Scarborough, Trinidad and Tobago

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Scarborough
Port of Scarborough, Tobago, West Indies.jpg
Port of Scarborough
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Scarborough
Location of Scarborough in Trinidad and Tobago.
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Scarborough
Scarborough (Caribbean)
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Scarborough
Scarborough (North America)
Coordinates: 11°11′0″N60°44′15″W / 11.18333°N 60.73750°W / 11.18333; -60.73750
CountryFlag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg Trinidad and Tobago
Ward Tobago
ParishSaint Andrew
Settled1654
Named after Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom
Area
  Total
10 km2 (4 sq mi)
Elevation
4 m (13 ft)
Population
 (2011 census)
  Total
17,537
  Rank 11th
  Density1,754/km2 (4,540/sq mi)
Time zone UTC-4 (AST)
Postal Code
90xxxx [1]
Area code 868
Panoramic shot of Downtown Scarborough, Tobago Scarborough Tobago Panorama 2015.jpg
Panoramic shot of Downtown Scarborough, Tobago

Scarborough is a major town [2] of the island of Tobago as well as the eleventh-most-populous in Trinidad and Tobago. Scarborough was the capital of Tobago in 1769 before it was unified with Trinidad changing the capital to Port of Spain. Situated in western Tobago, Scarborough is the economic and cultural centre of the island of Tobago. The estimated population in 2011 was 17,537. Scarborough is ranked as one of Trinidad and Tobago's most densely populated towns alongside Port of Spain, San Fernando, Chaguanas and Arima. The town's skyline is dominated by Fort King George, an 18th-century fortification named after King George III, which now hosts a historic and archaeologic museum. Scarborough's deepwater harbour was built in 1991; before that ships were forced to anchor offshore.

Contents

Facilities

Shaw Park Cultural Complex is the largest performing arts theatre in the Caribbean. The facility has a capacity in its main hall of over 5000 as well as a conference and lecture halls. It hosted the Fast5 Netball at the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games. [3] [4] The town has a library completed in 2012, and Scarborough General Hospital was completed in 2014.

Suburbs

History

Scarborough became the capital of Tobago in 1769 when it replaced the then-capital of Georgetown. Under French rule it was named Port-Louis from 1789 to 1814. The town of Scarborough serves as the main seat of the Tobago House of Assembly, which is responsible for local governance in Tobago.

Transportation

A ferry service links Scarborough with Port of Spain, Trinidad. Like the rest of the island of Tobago, Scarborough is served by the A.N.R. Robinson International Airport (formerly Crown Point Airport) located in Crown Point which is located 11 km from Downtown Scarborough. Scarborough is also served by the Claude Noel Highway.

Namesake

The town is named after Scarborough in Yorkshire, United Kingdom.

Geography

Scarborough is located in the southwestern part of Tobago.

Climate

The area has a relatively rare Köppen Climate Classification subtype of Am. [5]

Climate data for Scarborough (1961–1990)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)29.5
(85.1)
30.0
(86.0)
30.4
(86.7)
31.0
(87.8)
31.2
(88.2)
30.6
(87.1)
30.2
(86.4)
30.3
(86.5)
30.7
(87.3)
30.5
(86.9)
30.1
(86.2)
29.5
(85.1)
30.3
(86.6)
Daily mean °C (°F)25.9
(78.6)
26.1
(79.0)
26.6
(79.9)
27.4
(81.3)
27.8
(82.0)
27.4
(81.3)
27.0
(80.6)
27.1
(80.8)
27.3
(81.1)
27.1
(80.8)
26.8
(80.2)
26.2
(79.2)
26.9
(80.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)22.2
(72.0)
22.2
(72.0)
22.8
(73.0)
23.8
(74.8)
24.3
(75.7)
24.2
(75.6)
23.8
(74.8)
23.9
(75.0)
23.8
(74.8)
23.7
(74.7)
23.4
(74.1)
22.8
(73.0)
23.4
(74.1)
Average rainfall mm (inches)47.4
(1.87)
47.9
(1.89)
42.8
(1.69)
44.8
(1.76)
63.8
(2.51)
148.4
(5.84)
187.7
(7.39)
162.7
(6.41)
171.3
(6.74)
220.3
(8.67)
206.7
(8.14)
158.9
(6.26)
1,502.7
(59.17)
Average rainy days10656916171514161612142
Source: WMO [6]

References

  1. "List of Postal Districts". TTPOST. TTPOST. July 29, 2018. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  2. "Discover Tobago - Scarborough". www.discover-tt.com. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
  3. "FAST5 Netball". www.trinbago2023. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  4. "#Trinbago2023: FAST5 Netballers ready to debut". commonwealthgames.com.au. 31 July 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  5. Climate Summary for Scarborough
  6. "World Weather Information Service". WMO. Retrieved 3 July 2023.