Trinidad and Tobago
Date Entered: 1999
Major Ministries: Church planting, theological education
Country Profile
Population: 1,333,000
Trinidad & Tobago is located northeast of Venezuela in the Caribbean. It has a tropical climate with a rainy season that lasts from June to December; half of the year. The country was sighted and named by Christopher Columbus in 1498. The Spaniards who followed the explorer enslaved much of the indigenous population, taking them as forced laborers to the new South American colonies.
The next 200 years saw Spanish colonizers fail in their attempts to establish tobacco and cacao plantations on the island. Then Britain seized Trinidad from Spain in the late 1700’s and abolished slavery in 1830. The end of slavery on the island caused Britain to bring in thousands of indentured laborers, mostly from India, to work on sugarcane plantations.
The economic depression of the 1930’s led to a series of strikes and riots, and eventually led Britain to grant universal voting rights. The island continued to move toward self-government, which came in 1962 with independence. An oil boom in the 1970’s brought increased prosperity to the country, but also increased isolation for the East Indian community.
Trinidad & Tobago enjoys a unique position in the Caribbean with its significant Asian populations. East Indians, Chinese, and Middle Easterners have impacted the island’s cultural and religious scenes; Hinduism and Islam claim more than 30% of the population.
Trinidad & Tobago influenced the music world with the steel drum, invented by using the ends of discarded oil drums. It is also the home of calypso, which started when slaves used their patois in music to mock their masters.
Best known for its carnival-similar to Mardi Gras in New Orleans-Trinidad & Tobago’s peak tourist season falls just before Lent as visitors flock to the “outrageous” festival.
ABWE missionaries will assist in training national leaders in Trinidad & Tobago. Additional personnel are needed to help local pastors broaden their knowledge base and reach their country for Christ.