 17 British ships into Trinidad waters in 1797 and without much of a fight Trinidad changed hands and became a British possession. For the next century Trinidad became a typical British sugar colony with its fortune following the price of sugar on its roller-coaster ride. Important events include the emancipation of slaves in 1834, the beginning of indentured labour schemes in 1852 which bought Chinese and East Indians to Trinidad. In 1871 the first telegraph cable was laid (at Macqueripe Bay) linking Trinidad with the rest of the world. Trams and railways were also introduced in the second half of the 19th Century.

Tobago
As said earlier, Tobago was supposedly sighted in 1498 by Columbus on his third voyage and named Bella Forma, but its present name is most probably a corruption of "Tobacco." This was grown by the original Indian inhabitants and later as a crop by settlers. In 1608 James I claimed sovereignty over the island and for the next 200 years Tobago changed hands like a hot potato between the Dutch, the French and the English. Estimates of the number of changeovers range between 22 and 32. Among those who tried to settle the island were the Courlanders, (from Latvia), but for most of the 17th and 18th Centuries Tobago was a haven for pirates. In 1763 Tobago was ceded to the British by the French, and the land was divided into parishes and sold. Like Trinidad, Tobago shared the fate of most islands in the West Indies and became a British sugar colony. Interestingly Tobago became embroiled in the American War of Independence when in 1778 an American squadron tried to capture the island. They were however repulsed by the British warship Yarmouth.

Trinidad & Tobago
In the second half of the 19th Century the recession in the sugar industries encouraged the movement towards amalgamation of the West Indian islands into administrative groups in order to cut administrative costs. In 1889 Tobago was united with Trinidad to become the Colony of Trinidad &Tobago. Later in 1899 it became a ward of the colony. If Trinidad was a sugar economy in the 19th Century it became an oil economy in the 20th. With the advent of the automobile and the conversion of the British Navy from coal to oil the search for and the production of oil received a strong boost. Oil was discovered in the Guayguaygare, Point Fortin, and Forest Reserve areas. Over time oil and oil related exports came to dominate the economy and transformed much of populace from a rural to an urban one. Besides oil another important event was the establishment of U.S. bases on the island in 1941. This was agreed to in exchange for 50 destroyers which at the time was sorely needed by an overstretched Britain. These bases included a large chunk of the Chaguramas Peninsular as well as an air base at Wallerfield. The G. I.’s injected American culture and money into a stagnant economy and shifted the focus of country from Britain to the U.S. After the war independence seemed inevitable and as a precursor Britain tried a brief political experiment called the British West Indian Federation. This attempted to unify the various islands under one political and economic umbrella but internal tensions soon surfaced and the group split. Led by Dr. Eric Williams Trinidad and Tobago became an independent member of the Commonwealth on 31st of August 1962. Later, on the 1st of August 1976 Trinidad and Tobago became a presidential republic within the Commonwealth.



Nicki Minaj AKA Nicki Lewinsky
 * Nicki Minaj ** or "//Onika Tanya Maraj//" parents of Indian descent and Trinidad and Tobago //Minaj// was born 8 December 1984 in St. James, Trinidad and Tobago. She lives in Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago, with her grandmother until the age of five, because their parents were looking for a place to life being in the city of New York City borough of Queens. Her mother would occasionally visit and someday, when **Minaj** is five years old, her mother decided sich-Up movement Queens. Her father had consumed alcohol ** Minaj **, medication and once tried to kill her mother, by adjusting the burning house. High school, 210 Elizabeth Blackwell, where she played the clarinet. High school graduated from LaGuardia. ** Nicki Minaj ** attended the drama program in LaGuardia, a school that specialized in //music// and the Visual and performing **[|music artist]**. Originally planned to sing at LaGuardia, but lost her voice on the day of the hearing.

This is their money:



> Trinidad and Tobago: Nationality: //Noun and adjective//--Trinidadian(s) and Tobagonian(s). (Note: A popular combination name for Trinidadians and Tobagonians is Trinbagonians.) Population (2007 est.): 1,303,188. Annual growth rate: 0.4%. Ethnic groups (2000): East Indian 40.0%, African 37.5%, mixed 20.5%, European 0.6%, Chinese 0.3%, other/not stated 1.1%. Religions (2000): Roman Catholic 26.0%, Hindu 22.5%, Anglican 7.8%, Pentecostal 6.8%, Baptist 7.2%, other Christian 5.8%, Muslim 5.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 4%, other 10.8%, unspecified 1.4%, none 1.9%. Language: English. Education: //Years compulsory//--8. //Literacy//--98.6%. Health: //Infant mortality rate// (2005 est.)--25.81/1,000. //Life expectancy// (2006 est.)--66 yrs. male; 68 yrs. female. Work force (620,800, first quarter 2008): Trade and services 62.9%, construction 18.9%, manufacturing 9.5%, agriculture/sugar 3.8%, oil/gas 3.3%, utilities 1.5%. Source: []media type="custom" key="9642768" tobago money. .
 * People**
 * Music:** //Wukking Up//- Patrice Roberts; //Defense//- Machel, Pitbull, & Lil John; //Congo Man//- Machel Montano//; Be Mine Tonight//- Blazer Dan; //Rollin//- Homefront; //Down D Road//- Machel Montano

This Is Miss Universe Wendy Fitzwilliams from Trinidad and Tobago.

