Trinidadians and Tobagonians

Trinidadians and Tobagonians, colloquially known as Trinis or Trinbagonians, are the people who are identified with the country of Trinidad and Tobago. The country is home to people of many different national, ethnic and religious origins. As a result, Trinidadians do not equate their nationality with ethnicity, but with citizenship, cultural identification with the islands as whole, or either Trinidad or Tobago specifically. Although citizens make up the majority of Trinidadians, there is a substantial number of Trinidadian expatriates, dual citizens and descendants living worldwide, chiefly elsewhere in the Anglosphere.

"Trini" redirects here. For other uses, see Trini (disambiguation).

Trinidadians and Tobagonians

National Flag of Trinidad and Tobago
Total population
c. 1.7 million
Regions with significant populations
Trinidad and Tobago        1,363,985 (2019)[1]
United States	223,639 (2013 est.) [2]
Canada	68,225 (2011)[3]
United Kingdom	25,000 (2013 est.)[4]
Australia	1,260 (2006 est.)[5]
Venezuela	3,000[6]
Languages
Trinidadian and Tobagonian English, Trinidadian English Creole, Tobagonian English Creole, Trinidadian Hindustani, Antillean French Creole, Chinese, Arabic, Spanish[7][8]
Religion
Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Spiritual Baptist, Bahá’í, Orisha-Shango (Yoruba), Rastafarianism, Traditional African religions, Afro-American religions, Judaism, Buddhism, Chinese folk religions, Sikhism, Others
Related ethnic groups
Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonian, Afro-Trinidadians and Tobagonians, Chinese Trinidadian and Tobagonian, European Trinidadian and Tobagonian, Douglas, Island Caribs, Arawaks, Trinidadian and Tobagonian Americans, Trinidadian and Tobagonian Canadians, Trinidadian and Tobagonian British, Indo-Caribbean, Indo-Caribbean Americans, British Indo-Caribbean people, Afro-Caribbean, British African-Caribbean people, Caribbean people

Population

Main article: Demographics of Trinidad and Tobago

The total population of Trinidad and Tobago was 1,328,019 according to the 2011 census,[9] an increase of 5.2 per cent since the 2000 census. According to the 2012 revision of the World Population Prospects the total population was estimated at 1,328,000 in 2010, compared to only 646,000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2010 was 20.7 per cent, 71 per cent was between 15 and 65 years of age, while 8.3 per cent was 65 years or older.[10]

Ethnic groups

The ethnic composition of Trinidad and Tobago reflects a history of conquest and immigration.[11] While the earliest inhabitants were of Amerindian heritage, since the 20th century the two dominant groups in the country were those of South Asian and of African heritage.

Indians-South Asian

Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonians make up the country's largest ethnic group (approximately 37.6 percent). They are primarily descendants from indentured workers from South Asia, brought to replace freed African slaves who refused to continue working on the sugar plantations. Through cultural preservation residents of Indian descent continue to maintain traditions from their ancestral homeland.

Sub-Saharan African

Afro-Trinidadians and Tobagonians make up the country's second largest ethnic group, with approximately 36.3 percent of the population identifying as being of African descent. People of Sub-Saharan African background were brought to the island as slaves as early as the 16th century.

Other origins

There are also significant minorities of Douglas (mixed Indian and African ancestry), Creoles-Mulattoes (mixed African and European ancestry), Europeans, Chinese, indigenous Amerindians, Arabs, Hispanics-Latinos, Zambos-Maroons (mixed African and indigenous Amerindian ancestry), Cocoa panyols-Pardos (mixed African, European, and indigenous Amerindian ancestry), Anglo-Indians (mixed Indian and British ancestry), and Jews, residing in Trinidad and Tobago.

Emigration

Emigration from Trinidad and Tobago, as with other Caribbean nations, has historically been high; most emigrants go to the United States, Canada, and Britain. Emigration has continued, albeit at a lower rate, even as the birth-rate sharply dropped to levels typical of industrialised countries. Largely because of this phenomenon, as of 2011, Trinidad and Tobago has been experiencing a low population growth rate (0.48 per cent).

Famous Trinidadians and Tobagonians

Main article: List of Trinidadians and Tobagonians

See also

• Demographics of Trinidad and Tobago
• Trinidadian British
• Trinidadian American
• Trinidadian Canadian
• Chinese Trinidadian
• Indo-Trinidadian
• Indo-Caribbean
• Afro-Trinidadian
• Euro-Trinidadian
• Caribs
• Arawak
• Indo-Caribbean American
• Arab
• Hispanic-Latino
• Jews

References

1. (CSO), Central Statistical Office. "Home".
2. Results   American Fact Finder (US Census Bureau)
3. "2011 National Household Survey: Data tables". Retrieved 18 March 2015.
4. "Estimated overseas-born population resident in the United Kingdom by sex, by country of birth (Table 1.4)". Office for National Statistics. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
5. "20680-Ancestry (full classification list) by Sex - Australia" (Microsoft Excel download). 2006 census. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 2 June 2008. Total responses: 25,451,383 for total count of persons: 19,855,288.
6. https://www.migrationpolicy.org/programs/data-hub/charts/immigrant-and-emigrant-populations-country-origin-and-destination
7. "Trinidad and Tobago". Ethnologue.
8. "The languages spoken in Trinidad and Tobago".
9. Trinidad and Tobago 2011 Population and Housing Census Demographic Report Archived 2 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine
10. "World Population Prospects: The 2012 Revision". Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat. Archived from the original on 17 April 2014.
11. ""Trouble in paradise". BBC News. 1 May 2002.