Trinidad and Tobago - GEOGRAPHY GEOGRAPHY Caribbean Islands Table of Contents Trinidad and Tobago are the southernmost islands of the Lesser Antilles, located close to the South American continental shelf. Trinidad lies 11 kilometers off the northeast coast of Venezuela and 130 kilometers south of the Grenadines. It is 60 kilometers long and 80 kilometers at its maximum breadth and comprises an area of 4,828 square kilometers. Trinidad appears rectangular in shape with three projecting peninsular corners. Tobago is located thirty kilometers northeast of Trinidad, from which it is separated by a channel thirty-seven kilometers wide. The island is 42 kilometers long and 13 kilometers wide, with a total area of 300 square kilometers. Tobago is cigar-shaped in appearance and has a northeast-southwest alignment. Geologically, the islands are not part of the Antillean arc. Rather, Trinidad was once part of the South American mainland, and Tobago is part of a sunken mountain chain related to the continent.

The islands are now separated from the continent of South America by the Gulf of Paria; a nineteen-kilometer-wide northern passage-- Dragon's Mouths; and a fourteen-kilometer-wide southern passage-- Serpent's Mouth. Trinidad is traversed by three distinct mountain ranges that are a continuation of the Venezuelan coastal cordillera. The Northern Range, an outlier of the Andes Mountains of Venezuela, consists of rugged hills that parallel the coast. This range rises into two peaks. The highest, El Cerro del Aripo, is 940 meters high; the other, El Tucuche, reaches 936 meters. The Central Range extends diagonally across the island and is a low-lying range with swampy areas rising to rolling hills; its maximum elevation is 325 meters. The Caroni Plain, composed of alluvial sediment, extends southward, separating the Northern Range and Central Range. The Southern Range consists of a broken line of hills with a maximum elevation of 305 meters.

There are numerous rivers and streams on the island of Trinidad; the most significant are the Ortoire River, fifty kilometers long, which extends eastward into the Atlantic, and the forty-kilometer-long Caroni River, reaching westward into the Gulf of Paria. Most of the soils of Trinidad are fertile, with the exception of the sandy and unstable terrain found in the southern part of the island. Tobago is mountainous and dominated by the Main Ridge, which is 29 kilometers long with elevations up to 640 meters. There are deep, fertile valleys running north and south of the Main Ridge. The southwestern tip of the island has a coral platform. Although Tobago is volcanic in origin, there are no active volcanoes. Forestation covers 43 percent of the island. There are numerous rivers and streams, but flooding and erosion are less severe than in Trinidad. The coastline is indented with numerous bays, beaches, and narrow coastal plains. Tobago has several small satellite islands. The largest of these, Little Tobago, is starfish shaped, hilly, and consists of 120 hectares of impenetrable vegetation.

Trinidad and Tobago, well within the tropics, both enjoy a generally pleasant maritime tropical climate influenced by the northeast trade winds. In Trinidad the annual mean temperature is 26�C, and the average maximum temperature is 33�C. The humidity is high, particularly during the rainy season, when it averages 85 to 87 percent. The island receives an average of 211 centimeters of rainfall per year, usually concentrated in the months of June through December, when brief, intense showers frequently occur. Precipitation is highest in the Northern Range, which may receive as much as 381 centimeters. During the dry season, drought plagues the island's central interior. Tobago's climate is similar to Trinidad's but slightly cooler. Its rainy season extends from June to December; the annual rainfall is 250 centimeters. The islands lie outside the hurricane belt; despite this, Hurricane Flora damaged Tobago in 1963, and Tropical Storm Alma hit Trinidad in 1974, causing damage before obtaining full strength. Because it was once part of South America, Trinidad has an assortment of tropical vegetation and wildlife considerably more varied than that of most West Indian islands.

Tobago has a generally similar but less varied assortment. Custom Search Trinidad and Tobago | The Commonwealth Home > Member countries >Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago Did you know: Kamla Persad-Bissessar became the first woman Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago in May 2010. Sir Vidia Naipaul, born in Chaguanas, Trinidad, in August 1932, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2001; Earl Lovelace won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize in 1997; and Sharon Millar the Commonwealth Short Story Prize in 2013. Brian Lara, born in Santa Cruz, Trinidad, in May 1969, was Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World in 1994 and 1995. Scholarships for postgraduate study are awarded by Trinidad and Tobago to citizens of other Commonwealth countries under the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan. Key facts Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TT$) Geography 5,128 sq km: Trinidad (4,828 sq km) and Tobago (300 sq km).

