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- Government
-
- Long-form name: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
-
- Type: parliamentary democracy
-
- Capital: Port-of-Spain
-
- Administrative divisions: 8 counties, 3 municipalities*, and 1
- ward**; Arima*, Caroni, Mayaro, Nariva, Port-of-Spain*, Saint
- Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick, San
- Fernando*, Tobago**, Victoria
-
- Independence: 31 August 1962 (from UK)
-
- Constitution: 31 August 1976
-
- Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of
- legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted
- compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
-
- National holiday: Independence Day, 31 August (1962)
-
- Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
-
- Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper
- house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
-
- Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, Supreme Court
-
- Leaders:
-
- Chief of State: President Noor Mohammed HASSANALI (since 18
- March 1987)
-
- Head of Government: Prime Minister Patrick Augustus Mervyn
- MANNING (since 17 December 1991)
-
- Political parties and leaders: People's National Movement
- (PNM), Patrick MANNING; United National Congress (UNC), Basdeo
- PANDAY; National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR), Carson
- CHARLES; Movement for Social Transformation (MOTION), David
- ABDULLAH; National Joint Action Committee (NJAC), Makandal DAAGA
-
- Suffrage: universal at age 18
-
- Elections:
-
- House of Representatives: last held 16 December 1991 (next to
- be held by December 1996);results - PNM 32%, UNC 13%, NAR 2%;
- seats - (36 total) PNM 21, UNC 13, NAR 2
-
- Communists: Communist Party of Trinidad and Tobago; Trinidad
- and Tobago Peace Council, James MILLETTE
-
- Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77,
- GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
- INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS,
- OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
-
- Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Corinne BAPTISTE;
- Chancery at 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036;
- telephone (202) 467-6490; Trinidad and Tobago has a Consulate
- General in New York
-
- US: Ambassador Sally GROOMS-COWAL; Embassy at 15 Queen's Park
- West, Port-of-Spain (mailing address is P. O. Box 752,
- Port-of-Spain); telephone (809) 622-6372 through 6376, 6176;
- FAX (809) 628-5462
-
- Flag: red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper
- hoist side
-
-