Trinidad and Tobago, officially known as the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the Caribbean's southernmost island. It is located 130 kilometers (81 miles) south of Grenada and 11 kilometers (6 miles) off the coast of northeastern Venezuela[10]. It shares maritime boundaries with Barbados to the northeast, Grenada to the northwest, and Venezuela to the south and west. It also consists of a number of much smaller islands. Most people think that Trinidad and Tobago is in the West Indies. Port of Spain serves as the island nation's capital, and San Fernando is the largest and most populous city.

Before becoming a colony of the Spanish Empire in 1498 upon Christopher Columbus's arrival, the island of Trinidad was home to Indigenous people for centuries. In 1797, the island was given over by the Spanish governor José Mara Chacón to a British fleet led by Sir Ralph Abercromby.[13] Trinidad and Tobago were ceded to Britain under the Treaty of Amiens in 1802 as separate states and unified in 1889. Trinidad and Tobago gained independence in 1962 and became a republic in 1976.

The World Bank recognizes Trinidad and Tobago as a high-income economy[17] in contrast to the majority of Caribbean nations and territories, which heavily rely on tourism, the economy is primarily industrial with an emphasis on petroleum and petrochemicals. As of 2022, Trinidad and Tobago has the fifth highest GDP per capita for a sovereign state in the Americas based on purchasing power parity (PPP). The nation's vast oil and natural gas reserves account for a significant portion of its wealth.

Trinidad and Tobago is well-known for its large and well-known Carnival, Diwali, and Hosay celebrations, as well as being the birthplace of the steelpan, the limbo, and musical genres such as calypso, soca, rapso, parang, chutney, and chutney soca. These cultural influences are reflected in the country's cultural celebrations.