Coastline: Population density (per sq. km): 262 The country, the most southerly of the West Indian island states, situated 11.2 km off the Venezuelan coast, consists of two islands: Trinidad and Tobago. Main towns: Port of Spain (capital, pop. 37,074 in 2011), Chaguanas (83,516), San Juan (greater Port of Spain, 56,200), San Fernando (48,848), Arima (greater Port of Spain, 33,606), Point Fortin (20,235), Tunapuna (greater Port of Spain, 19,100), Sangre Grande (17,500) and Princes Town (11,000) on Trinidad; and Scarborough (4,800) on Tobago. Transport: There are 8,320 km of roads, 51 per cent paved. There is no railway. Port of Spain and Point Lisas are the main ports. Point Lisas deep- water port on the west coast serves the petro-chemical industries.

Other terminals are at Pointe-à-Pierre, Point Fortin and Guayaguayare (petroleum); Claxton (cement); Tembladora (bauxite); Brighton (asphalt); Chaguaramas (dry-docks); and Scarborough on Tobago. Tourist cruiseships dock in Scarborough and Port of Spain. Piarco International Airport, 25 km east of Port of Spain, is a major regional centre for passenger and cargo traffic and aviation-related industries. Crown Point International Airport on Tobago can handle wide-bodied intercontinental aircraft. International relations: Trinidad and Tobago is a member of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, Association of Caribbean States, Caribbean Community, Non-Aligned Movement, Organization of American States, United Nations and World Trade Organization. Trinidad and Tobago hosts the secretariat of the Association of Caribbean States in Port of Spain. Topography: Trinidad and Tobago are unique among Caribbean islands in that only 10,000 years ago they were a part of the South American mainland; the geology and rich flora and fauna are closely akin to Venezuela.

A mountain range runs along the north coast, rising to Trinidad’s highest point, El Cirro del Aripo (940 metres); there are rolling hills in the south and the flat Caroni Plain lies in between. Trinidad is well supplied with rivers, some of which end in mangrove swamps on the coast. The Pitch Lake in the south-west is the world’s largest natural reservoir of asphalt. A string of small islands off the north-west peninsula are the remnants of the land-link with the continent. There are sandy beaches in the north and east, and Trinidad has many excellent harbours. Tobago also has a central mountain range descending to a plain in the south-west and many fine beaches. Climate: Tropical, tempered by north-east trade winds, with a temperature range of 22–31°C and an average annual rainfall of 1,631 mm. The dry season is January to May and the wet season June to December, with a short dry sunny season called the Petit Careme during September and October. Environment: he most significant environmental issues are water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes and raw sewage; oil pollution of beaches; deforestation; and soil erosion.

Vegetation: Forest covers 44 per cent of the land area, having declined at 0.3 per cent p.a. 1990–2010. The forest is tropical evergreen: high in the mountains are mountain mangrove, tree-ferns and small palms; on the lower slopes, hog-plums and sand-box; and in the fresh and brackish swamps, mangrove and gable-palms. The most important agricultural areas are in the central plain of Trinidad. Arable land comprises five per cent and permanent cropland four per cent of the total land area. Wildlife: There are many more species of birds and butterflies than on any other Caribbean island, including 15 varieties of hummingbird (in all some 130 species of birds). There is a wildlife sanctuary in the Northern Range on Trinidad at El Tucuche with agoutis, golden tree-frogs and more than 400 species of birds, and the Caroni Swamp reserve is the home of thousands of scarlet ibis. The government has proposed a National Parks and Wildlife Bill, which aims to protect endangered species of which there are now relatively very few.

Two mammal species and four bird species are thought to be endangered (2014). Lighthouses of Venezuela: Mainland Lighthouses of Venezuela: Mainland Located on the north coast of South America, Venezuela has a long coastline facing the Caribbean Sea. In addition, Venezuela administers a number of islands in a westward extension of the Lesser Antilles chain. The lighthouses of the Isla Margarita and Venezuela's other Caribbean islands are listed on a separate page . Isla Aves , a remote Eastern Caribbean island claimed and occupied by Venezuela, also has a separate page. Only a small number of historic lighthouses remain in service in Venezuela, but there are many modern fiberglass or skeletal towers. Information on both active and inactive towers would be very welcome , and photos of many lighthouses are also needed. In recent years, Venezuela has been carrying out a program to build a number of new lighthouses; the Isla San Carlos and Chimana Segunda light shown below and the Los Monjes light at right are all examples of these new towers. Active lighthouses in Venezuela are owned by the navy and managed by the Oficina Coordinadora de Hydrografía y Navegación (Ochina).

