Trinidad & Tobago

The two islands of Trinidad and Tobago, located off the northeast coast of South America in the Caribbean Sea, provide a study in contrasts. Most of the former British colony's one million residents live in the more densely populated and industrial Trinidad, the larger of the two islands. Trinidad contains steel mills, factories, livestock farms, and sugarcane estates, but counts petroleum as a major export. The mountainous island of Tobago, on the other hand, is far less developed. Located about 20 miles (32 kilometers) to the northeast of Trinidad, Tobago depends heavily on its tourist resorts for income. Their combined wealth makes Trinidad and Tobago among the most prosperous of the Caribbean islands.