Trinidadians and Tobagonians

Last updated

Trinidadians and Tobagonians
Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg
Total population
c. 3.7 million
Regions with significant populations
Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Trinidad and Tobago        1,405,646 (2022) [1]
Flag of the United States.svg  United States 223,639 (2013 est.) [2]
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 68,225 (2011) [3]
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 25,000 (2013 est.) [4]
Flag of Venezuela.svg  Venezuela 2,750 [5]
Flag of Jamaica.svg  Jamaica 2,328 [5]
Flag of Grenada.svg  Grenada 2,216 [5]
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 1,978 [5]
Flag of Barbados.svg  Barbados 1,504 [5]
Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.svg  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 996 [5]
Flag of Guyana.svg  Guyana 898 [5]
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 847 [5]
Flag of Antigua and Barbuda.svg  Antigua and Barbuda 748 [5]
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 620 [5]
Flag of Saint Lucia.svg  Saint Lucia 508 [5]
Flag of France.svg  France 451 [5]
Flag of the Bahamas.svg  The Bahamas 414 [5]
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 371 [5]
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland 347 [5]
Flag of Dominica.svg  Dominica 312 [5]
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 312 [5]
Flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis.svg  Saint Kitts and Nevis 271 [5]
Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil 252 [5]
Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 213 [5]
Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 178 [5]
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 169 [5]
Flag of Panama.svg  Panama 125 [5]
Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland 121 [5]
Flag of Austria.svg  Austria 82 [5]
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland 59 [5]
Flag of Ecuador.svg  Ecuador 44 [5]
Languages
Trinidadian and Tobagonian English, Trinidadian English Creole, Tobagonian English Creole, Trinidadian Hindustani, Antillean French Creole, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Arabic [6] [7]
Religion
Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Spiritual Baptist, Baháʼí, Orisha-Shango (Yoruba), Rastafari, Traditional African religions, Afro-American religions, Judaism, Buddhism, Chinese folk religions, Sikhism, Others
Related ethnic groups
Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonian, Afro-Trinidadians and Tobagonians, Chinese Trinidadian and Tobagonian, European Trinidadian and Tobagonian, Creoles, Douglas, Cocoa panyols, Island Caribs, Arawaks, Arabs, Hispanics-Latin Americans, Trinidadian and Tobagonian Americans, Trinidadian and Tobagonian Canadians, Trinidadian and Tobagonian British, Indo-Caribbean, Indo-Caribbean Americans, British Indo-Caribbean people, Afro-Caribbean, British African-Caribbean people, Caribbean people

Trinidadians and Tobagonians, colloquially known as Trinis or Trinbagonians, are the people who are identified with the country of Trinidad and Tobago. The country is home to people of many different national, ethnic and religious origins. As a result, Trinidadians do not equate their nationality with race and ethnicity, but with citizenship, identification with the islands as whole, or either Trinidad or Tobago specifically. Although citizens make up the majority of Trinidadians, there is a substantial number of Trinidadian expatriates, dual citizens and descendants living worldwide, chiefly elsewhere in the Anglosphere.

Contents

Population

The total population of Trinidad and Tobago was 1,328,019 according to the 2011 census, [8] an increase of 5.2 per cent since the 2000 census. According to the 2012 revision of the World Population Prospects the total population was estimated at 1,328,000 in 2010, compared to only 646,000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2010 was 20.7 per cent, 71 per cent was between 15 and 65 years of age, while 8.3 per cent was 65 years or older. [9]

Ethnic groups

The ethnic composition of Trinidad and Tobago reflects a history of conquest and immigration. [10] While the earliest inhabitants were of Amerindian heritage, since the 20th century the two dominant groups in the country were those of South Asian and of African heritage.

Indians-South Asian

Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonians make up the country's largest ethnic group (approximately 35.43 percent). They are primarily descendants from indentured workers from South Asia and India, brought to replace freed African slaves who refused to continue working on the sugar plantations from other Islands. Through cultural preservation residents of Indian descent continue to maintain the religions and traditions from their ancestral homeland. [11]

Sub-Saharan African

Afro-Trinidadians and Tobagonians make up the country's second largest ethnic group, with approximately 34.22 percent of the population. Afro-Trinidadians are the descendants of enslaved West and Central Africans brought to the Trinidad and Tobago in the last few years of the Spanish colonial era and the beginning of the English colonial period through the trans-Atlantic slave trade. [12] However, a good percentage of the Black population are descendants of people enslaved on other islands of the Caribbean, and later migrated to Trinidad and Tobago for various reasons, especially Martinique, Guadeloupe, Saint Vincent and Grenada. Other Afro-Trinidadians trace their ancestry to American slaves recruited to fight for the British in the War of 1812 or from indentured labourers from West Africa. [ citation needed ]

