The history of Trinidad and Tobago begins with the settlements of the islands by Indigenous First Peoples. Trinidad was visited by Christopher Columbus on his third voyage in 1498,,and claimed in the name of Spain. Trinidad was administered by Spanish hands until 1797,but it was largely settled by French colonists. Tobago changed hands between the British,French,Dutch,and Courlanders,but eventually ended up in British hands following the second Treaty of Paris (1814). In 1889,the two islands were incorporated into a single political entity. Trinidad and Tobago obtained its independence from the British Empire in 1962 and became a republic in 1976.
Patrick Augustus Mervyn Manning was a Trinidadian politician who was the fourth Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago;his terms ran from 17 December 1991 to 9 November 1995 and from 24 December 2001 to 26 May 2010. He was also Political Leader of the People's National Movement (PNM) from 1987 to 2010. A geologist by training,Manning served as Member of Parliament for the San Fernando East constituency from 1971 until 2015 when he was replaced by Randall Mitchell and was the longest-serving member of the House of Representatives. He was the Leader of the Opposition from 1986 to 1990 and again from 1995 to 2001.
The president of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is the head of state of Trinidad and Tobago and the commander-in-chief of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force. The office was established when the country became a republic in 1976,before which the head of state was the Queen of Trinidad and Tobago,Elizabeth II. The last governor-general,Sir Ellis Clarke,was sworn in as the first president on 1 August 1976 under a transitional arrangement. He was formally chosen as president by an electoral college consisting of members of both houses of Parliament on 24 September 1976,which is now celebrated as Republic Day.
Sir Ellis Emmanuel Innocent Clarke was the first President of Trinidad and Tobago and the second and last Governor-General. He was one of the main architects of Trinidad and Tobago's 1962 Independence constitution.
George Maxwell Richards was a Trinidadian politician who served as the fourth president of Trinidad and Tobago,in office from 2003 to 2013. He was the first president of Trinidad and Tobago and head of state in the Anglophone Caribbean to have Amerindian ancestry.
The People's National Movement (PNM) is the longest-serving and oldest active political party in Trinidad and Tobago. The party has dominated national and local politics for much of Trinidad and Tobago's history,contesting all elections since 1956 serving as the nation's governing party or on four occasions,the main opposition. As a result,it has sometimes been referred to as Trinidad and Tobago's "main political party". There have been four PNM Prime Ministers and multiple ministries. The party espouses the principles of liberalism and generally sits at the centre to centre-left of the political spectrum.
Karl Terrence Hudson-Phillips,ORTT,QC was an Attorney-General of Trinidad and Tobago and a judge of the International Criminal Court. He was also lead counsel in the murder trial of Grenadian Prime Minister Maurice Bishop.
The Hon. George Michael Chambers ORTT was the second Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. Born in Port of Spain,Chambers joined Deloitte New Zealand in 1956,and was elected to Supervisor representing Wayne Joe and Co. He served as Assistant General Secretary of the PNM before becoming Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Finance in 1966. From there he went on to serve twice as Minister of Finance. Chambers also served as Minister of Public Utilities,Housing,National Security,Education,Planning,Industry/Commerce and Agriculture.
The Senate of Trinidad and Tobago is the appointed upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago,along with the President and House of Representatives of Trinidad and Tobago. The Senate currently sits at the Red House. The Senate has 31 members all appointed by the President:16 Government Senators appointed on the advice of the Prime Minister,6 Opposition Senators appointed on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition and 9 Independent Senators appointed on the discretion of the President from outstanding persons who represent other sectors of civil society. The presiding officer,the President of the Senate,is elected from among the Senators who are not Ministers or Parliamentary Secretaries. A senator must be at least 25 years old and a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago. The current President of the Senate is Senator Nigel de Freitas. As of 20 April 2021,there are only 13 female senators,or 41.9% and 6 Tobagonian senators or 19.4%. The Senate made history on 15 February 2022 by appointing Jowelle de Souza as an acting opposition senator,thus making her the Caribbean's first and only transgender parliamentarian.
