Geography & environment — Trinidad and Tobago
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Geography & environment at a glance
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources. Key figure for Trinidad and Tobago: The Caribbean
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Location & size
- Geographic Location
The Caribbean
- Geographic Coordinates
11 00 N, 61 00 W
- Total Area
1,980 Square Miles 5,128 Square Kilometers
- Land Area
1,980 Square Miles 5,128 Square Kilometers
- Coastline
225 Miles 362 Kilometers
Physical geography
- Terrain
mostly plains with some hills and low mountains
- Highest Point
940 Meters
- Highest Point Location
El Cerro del Aripo 940 m
- Lowest Point Location
Caribbean Sea 0 m
- Natural Resources
petroleum, natural gas, asphalt
- Irrigated Land
14 Square Miles 36 Square Kilometers
Climate & time
- Time Zone
UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate
- Climate
- Both Trinidad and Tobago lie deep in the tropics but are cooled by the marine environment and the prevailing northeast trade winds. Because of its constant exposure to trade winds, Tobago is cooler than Trinidad. Rainfall is moderate to heavy with an annual average of 82.7 inches but is subject to considerable regional and year-to-year variations. Days are warm, but evening temperatures are cooler. The seasonal variation does not exceed 5°F. The mean year-round temperature for the country at 8 a.m. is about 77°F
- at 2 p.m. it is about 86°F. Humidity averages about 86% at 8 a.m. and about 65% at 2 p.m. A dry season, more clearly defined than in most West Indian islands, lasts from January through mid-May
- a short interruption of the rainy season also usually occurs in September. In most of the country no month is entirely dry, but during the rainy season the monthly precipitation is three to four times greater than in the dry season. Although the country lies slightly south of the hurricane track, violent local storms sometimes occur. In 1962, Hurricane Flora devastated Tobago, and tropical storm Alma crossed Trinidad in 1974. Both events are considered highly unusual.
- Terrain
mostly plains with some hills and low mountains
- Location
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
- Total Area
1,980 Square Miles 5,128 Square Kilometers
Environment
- Environment - Current Issues
water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and raw sewage
oil pollution of beaches
deforestation
soil erosion
- Environment - International Agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements