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National symbols of Trinidad and Tobago are the symbols that are used in Trinidad and Tobago and abroad to represent the country and its people.
Prominently, the Coat of Arms of Trinidad and Tobago is a Trinbagonian symbol, and is depicted on all its money.
| Symbol | Media | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flag | Flag of Trinidad and Tobago |  | |
| National Anthem | Forged from The Love of Liberty | [] | The National Anthem was written to celebrate Trinidad and Tobago's independence from Great Britain on August 31, 1962. A nationwide contest was held and the winner of the contest was Patrick Castagne. [1] [2] |
| Coat of Arms | Coat of Arms of Trinidad and Tobago |  | |
| National Motto | "Together We Aspire, Together We Achieve." | [] | The national motto was established by the late first Prime Minister Dr. Eric Williams, when Trinidad and Tobago achieved independence in 1962. [3] [4] |
| National Flower | Chaconia (Warszewiczia coccinea) |  | The Chaconia, also known as the "Pride of Trinidad and Tobago" or "Wild Poinsettia" is an indigenous flower known by its long sprays of magnificent vermillion. Coincidentally, this flower blooms on every anniversary of our Independence Day (August 31, 1962). [5] [6] |
| National Pledge | I solemnly pledge to dedicate my life to the service of my God and my country. I will honour my parents, My teachers, my leaders and my elders, and those in authority. I will be clean and honest in all my thoughts, my words and my deeds. I will strive, in everything I do to work together with my fellowmen Of every creed and race, for the greater happiness of all and the honour and glory of my country. | [] | [7] |
| National Bird | The Scarlet Ibis and The Cocrico |   | The Cocrico (Ortalis ruficauda), also known as the "Chachalaca," is a rufous-tailed, tropical pheasant indigenous to Tobago. They tend to inhabit the higher areas of the island amidst the forest and sometimes the dry scrubby lands bordering cultivated areas. The Scarlet Ibis (Eudocimus ruber) makes its home in the Caroni Bird Sanctuary in the Caroni Swamp—an area set aside by the government for the protection of these colourful birds. [8] [9] |
| National instrument | Steelpan |  | |
| National Colours of Trinidad and Tobago | [] | Red, White and Black | |
| National Watchwords | Discipline, Production, Tolerance. | [] | The national Watchwords was established by the late first Prime Minister Dr. Eric Williams, when Trinidad and Tobago achieved independence in 1962. [10] [11] |
| Symbol | Image | Started-ended |
|---|---|---|
| Royal anthem |  "God Save the Queen" | 31 August 1962 – 1 August 1976 (song dates to 1744) |
| Royal cypher |  | 31 August 1962 – 1 August 1976 (dates to 1952) |
| Royal standard |  Queen's Personal Trinidadian Flag | 1966-1 August 1976 |
The politics of Trinidad and Tobago function within the framework of a unitary state regulated by a parliamentary democracy modelled on that of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, from which the country gained its independence in 1962. Under the 1976 republican Constitution, the monarch was replaced as head of state by a President chosen by an electoral college composed of the members of the bicameral Parliament, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The Caribbean Community is an intergovernmental organisation that is a political and economic union of 15 member states and five associated members throughout the Americas, The Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean. It has the primary objective to promote economic integration and cooperation among its members, ensure that the benefits of integration are equitably shared, and coordinate foreign policy. The organisation was established in 1973, by its four founding members signing the Treaty of Chaguaramas. Its primary activities involve:
Aldwyn Roberts HBM DA, better known by the stage name Lord Kitchener, was a Trinidadian calypsonian. He has been described as "the grand master of calypso" and "the greatest calypsonian of the post-war age".
"Forged from the Love of Liberty" is the national anthem of the Trinidad and Tobago. Originally composed as the national anthem for the short-lived West Indies Federation (1958–1962), this song was edited and adopted by Trinidad and Tobago when it became independent in 1962. It was written and composed by Patrick S. Castagne.
The governor-general of Barbados was the representative of the Barbadian monarch from independence in 1966 until the establishment of a republic in 2021. Under the government's Table of Precedence for Barbados, the governor-general of Barbados was regarded as being the most important of all personnel of the Barbados government.
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies 11 km (6.8 mi) off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmost island in the West Indies. With an area of 4,768 km2 (1,841 sq mi), it is also the fifth largest in the West Indies.
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.
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 Carnival Road March is the musical composition played most often at the "judging points" along the parade route during a Caribbean Carnival. Originating as part of the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, the term has been applied to other Caribbean carnivals. There it was and is still viewed as a musical genre.
The Trinity Cross was the highest of the National Awards of Trinidad and Tobago, between the years 1969 and 2008. It was awarded for: "distinguished and outstanding service to Trinidad and Tobago. It was awarded for gallantry in the face of the enemy, or for gallant conduct." Either nationals or non-nationals were awarded the honour, but no more than five may have been awarded in any year. The President was awarded the Trinity Cross in an ex officio capacity. The award was first presented in 1969, last conferred in 2005, and was subsequently replaced by The Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in the year 2008.
The coat of arms of Trinidad and Tobago was designed by a committee formed in 1962 to select the symbols that would be representative of the people of Trinidad and Tobago. The committee included artist Carlisle Chang (1921–2001) and carnival designer George Bailey (1935–1970).
Anthony Williams, ORTT, CM, also known as "Muffman", was an inventor, pioneer and musician of the steel pan.
President's House is the official residence of the president of Trinidad and Tobago, located in the capital city Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. It is next to the Royal Botanic Gardens.
Anthony Thomas Aquinas Carmona is a Trinidadian politician who was the fifth President of Trinidad and Tobago from 2013 to 2018. Previously, he was a High Court Judge at the Supreme Court of Trinidad and Tobago, and he served as a Judge of the International Criminal Court from 2012 to 2013.
Elizabeth II was Queen of Trinidad and Tobago from the independence of Trinidad and Tobago on 31 August 1962 until the country became a republic on 1 August 1976. Her constitutional role as head of state was delegated to a governor-general, who acted on the advice of government ministers.
Belmont, in north-east Port of Spain, in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is located at the foot of the Laventille Hills; it was the city's first suburb. In the 1840s–'50s, parts of the area were settled by Africans rescued by the Royal Navy from illegal slaving ships. In the 1880s–'90s, the population swelled rapidly, and the characteristic Belmont street pattern of narrow, winding lanes developed. The black professional class built large homes in Belmont, as they were excluded from the more expensive neighbourhoods such as St. Clair and Maraval; Belmont became known as "the Black St. Clair". Many of these large homes have been renovated and converted to business use, but some remain in family hands. Belmont currently is a lower-middle to middle-class residential neighbourhood. It was the birthplace and early home of many important Carnival designers and bandleaders. Belmont has 9,035 inhabitants.
General elections were held in Trinidad and Tobago on Monday, 10 August 2020, to elect 41 members to the 12th Trinidad and Tobago Republican Parliament. It was the 14th election since gaining independence from the United Kingdom in 1962 and the 22nd national election in Trinidad and Tobago ever. Tracy Davidson-Celestine, political leader of the Tobago Council of the People's National Movement (PNM) became the first woman to lead a Tobagonian political party with representation in the House of Representatives. Additionally, two of the three largest parties elected in 2015, the United National Congress (UNC) and the Congress of the People (COP), were led by women.
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.
