Scarlet Ibis
Trinidad's national bird glows an almost unbelievable red-orange because of the shrimp and crabs it eats in the swamps of the Caroni.
Flag of Trinidad and Tobago
Field Report
Trinidad and Tobago is a small two-island nation near the top of South America, sitting at the southern edge of the Caribbean Sea where the warm waters of the Atlantic and the Gulf of Paria meet. It is home to about 1.4 million people whose families came from Africa, India, Europe, and beyond, making it one of the most culturally layered places in the Western Hemisphere. The country is known for its steel pan music, its vivid wildlife, and its mix of religions — including many people who have not yet heard the good news about Jesus.
From the Field Notebook
Scarlet Ibis
Trinidad's national bird glows an almost unbelievable red-orange because of the shrimp and crabs it eats in the swamps of the Caroni.
Leatherback Sea Turtle
The beaches of Trinidad are one of the most important nesting sites in the world for this massive turtle, which can weigh as much as a small car.
Ocelot
This small wild cat with bold spotted markings hunts at night in Trinidad's forests and is rarely spotted by people, even those who live near its territory.
Doubles
Two soft fried bara breads filled with curried chickpeas and tangy chutneys, eaten as a quick breakfast or street snack nearly every day across Trinidad.
Roti
A warm, soft flatbread wrapped around curried meats or vegetables, brought to the islands by Indian immigrants and now one of the most beloved everyday meals.
Pelau
A one-pot dish of rice, pigeon peas, and chicken cooked together with coconut milk and brown sugar, giving it a deep, smoky-sweet flavor that is distinctly Trinidadian.
Trinidad and Tobago is the southernmost nation in the Caribbean, sitting just seven miles off the coast of Venezuela in South America.
Trinidad is where steel pan music was invented — it is the only acoustic instrument created in the twentieth century, and it grew out of the island's Carnival tradition.
The two islands that make up this country are very different: Trinidad is busy and industrial, while Tobago is quiet and largely covered in old rainforest.
Trinidad sits on so much natural oil and gas that it has one of the highest incomes per person in the Caribbean, and there is even a lake of natural pitch called Pitch Lake that is the largest of its kind on Earth.
More than half of the people in Trinidad trace their ancestry to either Africa or India, brought there in very different historical circumstances, making it one of the most ethnically diverse small nations on the planet.
Daily Life
73
Years life expectancy
97%
Can read and write
99%
Kids go to school
Missions Field Report
A majority of Trinidad and Tobago's people follow Christianity (66.6%). Evangelical Christians make up about 23.9% of the population.
What People Believe
Prayer Journal
Tick each one as you pray. God hears every word.