Trinidad and Tobago,officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago,is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago and numerous much smaller islands,it is situated 11 kilometres off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and 130 kilometres south of Grenada. It shares maritime boundaries with Barbados to the east,Grenada to the northwest and Venezuela to the south and west. Trinidad and Tobago is generally considered to be part of the West Indies. The island country's capital is Port of Spain,while its largest and most populous city is San Fernando.
Captain Arthur Andrew Cipriani was a Trinidad and Tobago labour leader and politician. He served as mayor of Port of Spain,elected member of the Legislative Council,leader of the Trinidad Workingmen's Association (TWA) and founder of the Trinidad Labour Party.
Boscoe Holder,born Arthur Aldwyn Holder in Arima,Trinidad and Tobago,was Trinidad and Tobago's leading contemporary painter,who also had a celebrated international career spanning six decades as a designer and visual artist,dancer,choreographer and musician.
Yohance Marshall is a Trinidadian former professional footballer who played as a defender.
The National Association of Athletics Administrations of Trinidad &Tobago (NAAATT) is the governing body for the sport of athletics in Trinidad and Tobago.
Faris Al-Rawi is a Trinidadian and Tobagonian politician. He was the former Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago from 2015 to 2022. He is also a Member of the House of Representatives for the constituency of San Fernando West.
Ronald Jay Williams was a Trinidadian businessman and politician. He was a Member of Parliament for the West Indies Federation,Senator of Trinidad and Tobago,and Member of Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago. From 1981 to 1986,he served as Minister of State Enterprises. During his tenure in government,his drive to reduce waste and seek cost efficiencies earned him the nickname "Chinese Chopper",a reference to his ethnicity and his willingness to cut expenditures.
Ivor Archie is a Trinidadian jurist who has served as chief justice of Trinidad and Tobago since 2008. He was formerly solicitor general of the Cayman Islands.
House of Assembly elections were held in Tobago on 25 January 2021 where 12 members were elected in the eleventh election since the Assembly was established in 1980. This election marked the first time in history that both parties elected,the People's National Movement (PNM) and Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) won an equal number seats of 6-6,despite the PNM winning the popular vote,resulting in a deadlock and a constitutional crisis with both political parties and Prime Minister Keith Rowley seeking senior counsel advice on the way forward. This election was the first time after 20 years in power that the PNM lost its absolute majority. This election also marked the first time a female political leader was elected to the Assembly and the first time a woman led a major political party or a political party with representation in the Assembly,following the 2020 Tobago Council of the People's National Movement leadership election where Health Secretary,councillor and former Trinidad and Tobago Ambassador to Costa Rica and former Deputy Chief Secretary of Tobago Tracy Davidson-Celestine made history by being elected as the PNM's first female political leader at the regional or national level and one of the first bilingual political leaders in the country's history. If Davidson-Celestine and the PNM were to be elected with a majority to their sixth consecutive term in office,she would have made history,becoming the first female Chief Secretary of Tobago. The election was held alongside local by-elections in Trinidad in which the PNM and UNC retained two districts and the PNM losing one to the UNC.
The Tobago Council of the People's National Movement,also known as the Tobago Council of the PNM,PNM Tobago or PNM Tobago Council,is the longest-serving and oldest active political party in Tobago. The party is the autonomous branch of the Trinidad and Tobago People's National Movement operating in Tobago. While its political leader acts in the local capacity,they also serve as a deputy leader on a national level. The party's executives organize for both local and national election campaigns. There have been three PNM Chief Secretaries and administrations.
Christine Carla Kangaloo is a Trinidadian politician,who is the president of Trinidad and Tobago since 2023. She was president of the Senate of Trinidad and Tobago from 2015 until her resignation to run for president in 2023. She is the only person to serve as both President and Vice President of the Senate of Trinidad and Tobago,the first woman to serve as Senate Vice President and third woman to serve as acting President of Trinidad and Tobago and Senate President. She became the second woman to serve as President of Trinidad and Tobago upon her assumption of office on 20 March 2023. Kangaloo has served as an Opposition Senator,Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister,Minister of Legal Affairs and Minister of Science,Technology and Tertiary Education in previous People's National Movement governments.
