Talk:Trinidad/Archive 1

Article structure

This page needs a lot of work. Last year an anon added a lot of information about "history" and "today", but there is little here that is specific to Trinidad (as opposed to one of the Trinidad and Tobago articles. I'm not happy with the article, it isn't up to Wikipedia standards, but I am not sure where to take it. Guettarda 16:04, 4 May 2005 (UTC)

Sources in "History" Section

I have provided three sources which all seem credible for following sentence, under the history section: After the Abolition of the Slave Trade in the British Empire in 1834 and total emancipation in 1838, several immigrant indentured labourer groups, including Portuguese, Chinese and Indians, were employed to fill the labour void created when the liberated Africans left the plantations. [1][2][3] The three sources disagree on what year the first indentured workers were brought to Trinidad and the Caribbean, but all claim that it happened around 1830s-1840s. One of the sources I found is a Google excerpt of a book called Africana which could yield more info on the history of Trinidad. The type is small, and I only read the section regarding the East Indian diaspora. If anyone has some free time and a magnifying glass, it could yeild a lot of good info.72.78.20.31 (talk) 16:45, 24 March 2008 (UTC)

Indian Roots?

The ancestral origins of the Amerindians is not made clear. They were actually East Indians. It also appears that Africans were actually the first inhabitiants to arrive on the Island of Trinidad. According to the following quotes:

African Arrival Day in the Caribbean is 1517 when there was an "order permitting the transport of 4,000 Negroes (Afrikans) annually from Africa for sale in the New World". (Burns, 1965, p. 123).

Indian Arrival Day in Trinidad is 3 May 1845, when the fatal Rozack, a Muslim-owned vessel, landed 225 Indians at Nelson Island, off the coast of Trinidad. (Johnson, 1999, p. 10).

SOURCES: Burns, A.C. (1965), History of the British West Indies, Amazon . New York: Barnes & Noble. Johnson, K. (8 August 1999). 1845: The Indians were tricked into Indentureship. Sunday Express.

These East Indians arrived in Trinidad voluntarily as "indentured workers," whereas the Africans were forced on ships transported to these islands and enslaved. The univerisal mislabeling of Africans as "slaves" by Western historians obscures the historical fact that they were originally free humans captured from their villages, or were prisoners of ethnic wars and sold as comodities to European and Arab merchants whose sole intent was to enslave them in the New World.--74.229.102.208 (talk) 22:15, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

---

Can anyone explain why there is such a predominant influence in the culture?

Well, 40% of the population (>500,000 people) are Indian, and a substantial (but unrecorded) portion of the 18% mixed have Indian ancestry. A former President, the previous Prime Minister and the current First Lady are Indian. See Trinidad and Tobago, History of Trinidad and Tobago and Indo-Trinidadian. Guettarda 13:54, 24 September 2005 (UTC)

Question - how can Changuanas be considered to be the largest city on the island? it isn't a city. It is a Borough. There are only 2 cities. The Last T&T census (2000) is clear. It is not. The East-West Corridor /Port of Spain conurbation is where most of the population lives, and San Fernando is the largest city with a 2000 population of 55 419. That's why I removed that portion. It is incorrect. But I have no time to keep editing if you insist on contradicting the census. So here's another case where wikipedia will be worng and Britannia correct! Triniwebdiva 14:30, 20 December 2005 (UTC) Triniwebdiva 14:30, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

Actually I used town, and someone changed it to city (in American usage a city is any incorporated municipality). Using city in the narrow sense is less than ideal because it confuses a lot of people. Guettarda 14:49, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

Brammen why are removing main islands

from their parent category? Under the laws of Trinidad and Tobago-- Tobago is officially classified as a "Ward" of Trinidad if my memory serves me correctly; so why are you removing Tobago from the parent Category of which they make up ~ 50% of? CaribDigita 03:11, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Good luck in trying to get him to explain his actions - I've tried, but he's responded with nothing but insults and derogatory statements about people from "small countries". Guettarda 18:10, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Why not merge this article with Trinidad and Tobago? Or did they have this discussion already? It seems very stupid to me to have this as a separate article from Trinidad and Tobago. If there is a good reason, Id love to know of it. Thatopshotta 23:51, 9 November 2007 (UTC)

IMHO That doesn't make any sense to do. To consider that, would be like considering merging Hawaii and Puerto Rico with the article United States. Or Merging Canada, the United States and Mexico with North America. Just because it is a part of a whole doesn't mean they all need to be squeezed into one. Tobago is item and Trinidad is an item. Just like Hawaii is their own item. CaribDigita 19:32, 10 November 2007 (UTC)

For the Ill- informed- The country is known as the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, the Twin Isles, Sister Islands, therefore the article should have been merged with Trinidad & Tobago. They are a nation combined - not one by itself- they share one common Government- prime Minister, President etc... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 201.238.118.182 (talk) 17:58, 20 May 2010 (UTC)

comment

Sixth largest Island in the Caribean?