Other origins

Chinese, Amerindians, Europeans, Arabs, Hispanic/Latinos, Douglas (mixed Indian and African), multiracial people, and Jews, reside in Trinidad and Tobago. White Trinidadians are descendants of Spanish, British, French, Corsican, Portuguese or German settlers. A small mixed indigenous Carib population is present around the Santa Rosa Carib Community. There is also a Cocoa panyol population who are of Spanish, indigenous, and African descent who came from Venezuela between the late 19th and early 20th century to work on the cocoa estates. [13]

Emigration

Emigration from Trinidad and Tobago, as with other Caribbean nations, has historically been high; most emigrants go to the United States, Canada, and Britain. Emigration has continued, albeit at a lower rate, even as the birth-rate sharply dropped to levels typical of industrialised countries. Largely because of this phenomenon, as of 2011, Trinidad and Tobago has been experiencing a low population growth rate (0.48 per cent).[ citation needed ]

Famous Trinidadians and Tobagonians

See also

Related Research Articles

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of Trinidad and Tobago</span>

This article is about the demography of the population of Trinidad and Tobago including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of Guyana</span>

This is a demography of Guyana including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonian</span> Ethnic group

Indo-Trinidadians and Tobagonians or Indian-Trinidadians and Tobagonians are people of Indian origin who are nationals of Trinidad and Tobago, whose ancestors came from India and the wider subcontinent beginning in 1845 during the period of colonization.

Afro-Trinidadians and Tobagonians are people from Trinidad and Tobago who are of Sub-Saharan African descent, mostly from West Africa. Social interpretations of race in Trinidad and Tobago are often used to dictate who is of West African descent. Mulatto-Creole, Dougla, Blasian, Zambo, Maroon, Pardo, Quadroon, Octoroon or Hexadecaroon (Quintroon) were all racial terms used to measure the amount of West African ancestry someone possessed in Trinidad and Tobago and throughout North American, Latin American and Caribbean history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cocoa panyols</span> Ethnic group in Trinidad and Tobago

The Panyols are a pardo or moreno (tri-racial) ethnic group in Trinidad and Tobago of Afro-Spanish-Indigenous descent, primarily of mixed South American Amerindian, Trinidad and Tobago Amerindian, Afro-Trinidadian, Afro-Venezuelans and Spanish descent. The name is a derivation of the word 'español', as well as the community's settlement in what became predominantly cocoa cultivated regions of Trinidad. Also referred to as Pagnols or Payols, the panyol communities draw cultural influence from both sides of the Gulf of Paria, and are predominantly found within the Northern Range rainforest mountains and valleys of Trinidad, with South American cultural influences most predominantly derived from regions around the Orinoco, and Caura River, Venezuela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hinduism in Trinidad and Tobago</span>

Hinduism in Trinidad and Tobago is the second largest religion. Hindu culture arrived to Trinidad and Tobago in 1845, with the arrival of the first Indian indentured laborers, the overwhelming majority of which were Hindu. According to the 2011 census there were 240,100 declared Hindus in Trinidad and Tobago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinidad and Tobago</span> Country in the Caribbean

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 municipality is Chaguanas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbadians</span> People who are identified with the country of Barbados

Barbadians, more commonly known as Bajans are people who are identified with the country of Barbados, by being citizens or their descendants in the Bajan diaspora. The connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Bajans, several of those connections exist and are collectively the source of their identity. Bajans are a multi-ethnic and multicultural society of various ethnic, religious and national origins; therefore Bajans do not necessarily equate their ethnicity with their Bajan nationality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinidadian and Tobagonian Americans</span> Americans of Trinidadian and Tobagonian birth or descent

Trinidadian and Tobagonian Americans are people with Trinidadian and Tobagonian ancestry or immigrants who were born in Trinidad and Tobago. Trinidad and Tobago is home to people of many different national, ethnic and religious origins. As a result, people of Trinidadian and Tobagonian descent do not equate their nationality with ethnicity. The largest proportion of Trinidadians lives in the New York metropolitan area, with other large communities located in South Florida, Central Florida, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Texas, Minnesota, Georgia, and Massachusetts. There are more than 223,639 Trinbagonian Americans living in the United States.

