Intro to Trinidad and Tobago

Piarco International Airport

I am on the approach into Piarco international airport on Trinidad. This entry will be the intro for the last of the three countries that I have been assigned to investigate by National Geographic. Here is what I know. The island Nation is the largest and most populated in the Southern Caribbean. Trinidad was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1498. Tobago was in the hands of France, Spain, The Netherlands, Britain, and Courland (modern Latvia). The island changed hands 22 times. Great Britain gained Trinidad in 1797 and Tobago in 1814. Trinidad is separated from Venezuela by the two ten mile wide straits of the Dragon’s Tongue and the Serpent’s Tongue. In modern times, the British abolished slavery and brought in workers from India to replace the slaves. Now, the country has a diverse population of Spaniards, Brits, Afros, and Indians. There are no surviving members of the indigenous population. Oil was discovered off the coasts of both islands in 1910 and since has become a major part of the economy. I hope to learn more about the music and dancing.