Central America and the Caribbean > Trinidad and Tobago > Government

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Administrative divisions 9 regional corporations, 2 city corporations, 3 borough corporations, 1 ward regional corporations: Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo, Diego Martin, Mayaro/Rio Claro, Penal/Debe, Princes Town, Sangre Grande, San Juan/Laventille, Siparia, Tunapuna/Piarco city corporations: Port-of-Spain, San Fernando borough corporations: Arima, Chaguanas, Point Fortin ward: Tobago
Capital city > Geographic coordinates	10 39 N, 61 31 W
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Constitution	1 August 1976
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Corruption	3.8		[59th of 160]
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Diplomatic representation from the US > Mailing address P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain
Source: Transparency International
Executive branch > Cabinet Cabinet appointed from among the members of Parliament
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Executive branch > Chief of state President George Maxwell RICHARDS (since 17 March 2003)
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Flag description red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side to the lower fly side
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Government type	parliamentary democracy
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Independence	31 August 1962 (from UK)
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Judicial branch Supreme Court of Judicature (comprised of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeals; the chief justice is appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister and the leader of the opposition; other justices are appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission); High Court of Justice; Caribbean Court of Appeals member; Court of Appeals; the highest court of appeal is the Privy Council in London
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Legal system based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Legislative branch bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (31 seats; 16 members appointed by the ruling party, nine by the President, six by the opposition party to serve a maximum term of five years) and the House of Representatives (41 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Parliamentary seats > Female	11%		[59th of 143]
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Political parties and leaders Congress of the People [Winston DOOKERAN]; Democratic Action Congress or DAC [Hochoy CHARLES] (only active in Tobago); Democratic National Alliance or DNA [Gerald YETMING] (coalition of NAR, DDPT, MND); Movement for National Development or MND [Garvin NICHOLAS]; National Alliance for Reconstruction or NAR [Dr. Carson CHARLES]; People's National Movement or PNM [Patrick MANNING]; United National Congress or UNC [Basdeo PANDAY]
Source: United Nations World Statistics Pocketbook and Statistical Yearbook
Status democracy
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal
Source: electionworld.org
Time required to start a business > days	43 days		[66th of 171]
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Trademarks, residents	340		[50th of 98]
Source: World Development Indicators database
Transnational Issues > Disputes > International in April 2006, the Permanent Court of Arbitration issued a decision that delimited a maritime boundary with Trinidad and Tobago and compelled Barbados to enter a fishing agreement that limited Barbadian fishermen's catches of flying fish in Trinidad and Tobago's exclusive economic zone; in 2005, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago agreed to compulsory international arbitration under UNCLOS challenging whether the northern limit of Trinidad and Tobago's and Venezuela's maritime boundary extends into Barbadian waters; Guyana has also expressed its intention to include itself in the arbitration as the Trinidad and Tobago-Venezuela maritime boundary may extend into its waters as well
Source: World Development Indicators database

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