[ [[image:http://newyork.seriouseats.com/images/20091019TriniFlava.jpg caption="20091019TriniFlava.jpg"]] [[image:http://newyork.seriouseats.com/images/20091019TriniDouble.jpg caption="20091019TriniDouble.jpg"]] Doubles are the national snack food of Trinidad. Two (hence the name) fried pieces of //bara// bread are stuffed with //channa//, or curried chick peas. I ordered mine with everything. At Trini Flava's, //everything// consists of green mango chutney, tamarind sauce, and habañero hot sauce. Not a bad for a buck. The puffy little sandwich was sweet, sour, and had just a touch of curry heat. Then the hot sauce kicked in. Good thing I bought a bottle of psychedelically colored West Indian Choice Banana Soda. Once the pleasantly lingering heat died down, it was time for some veggies. (Since it was Diwali the day's menu was meatless; I'll be back for cow heel soup.) The hefty plate pictured at top ($6) of green mango, //chataigne,// or [|breadnut,] and rice was a study in Indian-influenced Trini cuisine. The chunks of unripe green mango were sweet and fibrous and vibrantly flavored with garlic, curry, and just a hint of habañero. Trini Flava's only prepares breadnut on special occasions. The owner said it's a "mess of work" to prepare. Peeling the baseball-sized fruit, shredding the flesh, shelling the nuts, and cooking the whole lot takes hours. The soft stringy pulp was infused with curry and pepper and shot through with the sweet, slightly crunchy nuts. As I left the girl behind the counter gave me some Trini style sweets for Diwali. They differed from Indian sweets in that they were flavored with spices like ginger and clove. Perfect for a cold fall walk to my next stop, South Richmond Hill, home to one of the largest Sikh communities outside India.

black history month in trinidad.

Black History Month; Reclaiming our Identity As we celebrate Black History Month this month, we see that black people are rising out of a pit of centuries of oppressive slavery and colonialism that has remained one of the greatest stumbling blocks in the progress of our people(all people) even in the 21st century. African people who were brought to the New World centuries ago were severely brutalized physically, but the dehumanization and the trauma that their psyche had to endure are etched out on the faces of the generations that follow. The Europeans in their quest for external power used certain ideological apparatus to condition the slave to be submissive and obedient. This apparatus by its very nature was designed to make the recipient feel inferior to his oppressors and therefore his existence would have been justifiable. The modern equivalent of this ideological apparatus i.e. Church, the Family, the Education System and the Media have played a major role not only in enslaving, degrading and oppressing Africans but also other ethnic groups, conditioning us to act in ways that belittle our identity. The oppression and suppression aimed at African people have continued up to this present day and the African mind has continually been under severe bombardment by the negative, reactionary forces of neo-colonialism.

Giselle Salandy female boxer from Trinidad and Tobago. Costumes Large Kings and Queens costumes, like the one shown above, play a major part in Trinidad's Carnival celebration As with other Carnivals, many participants wear elaborate costumes, often decorated with feathers and sequins. Carnival bands are organized groups made up of participants who pay for costumes fashioned by a designer and assembled by teams of volunteers. The costumed participants dance through the streets to the sounds of a steel band, a soca band or a d.j. - this is called "playing mas'". A unique feature of this parade is that locals and tourists alike participate in the parade of bands. Each band is led by a King and Queen, who wear extremely large costumes, often requiring extensions and wheels to assist the masquerader to carry it through the streets. Each year on //Dimanche Gras// (Carnival Sunday), a competition is held to award the King and Queen of Carnival title to two of these masqueraders. On Carnival Monday and Tuesday, the bands are in competition to win the Band of the Year title. Small monetary prizes are associated with these titles, though they do not cover the full amount of producing the band's music or the King's or Queen's costumes. Participation occurs at all levels of society; three-time calypso monarch David Rudder described it as "from bourgeois to grassroots." Children participate from as early as parents can get them into costume; sometime even strollers are decorated. Children can extend their fun by participating in smaller "Kiddies' Carnival" shows, competitions and parades as early as 4 weeks before the culmination of the festival. For weeks ahead, several preliminary rounds of competitions and parties (or //fêtes//) take place. As Carnival is part of the national curriculum, several programmes take place at schools across the country. Regional authorities handle smaller Carnival celebrations in smaller towns and villages. []

//**TrinidadandTobagoNews.com Reporters**January 04, 2009// Undefeated Trinidad and Tobago boxing champion, Giselle Salandy, died following a vehicular accident on the Beetham Highway, on the outskirts of Port of Spain, this morning, January 4th 2009. The 21 year old boxing sensation succumbed to her injuries at the Port of Spain General Hospital around 8.29 a.m. Reports state that Salandy was driving west into Port of Spain a little before 7 a.m. when she crashed into a concrete pillar upon reaching the National Petroleum (N.P.) overpass just before the Bhagwansingh turnoff. Miss Salandy and other occupant of the Toyota Yaris, national female footballer Tamar Watson were injured and both were rushed to hospital. Most recent reports indicate that Watson suffered two broken legs and is in a critical condition.