Trinidad
Trinidad (Spanish, "Trinity") most commonly refers to the larger island of the nation Trinidad and Tobago, the subject of this article. For other places and people with the same name, see Trinidad (disambiguation).
History
Main Article: History of Trinidad and Tobago
The first Europeans, led by Christopher Columbus, re-discovered the island on July 31, 1498. At the time of his arrival the island was inhabited by several tribes. The Arawaks (or Aruacas) were a peaceful tribe that were settled mostly in the south of the island, where they engaged in hunting, fishing and growing crops such as cassava, maize and sweet potato. The northern part of the island was inhabited by a fiercer tribe of cannibals called the Caribs. The Caribs fought fiercely against the Spanish; but it was a losing battle.
War, enslavement and introduced diseases took their toll and nearly wiped out the native population completely. Estimated to have been about 35,000 when Columbus discovered the island, the population was eventually reduced to about 300. Columbus claimed the island for Spain; but it was at least 30 years before the country showed any official interest in her new possession. In 1530, the Spanish king appointed the conquistador Antonio Sedeņo to be Captain-General of Trinidad for life, in order to control the unruly natives. Sedeno struggled to accomplish his mission, but the circumstances were against him; four years later, he returned to Spain, and Trinidad was once again left to the natives.
Several other attempts were made to settle the island over the next hundred years, but none of them were particularly successful. The Spanish later established missions manned by the Capuchin Fathers. Indians who rejected Christianity were severely punished, thus straining even further an already tense relationship. These tensions led to the Arena Massacre of 1699, wherein the Amerindians murdered the priests, the Spanish governor and all but one of his men, an action for which they later paid dearly.
Today
Today Trinidad is a colourful and lively island, the result of a fusion of many different cultures and beautiful natural features. It hosts an annual carnival in February that is considered by many to be the most spectacular in the world and draws tourists from many places across the globe. This party atmosphere is present not just at carnival time but throughout the year as Trinidadians or 'Trinis' enjoy a culture laced with music and dancing. Styles of popular music include calypso, soca and reggae; whilst at Christmas time a latino style of music known as 'parang' is played and listened to. Trinis are proud of their national identity and flavour.
Areas of natural beauty include: a variety of beautiful beaches (e.g. Maracas, Las Cuevas and Mayaro), swamps (Nariva and Caroni), areas of rainforests and the northern range of 'mountains'. Trinidad is also the home of such animals as the leopard-like ocelot, the manatee, caimans and the scarlet ibis.
Despite its natural beauty, Trinidad is also an industrial island with sugar exports and oil works which have allowed Trinidad to capitalise on the large oil reserves within its territories. It has good transport links and infrastructure, although some roads in more rural areas are in disrepair. The island is still a third world country, but has been in the process of applying for 'developed nation' status for quite some time.
Trinidad holds an above-average HIV/Aids percentage, a problem the government is presently trying to manage, along with a rising level of crime (particularly kidnapping). The government is democratic, but its highest appeal court is still the British privy council, which has recently caused problems particularly with regards to the death sentence. The prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago at present is Patrick Manning.
The largest religious group on the island is the Roman Catholic Church. Hinduism is the second largest faith. In addition there are substantial Anglican, Presbyterian, Muslim, Methodist, Spiritual Baptist, Orisha and independent fundamentalist/evangelical Christian groups.
The capital of Trinidad is Port-of-Spain in the northwest and the second largest city, San Fernando, is in the southwest. Between them lies the rapidly growing town of Chaguanas, which has surpassed both Port-of-Spain and San Fernando to become the largest city on the island.
See the entry on Trinidad and Tobago for more detailed information.