1. Cuba
2. Hispanola
3. Jamaica
4. Puerto Rico
5. what island am I missing?
6. Trinidad.

Unless someone can name another island larger than Trinidad I suggest changing sixth to fifth. Geo Swan (talk) 06:12, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

alot of people speeks spanish in trinida. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 208.39.156.170 (talk) 17:24, 8 October 2009 (UTC)

• List of islands by area seems to confirm Trinidad is the fifth largest island. Editing article to reflect this. The Celestial City (talk) 15:48, 24 December 2010 (UTC)

Untitled

This needs to be a disambiguation page so that links to Trinidad can be easily found and fixed as most tend to refer to Trinidad and Tobago. RedWolf 17:34, Apr 4, 2004 (UTC)

• Ok. Thanks for the info. - Tεxτurε 19:21, 4 Apr 2004 (UTC)

Spanish in Trinidad

I've heard that some people in Trinidad speak Spanish. If this is true, does Trinidad have it's own dialect of Spanish? Gringo300 15:26, 8 Jun 2005 (UTC)

See Sylvia Moodie-Kublalsingh's book, if you can get your hands on it (the reference is at Cocoa Panyol). Spanish was spoken in Trinidad from the 1500s until the middle of the 20th century, and there are still some speakers of Trinidadian Spanish (as opposed to Venezuelans resident in Trinidad who, of course, speak Spanish). There has always been so much contact between the Trinidadian Spanish community and Venezuela that I doubt it ever deviated into a separate dialect, but that's just speculation on my part. Guettarda 16:27, 8 Jun 2005 (UTC)

History vandalism

"The united entity, Trinidad and Tobago, obtained its independence from the British Empire in 1962 and became a republic in 1976. evan is sweet". I'll just get that cleared up, shall I? Extenebris (talk) 13:41, 25 February 2008 (UTC)

Yes, please. Just remove all of that junk in the first sentence. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 50.129.224.141 (talk) 15:58, 7 July 2011 (UTC)

Too much.

"Today's Trinidad is a colourful and lively island, the result of a fusion of many different cultures and beautiful natural features."

This sentance, along with a few others in the article, sound like advertisements for the island. Not sure how to rephrase it, but please refrain from adding phrases like this.Glassbreaker5791 15:50, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

I understand Glassbreaker's discomfort. Some attempt will have to be made to acknowledge Trinidad's beauty and the role it has played in its history and economy. Leaving it out would be like writing about Scarlett Johansson as if she were simply a moderately talented actress.

Now, as for the Tourist Board nature of the piece, how can a story about Trinidad omit its Nobel prize winning novelist, Naipaul, whose volumes critical of the place show a very different side to her? Profhum (talk) 01:32, 2 November 2008 (UTC)

"From the delicious assortment of food and drink, to the many religious-based festivals you are sure to find a rich cultural experience", very encyclopedic 157.157.188.24 (talk) 01:13, 9 March 2012 (UTC)

Categorisation

Should Trinidad really be first in Category:Trinidad and Tobago? It's one of two constituent islands. And why Trinidad and not Tobago? Similarly for Geography of Trinidad and Tobago, although here it makes a little more sense (though, again, not if Tobago is not also there). In Category:United Kingdom the subcats are distinct, but the category itself does not list England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland at the top of the list. Guettarda 13:14, 4 May 2005 (UTC) Go to uwihistory.com-UWI History Society-Bridget Brereton-article entitled "Of words,wards and Wards".She explains the term "Trinidad and Tobago". 17.05.2012186.44.148.151 (talk) 22:37, 17 May 2012 (UTC)sterlingSSM

Wrong info

Trinidad and Tobago are 2 islands, Trinidad therefore is the larger of TWO(2) not 23 islands.

Nope. Legally it's a 23-island "archipelagic republic". Guettarda 20:07, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Another instance of wrong info-the original name of Trinidad was Cairi/Kairi/Iere.This means "the island" not "the land of the hummingbird'.Go to uwihistory.com-UWI History Society-Bridget Brereton-article entitled "What's in a name".The focus of this article is a sign in St Joseph which says "Welcome to St Joseph-the first capital of Trinidad and Tobago".Trinidad and Tobago did not exist when St Joseph was the capital-Tobago became a Ward of the colony of Trinidad and Tobago in 1889. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 186.44.148.151 (talk) 22:50, 17 May 2012 (UTC)

Chaguanas.

Chaguanas is listed as the largest city. It is not even classified as a city. It is a borough. Port-of-Spain is the largest city followed by San Fernando. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Douglasmurf (talk • contribs) 15:01, 9 December 2012 (UTC)

The problem lies with the template used to generate that infobox - unlike the country template, it doesn't include optional parameters to rename the largest settlement something other than "city". So we're stuck with the American usage of "city". And no, POS isn't the largest city - San Fernando is larger, at least per the 2000 census. Guettarda (talk) 16:37, 9 December 2012 (UTC)

Map

According to the map Trinidad is located in the Caspian sea and has the capital of Berlin. Someone might want to take a look at that. BHilbig (talk) 22:46, 13 February 2013 (UTC) Edit: Naturally I forgot to log in...