Chinese Trinidadians and Tobagonians are Trinidadians and Tobagonians of Han Chinese ancestry. The group includes people from Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Overseas Chinese who have immigrated to Trinidad and Tobago and their descendants, including those who have emigrated to other countries. The term is usually applied both to people of mixed and unmixed Chinese ancestry, although the former usually appear as mixed race in census figures. Chinese settlement began in 1806. Between 1853 and 1866 2,645 Chinese immigrants arrived in Trinidad as indentured labour for the sugar and cacao plantations. Immigration peaked in the first half of the twentieth century, but was dramatically lowered after the Chinese Communist Revolution in 1949. After peaking at 8,361 in 1960, the unmixed Chinese population in Trinidad declined to 3,800 in 2000, however slightly increased to 3,984 in 2011.

Trinidadian and Tobagonian British people are citizens or residents of the United Kingdom whose ethnic origins lie fully or partially in Trinidad and Tobago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guyanese people</span> South American ethnic group

The people of Guyana, or Guyanese, come from a wide array of backgrounds and cultures including aboriginal natives, African and Indian origins, as well as a minority of Chinese and European descendant peoples. Demographics as of 2012 are Indo-Guyanese 39.8%, Afro-Guyanese 30.1%, mixed race 19.9%, Amerindian 10.5%, other 1.5%. As a result, Guyanese do not equate their nationality with race and ethnicity, but with citizenship. Although citizens make up the majority of Guyanese, there is a substantial number of Guyanese expatriates, dual citizens and descendants living worldwide, chiefly elsewhere in the Anglosphere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afro-Salvadorans</span> Ethnic group in El Salvador

Afro Salvadorans are Salvadorans of Sub-Saharan African descent. They are the descendants of slaves brought to El Salvador via the Trans-atlantic slave trade during the colonial Spanish era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afro-Nicaraguans</span> Nicaraguans of African descent

Afro-Nicaraguans are Nicaraguans of Sub-Saharan African descent. Five main distinct ethnic groups exist: The Creoles who descend from Anglo-Caribbean countries and many of whom still speak Nicaragua English Creole, the Miskito Sambus descendants of Spanish slaves and indigenous Central Americans who still speak Miskito and/or Miskito Coast Creole, the Garifunas descendants of Zambos expelled from St. Vincent who speak Garifuna, the Rama Cay zambos a subset of the Miskito who speak Rama Cay Creole, and the descendants of those enslaved by the Spanish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">India–Trinidad and Tobago relations</span> Bilateral relations

The bilateral relations between the Republic of India and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago have considerably expanded in recent years with both nations building strategic and commercial ties. Both nations formally established diplomatic relations in 1962. Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonians form the largest ethnic group in the country at 37.6% of the total population.

Caribbean people are the people born in or inhabitants of the Caribbean region or people of Caribbean descent living outside the Caribbean. The Caribbean region was initially populated by Amerindians from several different Kalinago and Taino groups. These groups were decimated by a combination of enslavement and disease brought by European colonizers. Descendants of the Taino and Kalinago tribes exist today in the Caribbean and elsewhere but are usually of partial Amerindian ancestry.

White Trinidadians and Tobagonians are Trinidadians of European descent. However, while the term "White Trinidadian" is used to refer collectively to all Caucasians who are Trinidadian, whether by birth or naturalization, the term "local-white" is used to refer more specifically to Trinidad-born Caucasians and, in particular, those who trace their roots back to Trinidad's early settlers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Tobago</span> History of the island of Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago

The history of Tobago covers a period from the earliest human settlements on the island of Tobago in the Archaic period, through its current status as a part of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Originally settled by indigenous people, the island was subject to Spanish slave raids in the sixteenth and early seventeenth century and colonisation attempts by the Dutch, British, French, and Courlanders beginning in 1628, though most colonies failed due to indigenous resistance. After 1763 Tobago was converted to a plantation economy by British settlers and enslaved Africans.

Afro-Indigenous may refer to:

References

  1. (CSO), Central Statistical Office. "Home".
  2. Results   American Fact Finder (US Census Bureau)
  3. "2011 National Household Survey: Data tables". 8 May 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  4. "Estimated overseas-born population resident in the United Kingdom by sex, by country of birth (Table 1.4)". Office for National Statistics. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 "Trinidad y Tobago - Emigrantes totales".
  6. "Trinidad and Tobago" . Ethnologue.
  7. "The languages spoken in Trinidad and Tobago".
  8. Trinidad and Tobago 2011 Population and Housing Census Demographic Report Archived 2 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  9. "World Population Prospects: The 2012 Revision". Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat. Archived from the original on 17 April 2014.
  10. " "Trouble in paradise". BBC News . 1 May 2002.
  11. Trinidad and Tobago : East Indians
  12. Trinidad and Tobago. p. 68.
  13. World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Trinidad and Tobago