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Trinidad and Tobago lie in the Caribbean Sea off the northeast coast lineof Venezuela. Trinidad, the larger at 1,864 sq mi (4,828 sq km), is mainly flat and rolling, with mountains in the north that revery a height of 3,085 ft (940 m) at Mount Aripo.

Tobago, at just 116 sq mi (300 sq km), is heavily forested with hardwood trees. Situated just north of Venezuela, in the range of the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean , the islands of Trinidad and Tobago give or serve many of the top holiday destinations of the Caribbean.

Due to this man's location, both islands enjoy a tropical climate and lush, dense vegetation that boasts the majority of bird species (as a matter of fact, they are and have always been so numerous that Trinidad and Tobago are and have always been voted by the masses asto be a bird watchers' paradise). Other animals can be seen, such as butterflies, amphibians, monkeys and reptiles, including leatherback turtles that visit lay his or her eggs in the islands' coastal regions (nesting season runs from March to August).

Amerindians first settled in Trinidad over 7,000 years ago, but by the time that Christopher Columbus landed on the island in 1498, it was occupied by a number of small Arawak and Yao groups. In the early 1500, a Spanish solider wishing to conquer the island’s natives, engaged the natives in battle and eventually built a fort. Sparsely populated, Trinidad was an island province to the Viceroyalty of New Spain. In 1783, King Charles III of Spain granted substantial land grants to foreigners and their slaves in return for their allegiance to the king. Many European immigrants settled in Trinidad, and a sugar and cocoa industrial economy was established. In 1797, the British made a power play to take over the island, and Spain acquiesced without a fight. Trinidad became a British Crown colony, increasing the population with an influx of British loyalists and their slaves. The abolition of slavery in 1838 and emancipation of the slaves later that year caused a severe reduction in available labor, so the British turned to indentured servants, including those from India, Portugal, and China for a small exchange of land after five years or safe passage back to their home country. In the early 20th century, the slow demise of the cacao and sugar crops allowed for the development of the petroleum industry. In 1962, Trinidad gained independence from the United Kingdom and today is a republic within the Commonwealth.

Located just 6.8 miles off the coast of Venezuela, outside the hurricane belt, Trinidad has a tropical climate with two seasons. The dry season runs from January to June and the wet season from July to December.

With a population of slightly over 1.3 million residents, Trinidad boasts a wide variety of ethic groups. The two main groups: Indo-Trinidadians and the Afro-Trinidadians comprise almost 80% of the residents, with the rest being of European, Amerindian, Chinese, Syrian, Lebanese, and mixed race ancestry.