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights . Admiralty numbers are from volume J of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA numbers are from Publication 110. General Sources Historic postcard images posted by Klaus Huelse. 2003 Los Monjes Light, Monjes del Sur OCHINA photo Monjes del Sur (1) 1952. Inactive since 2003. Approx. 11 m (36 ft) round stone tower with gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. At some point the lantern was removed and the light was displayed from a short mast. Venezuela built this lighthouse after Colombia issued a claim to the island. Now abandoned, the lighthouse is crumbling. Amateur radio operator YW5M has a photo (2/3 of the way down the page). ARLHS VEN-034. Monjes del Sur (2) 2003 (station established 1952). Active; focal plane 87 m (285 ft); white flash every 10.6 s.

13 m (42 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white with a red horizontal band, attached to a 1-story service building. This station is staffed by the Venezuelan Navy. An Ochina photo is at the top of this page, Trabas has a photo by Capt. Theo Hinrichs, Jonathan Guzmán has a photo , Adhemar Quinteiro has a closeup , Wikimedia has a distant view , and amateur radio operator YW5M has a report of a 2003 DXpedition to the (then new) lighthouse, but Bing has only a fuzzy satellite view of the island. The light guides vessels entering the Gulf of Venezuela from the Caribbean Sea. Located at the summit of the easternmost of the Los Monjes Islands , three small islands in the mouth of the gulf about 50 km (30 mi) off the Colombian coast. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed; landing on the island requires permission of the navy. ARLHS-013; Admiralty J6270; NGA 16852.

Zulia Lighthouses Note: Zulia is the state surrounding Lake Maracaibo , a brackish gulf connected by a narrow strait to the Gulf of Venezuela. A dredged channel has replaced the natural strait as the entrance to the lake for modern ships. To reach the port of Maracaibo, ships must cross a northern basin of the lake known as the Bahía de Tablazo. Punta Perret (4) 2010 (station established 1980). Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); white flash every 15 s. 24 m (79 ft) square concrete skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. A photo of the tower under construction is available, but for reasons unknown no tower appears in Bing's satellite view . A small skeletal tower was replaced by a fiberglass tower in 1993 and then in 2003 by a tall skeletal tower seen in Fernando Catoira's closeup photo . Located on a cape on the west side of the Gulf of Venezuela about 7 km (4 mi) south of the Colombian border. Site status unknown.

ARLHS VEN-021; Admiralty J6272; NGA 16856. Isla San Carlos (Lago de Maracaibo) (2) 2013 (station established 2005). Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); white flash every 10 s. 15 m (49 ft) square skeletal tower on a round concrete base. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. Capt. Peter's photo is at right, Trabas has Capt. Theo's photo , and Google has a satellite view . Junior Miller has a good photo of the 2005 lighthouse, a round fiberglass tower. Like Monjes del Sur, this is one of a number of critical locations equipped with new light towers by the Venezuelan Navy. The lighthouse is actually located on the Isla de San Bernardo, which is tenuously connected to the mainland via the Isla San Carlos, marking the west side of the dredged entrance to the Lago de Maracaibo from the Gulf of Venezuela. Site status unknown.

ARLHS VEN-001; Admiralty J6275; NGA 16860.2. Maracaibo Channel Range Rear Date unknown. Probably inactive, but still listed; focal plane 42 m (138 ft); green flash every 4 s. 39 m (128 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, mounted on a square platform supported by piles. The tower appears abandoned in Capt. Peter's photo . Google has a satellite view . This is an outbound (northbound) range for vessels leaving Maracaibo. Located in the upper Lago de Maracaibo about 8 km (5 mi) east of Las Delicias. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J6283.1; NGA 16873.1. Maracaibo Inner Channel Range Front Date unknown. Probably inactive, but still listed; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); green flash every 1.5 s. 27 m (89 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, mounted on a square platform supported by piles. The tower appears abandoned in Capt. Peter's photo .

Google has a satellite view . This is, or was, an inbound (southbound) range for vessels entering Maracaibo. The rear light is (was) on one of the electric transmission line towers crossing the lake just north of the city of Maracaibo. Located 1.65 km (1 mi) north of the transmission line. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J6279.9; NGA 16872. Isla San Carlos Light, Lago de Maracaibo, December 2013 photo copyright Capt. Peter Mosselberger; used by permission Maracaibo Inner Channel Range Rear Date unknown. Probably inactive, but still listed; focal plane 39 m (129 ft); green flash every 1.5 s. 27 m (89 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, mounted on a square platform supported by piles. The tower appears abandoned in Capt. Peter's photo . Google has a satellite view . Located just to the south of electric transmission line towers crossing the lake just north of the city of Maracaibo. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed.

