What is the history of Trinidad?
Trinidad was inhabited by the Arawak Indians, who were killed by early European settlers. It was colonized by the Spanish in 1592. It continued under Spanish rule until 1797, when it was captured by the British. Trinidad was formally ceded to the United Kingdom in 1802.
Who first discovered Trinidad and Tobago?
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus landed on Trinidad, which he named for the Holy Trinity, in 1498 and found a land quietly inhabited by the Arawak and Carib Indians.
Where did the slaves in Trinidad and Tobago come from?
Origins. The ultimate origin of most African ancestry in the Americas is in West and Central Africa. The most common ethnic groups of the enslaved Africans in Trinidad and Tobago were Igbo, Kongo, Ibibio and Malinke people. All of these groups, among others, were heavily affected by the Atlantic slave trade.
What race is a Trinidadian?
Among its neighbours, the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago stands out due to its ethnic makeup. The population of most Caribbean nations is mainly of African descent; similar to Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago is evenly divided between Afro-Trinidadians and Indo-Trinidadians.
Is Trinidad a black country?
Afro-Trinidadians and Tobagonians make up the country’s second largest ethnic group, with approximately 36.3% of the population identifying as being of African descent. People of African background were brought to the island as slaves as early as the 16th century.
Who colonized Trinidad and Tobago?
Trinidad was visited by Christopher Columbus in 1498 but was not colonized because of the lack of precious metals. It was raided by the Dutch (1640) and the French (1677, 1690) and by British sailors.
What are the ethnic groups in Trinidad?
Trinidad and Tobago Demographics . The country is dominated by two ethnic groups: the Africans and the Indians. The Africans are mostly Christian while the Indians are mostly Hindu, and there has been a great deal of tension between the two groups.
What are the major cities in Trinidad?
The majority of the population reside on the island of Trinidad, and this is thus the location of largest towns and cities. There are four major municipalities in Trinidad: the capital Port of Spain, San Fernando, Arima and Chaguanas. The main town on Tobago is Scarborough.
What is the history of Tobago?
The known history of Tobago dates back to the latter years of the 15th century, when Columbus first sighted the island on his third voyage to the region. He landed in neighbouring Trinidad in the year of 1498 and quickly set about claiming these two islands.