In 1999, Trinidad and Tobago had a population of approximately 1.3 million people. The economy was largely dependent on oil and gas exports, with tourism also playing a significant role. Foreign relations at the time were mainly focused on other Caribbean countries, with the majority of foreign aid coming from the United States and Canada. Politically, Trinidad and Tobago was a unitary state under the leadership of Prime Minister Basdeo Panday. The country was divided into nine administrative divisions which were each governed by their own elected representatives. In 1999, Trinidad and Tobago held its general election which saw the People’s National Movement (PNM) win a majority of seats in parliament for the first time in 25 years. Despite this victory for the PNM, Trinidad and Tobago still had strong institutions such as an independent judiciary and media which helped to protect freedom of speech and expression. See ethnicityology for Trinidad and Tobago in the year of 2018.
Yearbook 1999
Trinidad and Tobago. Visit Countryaah official website to get information about the capital city of Trinidad and Tobago. The Caribbean Heads of Government of the Caribbean, The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) met for a summit in Trinidad and Tobago’s capital Port of Spain July 4-7. The prime ministers agreed to create a regional court to replace the UK Court of Appeal, the UK Privy Council (where convicted criminals can request mercy). International human rights organizations argued that this is an attempt to speed up the introduction of the death penalty in several of CARICOM’s member countries. The new court is expected to take effect in the summer of 2000.
- Also see Abbreviationfinder.org to see the acronym of TTO which stands for Trinidad and Tobago and other definitions of this 3-letter abbreviation.
In June, a month before the CARICOM Summit, nine men were murdered who in 1994 murdered four members of the same family. All were convicted as early as 1996, but the executions were postponed with the help of grants applications to The Privy Council in London, which serves as an appeal court for 16 of the Commonwealth states. The British court ruled in May 1999 that hanging itself is not inhumane, and the executions were executed a month later.
