al holiday: Independence Day, 31 August (1962)

Constitution: 1 August 1976

Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of
legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Noor Mohammed HASSANALI (since 18 March
1987)
head of government: Prime Minister Patrick Augustus Mervyn MANNING
(since 17 December 1991)
cabinet: Cabinet; responsible to parliament

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament
Senate: consists of a 31-member body appointed by the president
House of Representatives: elections last held 16 December 1991 (next
to be held by December 1996); results - PNM 32%, UNC 13%, NAR 2%;
seats - (36 total) PNM 21, UNC 13, NAR 2

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: People's National Movement (PNM),
Patrick MANNING; United National Congress (UNC), Basdeo PANDAY;
National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR), Selby WILSON; Movement for
Social Transformation (MOTION), David ABDULLAH; National Joint Action
Committee (NJAC), Makandal DAAGA; Republican Party, Nello MITCHELL;
National Development Party (NDP), Carson CHARLES; Movement for Unity
and Progress (MUP), Hulsie BHAGGAN

Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT,
IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Corinne Averille McKNIGHT
chancery: 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 467-6490
FAX: [1] (202) 785-3130
consulate(s) general: New York

US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Brian DONNELLY (since September 1994)
embassy: 15 Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain
mailing address: P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain
telephone: [1] (809) 622-6372 through 6376, 6176
FAX: [1] (809) 628-5462

Flag: red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist
side

@Trinidad And Tobago:Economy

Overview: Trinidad and Tobago's petroleum-based economy still enjoys a
high per capita income by Latin American standards, even though output
and living standards are substantially below the boom years of
1973-82. The country suffers from widespread unemployment, large
f