Trinidad & Tobago - Culture Smart!

The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago comprises two Caribbean islands and several islets off the coast of Venezuela. The vast majority of the population live on Trinidad, a former colony with a history of shifting ownership between Spain, France, the Netherlands, and England.

As a melting pot of multiculturalism, Trinidad bursts into vibrant expression each February during the celebration of Carnival. This event is a welcome-to-all celebration of the island’s ethnic diversity and rich cultural history. Known as the originators of calypso, limbo, and steelpan, Trinbagonians are often exhilarating and radiating, yet the picturesque isle of Tobago remains a contrasting paradisiacal idyll.

Trinis, as Trinidadians like to be called, have a history marked by slavery and indentured labour, with many of the East Indian and African population brought to work on the island's sugar plantations in the 19th century. Today, Trinis are determined to live their lives according to their own terms, often eschewing the bureaucracy of the modern world and valuing the common sense they perceive as lacking at higher levels.

Trinidad and Tobago now boast a booming high-income economy, supported by an abundance of natural resources and a consistently tropical climate. With a diversity of traditions, customs, and cultures, Culture Smart! Trinidad & Tobago can guide you through the nuances and paradoxes of Trinbagonian life. It will help you to explore key locations like Port of Spain, Scarborough, Plymouth, and Roxborough through the lens of a laid-back Trini.