Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago Country in the West Indies, off the coast of Venezuela. Government Trinidad and Tobago is an independent republic within the Commonwealth . The 1976 constitution provides for a president as head of state and a two-chamber parliament, consisting of a senate of 31 members and a house of representatives of 36. The president is chosen by an electoral college drawn from both chambers and appoints the prime minister and cabinet, who are collectively responsible to parliament. The 36 members of the house of representatives are elected by universal adult suffrage.
Parliament has a life of five years.
Tobago was given its own house of assembly 1980. History For early history, see American Indian . The islands of Trinidad and Tobago were visited by Columbus in 1498. Trinidad was colonized by Spain from 1532 and ceded to Britain in 1802, having been captured in 1797. Tobago was settled by the Netherlands in the 1630s and subsequently occupied by various countries before being ceded to Britain by France in 1814.