Admiralty J6280; NGA 16872.1. Bahía de Maracaibo Quay (Sur) (2?) Date unknown (station established 1938). Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white flash every 4 s. 10 m (33 ft) hexagonal tower, painted red with a white horizontal band. Trabas has Capt. Theo's photo , and Google has a satellite view . Located on a quay in Maracaibo. Site status unknown. Admiralty J6287. La Arreaga Pier Elbow Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 20 m (66 ft); green flashes in groups of three, period not listed. Approx. 17 m (56 ft) round cylindrical tank, painted white. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo , and Google has a satellite view . Located on an industrial pier in the southern part of the Maracaibo waterfront. Site status unknown. Admiralty J6288.2; NGA 16873.85. Moporo Date unknown.

Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white flash every 10 s. 12 m (39 ft) orange and white fiberglass tower. No photo available, and clouds block Bing's satellite view . Located at Moporo, a town on the east coast of Lake Maracaibo. Site status unknown. Admiralty J6294; NGA 16875.5. Falcón Lighthouses Note: The state of Falcón includes the east side of the Gulf of Venezuela and the bulbous Paraguaná Peninsula , the northernmost extension of the Venezuelan mainland; the peninsula is almost an island, being connected tenuously to the mainland by the narrow Isthmus of Médanos. Punta Borojó Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); one long (1.2 s) white flash every 12 s. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical fiberglass tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. No closeup photo available, but Omar José Martínez has a very distant view , but the tower is not seen in Google's satellite view .

Located on a sandy point of land on the south side of the Gulf of Venezuela. Site status unknown. Admiralty J6297; NGA 16875. Punta Gorda Date unknown. Active; focal plane 62 m (203 ft); flash every 10 s, white or red depending on direction. Approx. 58 m (190 ft) square skeletal communications tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo , but the tower is not seen in Google's satellite view . Located in an oil refinery and terminal on Punta Gorda, the southwestern corner of the Paraguaná Peninsula. Site status unknown, probably closed. Admiralty J6296; NGA 16876. * Guaranao Date unknown. Active; focal plane 36 m (118 ft); two long (1.5 s) flashes every 12 s, red or green depending on direction. 10 m (33 ft) square fiberglass tower, orange with one white horizontal band. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo , Daniel Lopez Martinez has a photo , and Google has a satellite view .

The green sector guides vessels entering the Guaranao harbor on the south side of Punto Fijo, a city at the southwestern corner of the Paraguaná Peninsula. Located on a bluff overlooking the south side of the harbor and city. Site appears open, tower closed. Admiralty J6299; NGA 16879.7. Punta Fijo Date unknown. Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); one long green flash every 10 s. 10 m (33 ft) hexagonal fiberglass tower, colored orange with one white horizontal band. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view . Located in the Venezuelan Navy's Base Naval Falcón in Punto Fijo. Site and tower closed. Admiralty J6300.4; NGA 16890. * Punta Macolla (Macoya) (2) 1988 (station established 1927). Active; focal plane 48 m (157 ft); white flash every 10 s.

41 m (135 ft) octagonal cast iron skeletal tower with central cylinder, lantern, and gallery mounted on a concrete base. An octagonal 1-story keeper's quarters with wood siding is incorporated in the tower. Daniel Bertoni's photo is at right, Andres Figueira has a fine closeup , Francisco Colina has a photo , another photo of the base of the tower is available, Trabas has Capt. Theo's view from the sea, a 2002 postage stamp shows the lighthouse, and Google has a good satellite view . The original lighthouse was badly deteriorated by the 1980s, so a copy of it was built in 1988 to replace it. It is said that the Dutch island of Aruba can be seen from the base of the lighthouse. Located on the north coast of the Paraguaná Peninsula. Accessible by hiking trail. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS VEN-018; Admiralty J6312; NGA 16896.

Punta Macolla Light, Paraguaná, May 2012 Panoramio Creative Commons photo by Daniel Bertoni * Cabo San Roman (5?) Around 2004 (station established 1928). Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); white flash every 6 s. 24 m (79 ft) square stone tower with lantern and gallery; the walls of the lighthouse are extended so that the tower has a trapezoidal profile. An OCHINA photo is at right, Enrique La Marca has a good photo , Rahuld Barraez D'Lucca has a fine closeup , José Jaime Araujo also has a good photo , Trabas has Capt. Theo's distant view , and Google has a good satellite view . The original 9 m (30 ft) tower was replaced during World War II by a short skeletal tower; higher skeletal towers were built in 1975 and in 1997. In clear weather the new lighthouse is distantly visible from Aruba. Located on the beach at the northernmost point of the Paraguaná Peninsula. Site open, tower closed.

