San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago

Last updated
San Fernando
City
City of San Fernando
San Fernando Hospital Extension, San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago.JPG
Nicknames: 
Sando
Motto(s): 
Sanitas Fortis
In a Healthy Environment We Will Find Strength.
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San Fernando
Location on the island of Trinidad
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San Fernando
San Fernando (Caribbean)
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San Fernando
San Fernando (North America)
Coordinates: 10°17′N61°28′W / 10.283°N 61.467°W / 10.283; -61.467
Country Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg Trinidad and Tobago
Jurisdiction City of San Fernando
Settled1595
Borough19 August 1853
City18 November 1988
Named after Saint Ferdinand III of Castile
Government
 • BodySan Fernando City Corporation
 • MayorCouncillor Robert Parris, PNM
 • Deputy MayorAlderman Patricia Alexis, PNM
City Corporation seats9 electoral districts
House seats 2/41
Area
 •  City
19 km2 (7 sq mi)
Elevation
[1]
1 m (3 ft)
Population
 (2011)
 •  City
48,838
 • Rank 2nd
 • Density2,570/km2 (6,700/sq mi)
 •  Urban
82,997
Time zone UTC-4 (AST)
Postal Code
60xxxx, 61xxxx, 65xxxx [2]
Area code (868)
ISO 3166 code TT-SFO
Telephone Exchanges 652, 653, 657, 658, 697, 831

San Fernando, officially the City of San Fernando, is the most populous city and second most populous municipality in Trinidad and Tobago, after Chaguanas. Sando, as it is known to many local Trinidadians, occupies 19 km2 and is located in the southwestern part of the island of Trinidad. It is bounded to the north by the Guaracara River, the south by the Oropouche River, the east by the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway, and the west by the Gulf of Paria. The former borough was elevated to the status of a city corporation on 18 November 1988. The motto of San Fernando is: "Sanitas Fortis" - In a Healthy Environment We Will Find Strength. San Fernando is called Trinidad and Tobago's "industrial capital" because of its proximity to the Pointe-à-Pierre oil refinery and many other petrochemical, LNG, iron and steel and aluminium smelters in places such as Point Lisas in Couva, Point Fortin, and La Brea.

Contents

Geography Of Trinidad and Tobago

San Fernando Hill STAPP 022 San Fernando San Fernando Hill.jpg
San Fernando Hill

San Fernando is a coastal city. It is bounded by the Guaracara River to the north, the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway to the east, the Southern Main Road to the southeast, and the Oropouche River to the south. The city proper is located on the flanks of two hills – San Fernando Hill (formerly known as Naparima Hill) and Alexander Hill. Several mansions on the pinnacle of Alexander Hill house belong to some of the more prominent San Fernandian families. The Cipero, Vistabella, Marabella and Godineau Rivers all enter the sea within the city limits.

Cityscape

San Fernando, unlike Port of Spain, does not have many skyscrapers. The tallest building in the city is the 18-story San Fernando Teaching Hospital, an extension of the San Fernando General Hospital. Some notable areas within San Fernando are:

Some of the major roadways within the city include the San Fernando Bypass, Lady Hailes Avenue, Independence Avenue, Pointe a Pierre Road, Cipero Street, Coffee Street, Rushworth Street, Royal Road, Navet Road and the Southern Main Road.

San Fernando is especially notable for the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts (SAPA), Skinner Park, Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, King's Wharf and the San Fernando General Hospital. It is also notable for its commercial centres and malls: South Park, C3 Centre, Carlton Centre, Gulf City Mall, Gopaul Lands, and numerous smaller shopping centres and areas centered around High Street and Cipero Street.

San Fernando is sometimes said to be the Southern capital of the country, and supportive of this name is the major role the city plays as the centre of many activities for people in South Trinidad; many people go to school and work in the city every day.

Climate

San Fernando has a tropical rainforest climate, bordering on a tropical monsoon climate. Although the city does not technically qualify as having a true dry season, there is a noticeably drier stretch from February to April. [4]

Climate data for San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago (1991–2020 normals)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)30.18
(86.32)		30.47
(86.85)		30.98
(87.76)		31.81
(89.26)		31.62
(88.92)		30.80
(87.44)		30.77
(87.39)		31.24
(88.23)		31.63
(88.93)		31.47
(88.65)		30.96
(87.73)		30.36
(86.65)		31.02
(87.84)
Daily mean °C (°F)25.58
(78.04)		25.67
(78.21)		26.18
(79.12)		27.02
(80.64)		27.23
(81.01)		26.90
(80.42)		26.77
(80.19)		27.04
(80.67)		27.23
(81.01)		27.07
(80.73)		26.76
(80.17)		26.07
(78.93)		26.63
(79.93)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)21.08
(69.94)		20.88
(69.58)		21.38
(70.48)		22.32
(72.18)		22.93
(73.27)		23.10
(73.58)		22.78
(73.00)		22.84
(73.11)		22.83
(73.09)		22.77
(72.99)		22.57
(72.63)		21.87
(71.37)		22.28
(72.10)
Average rainfall mm (inches)109.69
(4.32)		72.67
(2.86)		63.84
(2.51)		91.04
(3.58)		141.60
(5.57)		261.90
(10.31)		238.16
(9.38)		259.00
(10.20)		188.43
(7.42)		215.54
(8.49)		255.61
(10.06)		189.11
(7.45)		2,086.59
(82.15)
Source: Climate Change Knowledge Portal [4]

