The Government of Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago - Government

Based on the etymolgy of Trinidad and Tobago, it was explorer Christopher COLUMBUS named the larger island "La Isla de la Trinidad" (The Island of the Trinity) in 1498, possibly because of the three mountain peaks on the island; COLUMBUS may have gotten the name Tobago, spelled "tobaco" in Spanish, from the tobacco grown and smoked locally, or from its elongated cigar shape . The Government system in this country is the parliamentary republic type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 9 regions, 3 boroughs, 2 cities, 1 ward

regions: Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo, Diego Martin, Mayaro/Rio Claro, Penal/Debe, Princes Town, Sangre Grande, San Juan/Laventille, Siparia, Tunapuna/Piarco

borough: Arima, Chaguanas, Point Fortin

cities: Port of Spain, San Fernando

ward: Tobago

National symbols

Scarlet ibis (bird of Trinidad), cocrico (bird of Tobago), chaconia flower.

The flag

The National flag of Trinidad and Tobago has .

The National Anthem

Title
Lyric/music

More about the government of Trinidad and Tobago

Constitution
Date of Independence	31 August 1962 (from the UK)
National holiday	Independence Day, 31 August (1962)
Legal system	English common law; Supreme Court reviews legislative acts
International law organization participation	has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
History	Previous 1962; latest 1976
Amendment process	Proposed by Parliament; passage of amendments affecting constitutional provisions, such as human rights and freedoms or citizenship, requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the membership of both houses and assent of the president; passage of amendments, such as the powers and authorities of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government, and the procedure for amending the constitution, requires at least three-quarters majority vote by the House membership, two-thirds majority vote by the Senate membership, and assent of the president
Citizenship
Citizenship by birth	yes
Citizenship by descent only	yes
Dual citizenship recognized	yes
Residency requirement for naturalization	8 years
Executive Branch
Chief of state	President Christine KANGALOO (since 20 March 2023)
Head of government	Prime Minister Kamla Susheila PERSAD-BISSESSAR (since 1 May 2025)
Cabinet	Cabinet appointed from among members of Parliament
Election/appointment process	president indirectly elected by an electoral college of selected Senate and House of Representatives members for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); the president usually appoints the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives as prime minister
Most recent election date	20 January 2023
Election results	2023: Christine KANGALOO elected president by the electoral college on 20 January 2023; electoral college vote Christine KANGALOO (PNM) 48, Israel KHAN (UNC) 22 2018: Paula-Mae WEEKES (independent) elected president; ran unopposed and was elected without a vote; she was Trinidad and Tabago's first female head of state
Expected date of next election	by February 2028
Legislative branch
Legislature name	Parliament
Legislative structure	Bicameral
Judicial branch
Highest court(s)	Supreme Court of the Judicature (consists of a chief justice for both the Court of Appeal with 12 judges and the High Court with 24 judges)
Judge selection and term of office	Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister and the parliamentary leader of the opposition; other judges appointed by the Judicial Legal Services Commission, headed by the chief justice and 5 members with judicial experience; all judges serve for life with mandatory retirement normally at age 65
Subordinate courts	Courts of Summary Criminal Jurisdiction; Petty Civil Courts; Family Court
Diplomatic representation in the US
Chief of mission	Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Venessa RAMHIT-RAMROOP (since 4 June 2025)
Chancery	1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036-1975
Telephone	[1] (202) 467-6490
FAX	[1] (202) 785-3130
Email address and website	[email protected] https://foreign.gov.tt/missions-consuls/tt-missions-abroad/diplomatic-missions/embassy-washington-dc-us/
Consulate(s) general	Miami, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
Chief of mission	Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Jenifer NEIDHART de ORTIZ (since January 2025)
Embassy	15 Queen's Park West, Port of Spain
Mailing address	3410 Port of Spain Place, Washington DC 20521-3410
Telephone	(868) 622-6371
FAX	(868) 822-5905
Email address and website	[email protected] https://tt.usembassy.gov/