Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago are the southernmost islands of the Lesser Antilles, closer to Venezuela than to Grenada, the next northern island in the chain. In fact, Trinidad and Tobago were once part of the South America land mass, and still share much of its plant and animal life. The islands were discovered and named by Christopher Columbus in 1498 and colonized by Spain. The first British settlers arrived in 1616. The British captured the islands in 1797.

Africans were brought in as slaves during the 1700s to work the sugar, coffee, and cocoa plantations. Slavery was abolished in 1834, but the plantations still needed workers, and indentured workers were brought in from another part of the British Empire--India. Today, the descendants of those African and Indian workers comprise about 80 percent of Trinidad's population, and the island's mix of Creole, Hindu, a nd British traditions is unique in the Caribbean.

Trinidad and Tobago united politically in 1888, gained independence from Britain in 1962, and became a republic within the British Commonwealth in 1976. They have the most diversified and industrialized economy in the English-speaking Caribbean. There are large reserves of petroleum and natural gas, and during the 1970s, high world oil prices created an economic boom. Much of the island's infrastructure was built or modernized during this period, which also had the effect of drawing workers away from family farms to the better-paid oil fields.

Now, however, the pendulum is swinging back and agriculture is growing in importance again, not limited to the traditional pineapples and bananas. For example, a former sugar cane field outside Port-of-Spain is harvesting anise for anise-based liquors such as Pernod. Tourism, of course, remains an important part of the local economy, with visitors arriving by cruise ship as well as by air.

Trinidad, the larger of the two islands, is punctuated by mountainous rainforests rich with wildlife, and is a Mecca for birdwatchers--there are more than 100 species on the island--plus equally brilliantly colored butterflies and tropical flowers. Every spring, such vibrant colors adorn the Trinis who commemorate Mardi Gras with the largest celebration in the Caribbean, including parades and competitions for the best steel band on the island.

While beautiful white-sand beaches ring Trinidad, the smaller island of Tobago is preferred by scuba divers for the spectacular offshore coral reefs, and sunbathers seeking a more quiet experience than Trinidad. But, be sure to visit both halves of this two-island nation.