Trinidad and it's sister island of Tobago are the southernmost islands in the Caribbean chain, and the closest to Venezuela.

Trinidad is a densely populated, thriving island with a cosmopolitan population and strong regional influence; it is famous for hosting the loudest, wildest and most popular carnival in the Caribbean. Indeed, the island can be regarded as the home of Caribbean carnival, being the place where steel bands and Calypso were born.

In contrast, its "little sister" Tobago is relaxed, slow-paced and largely undeveloped. There are claims that Daniel Defoe had Tobago in mind when he wrote Robinson Crusoe, and visitors who enjoy its beaches, reefs and birdlife still tend to think of the island as the last undiscovered gem of the Caribbean.

The islands were originally a British dependency and were granted independence in 1962. Today, Trinidad and Tobago is one of the prosperous countries in the Caribbean, thanks largely to petroleum and natural gas production, whilst tourism (mostly in Tobago) has been targeted by the government for expansion and is rapidly growing

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