Demographics

Historical populations
YearPop.±%
1980 33,395—    
1990 26,483−20.7%
2000 48,784+84.2%
2011 48,838+0.1%

Ancestry

City of San Fernando racial breakdown
Racial composition2011 [5]
African (Afro-Trinidadian/Tobagonian) 35.7%
South Asian (Indo-Trinidadian) 30.3%
Multiracial 17.3%
Dougla (South Asian and Black) 8.2%
European (White Trinidadian) 0.5%
East Asian (Chinese) 0.6%
Native American (Amerindian) 0.08%
Arab (Syrian/Lebanese) 0.9%
Other0.02%
Not stated6.7%

Infrastructure

Health

The San Fernando General Hospital is located on Independence Avenue, close to the city center. It is considered the main trauma unit for the southern part of the island, and is administered by the Southwest Regional Health Authority (SWRHA).

There are numerous health centres in towns and villages around San Fernando that are considered to be part of the urban area. There are also a number of private medical institutions, such as:

The San Fernando Teaching Hospital is connected to the San Fernando General Hospital by a skybridge, and is the main teaching hospital.

Transport

Road

San Fernando is dominated by private car commuting and has a very dense network of roadways. There are numerous points of entry into the city.

  • The Rienzi Kirton Highway runs from Cipero Street to Ruth Avenue, where it becomes Independence Avenue.
  • The San Fernando Bypass runs along the outskirts of the city, providing access to many of the suburban areas.
  • The Golconda Connector Road connects the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway to Cipero Street & the San Fernando Bypass. The Tarouba Link Road also connects the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway to the San Fernando Bypass at the northern end of the city.
  • Alternatively, traffic can exit at Corinth and enter the city via the Naparima Mayaro Road and Royal Road, or via Pleasantville.
  • Lady Hailes Avenue runs from Cipero Street to Kings Wharf along the city's waterfront, connecting to the Reinzi Kirton Highway/Independence Avenue at only three points. It serves as a quicker point of entry to the city center as it terminates just outside the city center. There are plans to widen Lady Hailes Avenue into a four-lane dual carriageway, much of which has already been completed, as part of the waterfront revitalization project. [6]

The city is often plagued by heavy traffic delays.

Public Transport

The San Fernando Bus Terminal is located to the North of Kings Wharf. There are numerous taxi stands around High Street. The water taxi service links San Fernando to Port of Spain via sea in approximately 1 hour.

Air

Like the rest of the island, the city is served by Piarco International Airport, approximately 37 km away from the city center.

Prominent San Fernandonians

References

  1. ↑ "Elevation of San Fernando,Trinidad and Tobago Elevation Map, Topo, Contour". floodmap.net. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  2. ↑ "List of Postal Districts". TTPOST. 29 July 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
  3. ↑ "The San Fernando Waterfront Redevelopment Project | UDeCOTT Website" . Retrieved 2024-07-11.
  4. 1 2 "Trinidad and Tobago (Current Climate > Climatology)". The World Bank Group. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  5. ↑ Central Statistical Office. "NON-INSTITUTIONAL POPULATION BY SEX, AGE GROUP, ETHNIC GROUP AND MUNICIPALITY" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-10-19. Retrieved 2017-12-06.
  6. ↑ "Consultations coming for San Fernando Waterfront Project | Loop Trinidad & Tobago". Loop News. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Ames named for Canadian Hall of Fame". guardian.co.tt. February 27, 2014. Retrieved 2023-11-18.
  8. ↑ Felmine, Kevon (September 4, 2019). "San Fernando immortalises hometown heroes Crawford and Wilkes". guardian.co.tt. Retrieved 2023-11-18.
  9. ↑ "Praise for former national coach Stephen Hart". Loop News. October 17, 2020. Retrieved 2023-11-18.
  10. ↑ "Che Lovelace & Marsha Pearce in Conversation at Various Small Fires". curate.la. Archived from the original on 2023-11-18. Retrieved 2023-11-18.
  11. ↑ "Samuel Selvon – Asian Heritage in Canada". Toronto Metropolitan University . Retrieved 2023-11-18.
  12. ↑ Felmine, Kevon (3 March 2012). "San Fernando farewell to actor Sullivan Walker". Trinidad Guardian . Retrieved 3 March 2012.

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