ARLHS VEN-024; Admiralty J6314; NGA 16900. * Punta Adícora (2?) Date unknown (station established 1931). Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); white flash every 16 s. 17 m (56 ft) round fiberglass tower with hexagonal lantern and gallery, mounted on a round stone base. Tower painted with red and white horizontal bands; gallery painted with red and white horizontal bands. José Cherubini has a photo , Ángel Ravelo Rodríguez has a nice photo , an excellent closeup is available, the Navy has a photo , Wikimedia has a closeup and a nice photo by Ninoska Zamora, and Google has a satellite view . The original light was on a 12 m (39 ft) skeletal tower. Located on a point of land in the beach resort town of Adícora, on the east side of the Paraguaná Peninsula. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J6428; NGA 16904. Punta Taima-Taima (2?) Date unknown.

(station established 1931). Active; focal plane 59 m (194 ft); white flash every 7 s. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) hexagonal metal tower, colored orange with one white horizontal band. The Navy has a photo , and Sergio González has a photo , but the lighthouse is not seen in Google's satellite view . Located on a rugged cape about 15 km (9 mi) northeast of La Vela de Coro. Site status unknown. Admiralty J6434; NGA 16912. Punta Tomoro (Punta Manzanillo) Date unknown. Active; focal plane 45 m (148 ft); white flash every 6 s. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) hexagonal fiberglass tower, colored orange with one white horizontal band. The Navy has a photo , but the lighthouse is not seen in Google's satellite view . Located on a prominent cape about 15 km (9 mi) northeast of Puerto Cumarebo. Site status unknown. Admiralty J6438; NGA 16920. Punta Zamuro Date unknown.

Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); white flash every 10 s. 12 m (39 ft) round cylindrical fiberglass tower colored with orange and white horizontal bands. Ochina has a photo , and the shadow of the tower is probably seen in a Google satellite view of the point. Located on Punta Zamuro near the village of San José de la Costa. Site status unknown. Admiralty J6440; NGA 16924. Cabo San Roman Light, Paraguaná OCHINA photo Punta Aguide Date unknown. Active; focal plane 50 m (164 ft) (?); one long white flash every 15 s. 12 m (39 ft) round cylindrical fiberglass tower colored with orange and white horizontal bands. No photo available, but Google has a fuzzy satellite view . Located on a promontory near the village of Aguide. Site status unknown. Admiralty J6441; NGA 16928. Cayo Noroeste (3?) Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white flash every 6 s.

12 m (39 ft) round fiberglass tower, painted with orange and white horizontal bands. Google has a distant satellite view . Ochina has a photo showing a square skeletal tower. Located on a small cay about 6 km (3.5 mi) northeast of Los Boquerones. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty J6442; NGA 16932. Cayo Borracho (3) Date unknown (station established 1930). Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); white flash every 8 s. 14 m (46 ft) round fiberglass tower with octagonal lantern and gallery. Tower painted with red and white horizontal bands; gallery painted with vertical red and white stripes. This lighthouse is a twin of the Isla Chimana Segunda light pictured below. An aerial photo is at right, Trabas has Capt. Theo's photo , Cristian Bracci has a distant view from the sea, and Google has a satellite view . The original light was replaced in 1937. Located on a small cay about 15 km (9 mi) north of Chichiriiviche.

Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Admiralty J6444; NGA 16936. Carabobo (Puerto Cabello Area) Lighthouses Isla Guaiguaza (Goaiguaza) Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); white flash every 8 s. 12 m (39 ft) hexagonal pyramidal tower, painted with orange and white horizontal bands. Capt. Peter has a photo , Trabas has a more distant view also by Capt. Peter, and Google has an indistinct satellite view . Located on a small cay about 3 km (2 mi) west of the entrance to Puerto Cabello. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty J6448.4; NGA 16956. Cayo Borracho Light, Puerto Cabello OCHINA photo [Fortín Solano] Date unknown. Active; focal plane 168 m (551 ft); three white flashes every 15.5 s. Listed as a 10 m (33 ft) skeletal tower, painted white.

In June 2012, Capt. Peter Mosselberger visited the fort and found the light to be at the top of the lower of two slatted daymark panels, each painted red with a white horizontal band and mounted on posts below the wall of the fort. Trabas has his photo , and Google has a satellite view of the fortress. The Fortín Solano , built starting in 1766, is one of the best-preserved colonial-era fortifications in Venezuela. Carlo Bianco has a photo of the fortress, but like nearly all photos it shows the south side of the structure, hiding the navigational light. Located on a high ridge overlooking Puerto Cabello. Site and fortress open, tower closed. Admiralty J6447; NGA 16976. Puerto Cabello Pier M-7 2006-07. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); red flash every 6 s. 14 m (46 ft) hexagonal pyramidal fiberglass tower, mounted on a masonry base. Lighthouse painted red with one white horizontal band. Trabas has Capt.

