Currency and politics
The monetary unit is the Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TTD), equal to 100 cents. Banknotes in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 100 TTD and coins in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 cents are in circulation.
The head of state is the president, elected for a 5-year term by the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Government – Cabinet of Ministers; the head of government is the prime minister, appointed from members of Parliament (usually the leader of the majority party).
The legislature is a bicameral Parliament consisting of the Senate (31 seats; members are appointed by the president for a maximum of 5 years) and the House of Representatives (36 seats; members are elected by popular vote for 5 years).
Visa and customs regimes
The import and export of any currency and jewelry is not limited, the transit of weapons, ammunition and drugs is prohibited. It is forbidden to export items of historical value, rare animals and tropical birds from the islands.
Citizens of the Russian Federation need a visa to enter the country. A visa for Trinidad and Tobago is issued at the British Embassy, which represents the interests of the country in Russia.
Time
Behind Moscow for 8 hours.
Geography
Trinidad and Tobago are paired islands located almost off the coast of Venezuela. Trinidad is a densely populated, Caribbean island to the smallest detail, which, however, has a cosmopolitan spirit. Tobago is less developed than Trinidad, sleepy fishing villages make this tropical island alluring. The island of Trinidad, with its shape resembling a shoe, in the past formed a single whole with the South American mainland. Over time, a water channel formed between the island and the continent. Today, the isthmus connecting the two submerged geological formations is clearly visible from the North Range of Trinidad’s main mountain range, which stretches from east to west of the island. In the bowels of the isthmus, which is a continuation of the Andes, deposits of gas and oil were discovered. The highest point of the island is Mount Cerro del Aripo (941 m). Most of the territory of Trinidad is occupied by plains, gentle hills and mangroves. The island is crossed by numerous rivers, one of the most significant is the Ortua River, 50 km long. Tobago is located 20 kilometers northeast of Trinidad. The landscape of the island is dominated by fertile valleys, comfortable bays and sandy beaches. Both islands are rich in flora and fauna with about 400 bird species, 600 butterfly species, 50 reptile species and 100 mammal species, partly due to the proximity of the American continent. In the mountainous regions of Trinidad, you can meet various exotic birds; pelicans and frigatebirds are found on the coast.
The Asa Wright Nature Center covers only 80 hectares and is located on a former cocoa plantation within the island of Trinidad. The center appeared here back in 1967, today it is a real natural paradise.
Guests can stay in good hotels in order to be able to rest between the many excursions in the center. In Asa Rait, in addition to the biological research station, you can also explore a lot of hiking trails. The administration of the center advises everyone to attend guided tours.
Of interest in the territory of Asa Rait are many species of animals and plants. The local avifauna contains about 40 species of birds, including 10 varieties of hummingbirds, several subspecies of tanager, including the turquoise honeyeater tanager.
But of greatest interest is the nocturnal guajaro, which breeds in the Dunston Caves. Other birds that live in the center of Asa Wright are parrots, kushki, toucans and so on. In general, the Asa-Right Center is the largest bird laboratory in the country. 110 species of plants have been registered in the flora of the center.
Night birds Oilbird, they are also Guacharo (Steatornis caripensis) or in Russian – “guajaro” live in the local Dunston cave. It has one of the largest guajaro colonies in the world. These birds have dark plumage and rather large sizes. Guajaros belong to the order Nightjars.
The length of their body is usually about 55 cm, the feathers are rather dense, chestnut-brown in color, there are whitish blotches on the wings. The wingspan of the guajaro is about 1 meter. In appearance, the guajaro has another feature – the shape of the beak – it is hook-shaped in the bird. On the toes of the strong feet of the guajaro, there are very large claws.
Previously, the territory of the center of Asa Wright belonged to William Beebe, he bought it in 1949 and made a real rainforest reserve from the cocoa plantation located here. From plants quite uniquely Heliconia – heliconia. For its rare and unique appearance, the plant is often called “bird of paradise”, “wild bananas”, “lobster claws”.
The plant has rather large green leaves (15-300 cm long), oblong in shape. On the branch, the leaves are located opposite each other. Heliconia flowers have an orange-coral color. They consist of orange leaves, through which yellow stems are visible, very similar to bananas.