Port of Spain
Port of Spain, officially the City of Port of Spain (also stylized Port-of-Spain), is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago and the third largest municipality, after Chaguanas and San Fernando. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 (2022 census), an urban population of 545,045 (2023 estimate) and a transient daily population of 250,000. It is located on the Gulf of Paria, on the northwest coast of the island of Trinidad and is part of a larger conurbation stretching from Chaguaramas in the west to Arima in the east with an estimated population of 600,000.
Port of Spain
Puerto de España | |
|---|---|
| City of Port of Spain | |
Port of Spain in 2012 | |
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Flag | |
| Motto: "We Gather Strength As We Go Along" | |
Port of Spain Port of Spain Port of Spain | |
| Coordinates: 10°40′N 61°31′W | |
| Country | Trinidad and Tobago |
| Jurisdiction | City of Port of Spain |
| Settled | 1560 |
| Borough | 19 August 1853 |
| City | 26 June 1914 |
| Government | |
| • Body | City of Port of Spain |
| • Mayor | Chinua Alleyne, PNM |
| • Deputy Mayor | Abena Hartley, PNM |
| City Corporation seats | 12 electoral districts |
| House seats | 2/41 |
| Area | |
| • Capital city | 12 km2 (5 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 66 m (217 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Capital city | 49,031 |
| • Rank | 3rd |
| • Density | 3,639/km2 (9,420/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 545,045 |
| Languages | |
| • Official | English |
| Time zone | UTC-4 (AST) |
| Postal Code | 10xxxx, 12xxxx, 16xxxx – 19xxxx, 21xxxx, 23xxxx, 24xxxx, 26xxxx, 29xxxx |
| Area code | 868 |
| ISO 3166 code | TT-POS |
| Telephone Exchanges | 619, 623, 624, 625, 627, 641, 661, 821, 622, 628, 822 |
| Website | cityofportofspain |
| HDI The HDI for Trinidad and Tobago is 0.814, which gives the country a rank of 19th out of 177 countries with data (2007/2008) – high | |
The city serves primarily as a retail and administrative centre and it has been the capital of the island since 1757. It is also an important financial services centre for the Caribbean and is home to two of the largest banks in the region. The Piarco International Airport is the main airport on the island, connecting the capital to various major global destinations.
Port of Spain was also the de facto capital of the short-lived West Indies Federation, which united the Caribbean.
The city is also home to the largest container port on the island and is one of several shipping hubs of the Caribbean, exporting both agricultural products and manufactured goods. Bauxite from Guyana is trans-shipped via facilities at Chaguaramas, about 8 kilometres (5 mi) west of the city. The pre-lenten Carnival is the city's main annual cultural festival and tourist attraction.
Today, Port of Spain is a leading city in the Caribbean region. Trinidad and Tobago hosted the Fifth Summit of the Americas in 2009, whose guests included US President Barack Obama and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Port of Spain is also home to the biggest and most successful stock exchange in the Caribbean, the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange (TTSE). The Nicholas Tower, as well as other skyscrapers, are well known throughout the region. These buildings dominate the city's skyline. Some of the tallest skyscrapers in the Caribbean are located in Port of Spain.