Peter's photo , and Google has a satellite view . Located at a corner of the commercial quays directly opposite the Naval Quay light. Site status unknown. Admiralty J6449.5; NGA 16961.3. Puerto Cabello Pier M-32 2006-07. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); red flash every 9 s. 12 m (39 ft) hexagonal pyramidal fiberglass tower, mounted on a masonry base. Lighthouse painted red with one white horizontal band. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo , and Google has a satellite view . Located at a corner of the commercial quays about 1 km (0.6 mi) southeast of the Pier M-7 light (previous entry). Site status unknown. Admiralty J6449.7; NGA 16961.7. Puerto Cabello Inner Port Range Front Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 18 m (59 ft); white flash every 3 s. Approx.

15 m (49 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands and carrying a triangular slatted daymark painted with red and white vertical stripes. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo , and Google has a satellite view . Located on the shoreline at the extreme southeastern end of Puerto Cabello's harbor. Site status unknown. Admiralty J6451; NGA 16965. Puerto Cabello Inner Port Range Rear Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 23 m (75 ft); white flash every 3 s. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands and carrying a triangular slatted daymark painted with red and white vertical stripes. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo , and Google has a satellite view . Located on the shoreline at the extreme southeastern end of Puerto Cabello's harbor. Site status unknown. Admiralty J6451.1; NGA 16966. #Puerto Cabello Naval Quay (1) 2006-07.

Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); green flash every 6 s. 14 m (46 ft) hexagonal pyramidal fiberglass tower, mounted on a masonry base. Lighthouse painted green with one white horizontal band. The Navy has a photo , Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo , and and Google has a satellite view of the quay. This light was replaced with a smaller tower in 2011. Located at the southwest end of the main navy pier at Puerto Cabello. Site and tower closed. Admiralty J6449; NGA 16961. Muelle La Planchita (3?) Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); green flash every 4 s. 11 m (36 ft) hexagonal pyramidal fiberglass tower, mounted on a masonry base. Lighthouse painted green with one white horizontal band. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo , and Google has a satellite view of the quay. Forand has a postcard view of an earlier tower on this quay, a tall skeletal tower.

Located at the southwest end of the main navy pier at Puerto Cabello. Site and tower closed. Admiralty J6449; NGA 16961. Aragua Lighthouses Bahía de Turiamo Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); green light, 3 s on, 4 s off. 13 m (43 ft) hexagonal skeletal tower, painted green with a white horizontal band. No photo available. The Bahía de Turiamo is a well-protected natural harbor about 20 km (13 mi) east of Puerto Cabello. Located at the north end of the quay at a Venezuelan Navy station on the east side of the bay. Site and tower closed. Admiralty J6453; NGA 16992. Punta El Palito (Morro Choroní) Date unknown. Active; focal plane 106 m (348 ft); white flash every 5 s. 6 m (20 ft) square tower on a structure resembling a small boat. Building painted orange with one white horizontal band.

A view from the sea and a more distant view are available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view . Located atop a very steep headland about 90 km (55 mi) west of La Guaira. Site status unknown. Admiralty J6453.4; NGA 16996. Vargas (La Guaira Area) Lighthouses Note: La Guaira, the capital of the state of Vargas, is the principal port of Venezuela. It has a population of about 275,000 and lies only 30 km (19 mi) northwest of the national capital, Caracas. Puerto La Cruz Date unknown. Active; focal plane 321 m (1053 ft); white flash every 10 s. Listed as a 12 m (39 ft) round fiberglass tower, painted with orange and white horizontal bands. Trabas has Capt. Theo's photo showing a square skeletal tower, and Google has a satellite view . This is one of the world's highest lighthouses.

Located on a mountaintop just west of Puerto La Cruz and about 60 km (38 mi) west of La Guaira. (This Puerto La Cruz should not be confused with a much larger port of the same name in eastern Venezuela.) Site status unknown. Admiralty J6453.5; NGA 17037. Catia La Mar (Escuela Naval) Date unknown. Active; focal plane 99 m (325 ft); white flash every 9 s. 12 m (39 ft) hexagonal fiberglass tower, painted red with a white horizontal band. Ochina has a closeup photo , Trabas has Capt. Theo's distant view , and Google has an indistinct satellite view . Located at a vertical cliff in front of the Venezuelan Naval School in Catia La Mar, about 12 km (7.5 mi) west of La Guaira. Site status unknown. Admiralty J6453.8; NGA 17039. La Guaira South Breakwater 1951. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white flash every 3 s.

13 m (43 ft) hexagonal fiberglass tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. The lowest story of the tower is covered with a brick veneer. Trabas has Capt. Theo's photo (also seen at right) and Google has a satellite view . Located on a very short breakwater on the south side of the entrance to the harbor of La Guaira. Site status unknown. ARLHS VEN-011; Admiralty J6459; NGA 17068. La Rada (La Guaira Inner Breakwater) Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); red flash every 2.5 s. 10 m (33 ft) hexagonal fiberglass tower, painted red with a white horizontal band. Trabas has Capt. Theo's photo , a sunset photo is available, and Google has a satellite view . Located at the end of the inner breakwater of La Guaira harbor. This pier is used by the Venezuelan Navy. Site and tower closed. ARLHS VEN-037; Admiralty J6460.3; NGA 17069.

La Guaira North Breakwater (4?) 1951 (station established 1890). Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); green flash every 3.7 s. 10 m (33 ft) hexagonal fiberglass tower, painted green with a white horizontal band. Trabas has Capt. Theo's photo , and Google has a satellite view . There is an 1880 drawing of a much older light on an earlier breakwater and a 1910 photo probably showing a distant view of the 1890 light. Forand has a postcard view of the 1937 tower. Located at the end of the north breakwater, which is the main breakwater protecting the harbor of La Guaira. Site status unknown. Admiralty J6459.5; NGA 17064. South Breakwater Light, La Guaira photo copyright Capt. Theo Hinrichs; used by permission Naiguatá (?) Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, 1 s on 1 s off.

16 m (52 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower, painted with black and white horizontal bands. No photo available, and Google's satellite view of the listed location does not show the light. Trabas has Capt. Theo's view of Naiguatá from the sea, but it shows the marina light (next entry) . Located on the west side of Naiguatá, about 10 km (6 mi) east of La Guaira. Site status unknown. ARLHS VEN-015; Admiralty J6461.6; NGA 17076. * Puerto Azul Marina Date unknown. Active (probably privately maintained); focal plane about 17 m (56 ft); white flash every 11 s. Approx. 13 m (43 ft) round strongly conical concrete tower, painted with blue and white horizontal bands. The club has a closeup photo , another photo is available, and Trabas has Capt. Theo's view from the sea, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse may have replaced a light atop one of the nearby high-rise condo towers. Located near the base of the marina breakwater.

Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Club Puerto Azul . Admiralty J6461.85 (?); NGA 17077 (?). Punta Camuri-Grande Date unknown. Inactive. 5 m (17 ft) masonry tower painted with blue and white horizontal bands. A closeup photo is available, but the light has not been located in Google's satellite view of the area. Landslides in the area are said to have made the light useless. Located a short distance east of Naiguatá. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS VEN-003; ex-Admiralty J6461.9; ex-NGA 17080. * La Sabana (2?) Date unknown. Active; focal plane 60 m (197 ft); white flash every 7.5 s. 10 m (33 ft) hexagonal fiberglass tower, colored orange with one white horizontal band. Ochina has a photo , Briseida Ascanio has a black-and-white photo , Mirya Amaya has a distant photo , another photo is available, and Google has a satellite view .

Located on a point of land on the west side of La Sabana. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J6461.95; NGA 17082. Miranda Lighthouse Cabo Codera Date unknown. Active; focal plane 168 m (551 ft); white flash every 6 s. 10 m (33 ft) hexagonal fiberglass tower, colored orange with one white horizontal band. ARLHS has a photo , and Google has a satellite view . Located atop a very steep headland about 100 km (65 mi) east of Caracas. Site and tower closed. ARLHS VEN-031; Admiralty J6469; NGA 17084. Anzoátegui (Puerto la Cruz Area) Lighthouses Unare 2008. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white flash every 12.5 s. 12 m (39 ft) octagonal fiberglass tower. No photo available, but Bing has an indistinct satellite view .

Located at the mouth of the Río Unare, about 15 km (9 mi) west of Puerto Piritu. Site status unknown. Admiralty J6477.5; NGA 17087. Islas Piritu (Isla de Afuera) Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white flash every 10 s. Approx. 18 m (59 ft) round cylindrical tower, painted with the yellow, blue, and red colors of the Venezuelan flag. A photo is available, and Google has a satellite view . Trabas has Capt. Peter's distant view showing the earlier daymark of red and white horizontal bands. The Islas Piritu are two islands lying about 7 km (4.5 mi) offshore northeast of Puerto Piritu. Located at the western end of the western island, Isla de Afuera. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS VEN-016; Admiralty J6478; NGA 17088. Isla de Adentro (Islas Piritu East) Date unknown.

Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); white flash every 7.5 s. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has Capt. Theo's distant view , a 2010 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view . Located at the eastern end of the eastern island, Isla de Adentro. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J6478.2; NGA 17088.5. Isla Borrachitos del Este Date unknown. Active; focal plane 116 m (381 ft); white flash every 15 s. Approx. 11 m (36 ft) hexagonal fiberglass tower, painted red with a white horizontal band. Trabas has Capt. Peter's distant view , and Google has a satellite view . Located on a small but high island obstructing the western approach to Puerto la Cruz, about 12 km (7.5 mi) west northwest of the port. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed.

Admiralty J6479; NGA 17089. La Borracha (Cayo Borracha) Date unknown. Active; focal plane 381 m (1250 ft); white flash every 6 s. Approx. 14 m (46 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted orange with one white horizontal band. Roberto Rojas has a photo , and the shadow of the tower is visible in a Google satellite view . La Borracha is a high island about 5 km (3 mi) long located 15 km (9 mi) northwest of Puerto la Cruz. Located at the highest point of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J6479.5; NGA 17090. Isla Chimana Segunda (2) Date unknown (station established 1931). Active; focal plane 50 m (164 ft); white flash every 10 s. Approx. 15 m (50 ft) round fiberglass tower with octagonal lantern and gallery. Tower painted with red and white horizontal bands; gallery painted with vertical red and white stripes.

Matt Hamm's photo is at right, Rafael Mendez has a closeup , Juan Figueroa has another photo , and Google has a satellite view . The island is located in Mochima National Park. Tours are available from Puerto la Cruz to the beach below the lighthouse, known as Playa el Faro, where there is shelter for day visitors. Located on a bluff at the west end of the island, roughly 40 km (25 mi) northeast of Puerto La Cruz. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Site manager: Parque Nacional Mochima . ARLHS VEN-030; Admiralty J6481; NGA 17140. Sucre Caribbean Coast Lighthouses Punta Arenas (Punta Arena) Date unknown. Active; focal plane 42 m (138 ft); white flash every 12 s. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) hexagonal (?) fiberglass tower, upper half red and lower half white. A 2010 photo is available, and João Abel Gonçalves has a sunset photo .

An aerial photo by João Abel Gonçalves and Google's fuzzy satellite view show the lighthouse next to a resort development called Casas del Mar. Located near the tip of the Araya Peninsula, which shelters the harbor of the state capital, Cumaná. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS VEN-043; Admiralty J6489; NGA 17144. Isla Chimana Segunda Light, December 2005 Flickr Creative Commons photo by Matt Hamm Morro de Chacopata (2?) Date unknown (station established 1937). Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white flash every 15 s. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) hexagonal fiberglass tower, colored orange with one white horizontal band. Johann Napp has a distant view , and Google has a satellite view . This light guides vessels in a narrow passage between the mainland and the Isla Coche. Located at the tip of the wedge-shaped Chacopata Peninsula. Site probably open, tower closed. Admiralty J6490; NGA 17148.

Carúpano (Cerro Miranda) (5) Date unknown (station established 1887). Active; focal plane 57 m (187 ft) (?); white flash every 9 s. Light mounted atop a multistory Coast Guard building. No current photo available. At least four skeletal towers were built on the original site atop Cerro Miranda behind the town. A history of the light station is available, and Forand has a postcard view of the original tower. The light has been relocated atop the Coast Guard station, which stands on a steep headland, Cerro El Vigía, overlooking the harbor. A photo of the station is available (first photo on the page), and there is an aerial photo , but neither show the new tower. Bing has a satellite view . Located on a hilltop above the waterfront of Carúpano, a seaport near the base of the Paria Peninsula in northeastern Venezuela. Site status unknown. ARLHS VEN-029; Admiralty J6510; NGA 17184. Puerto Santo Date unknown. Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); white flash every 12 s.

12 m (39 ft) round fiberglass tower, colored with orange and white horizontal bands. A distant view is available, Sergio Patrón has an aerial view , and the light is barely visible in a Google satellite view . Located on a small island off a headland at the west end of a hammer-head shaped peninsula sheltering the harbor of Puerto Santo. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty J6509.8; NGA 17190. Cabo Tres Puntas Date unknown. Active; focal plane 193 m (633 ft); white flash every 5 s. 15 m (49 ft) square skeletal tower (?), painted with orange and white horizontal bands. The Navy has a distant view , and Bing has a distant satellite view . NGA describes this light as a fiberglass tower, so it's possible the Navy photo shows an earlier tower. Located on a prominent cape on the north side of the Paria Peninsula, about 50 km (30 mi) northwest of Güiria. Site status unknown. ARLHS VEN-005; Admiralty J6514; NGA 17194.

Punta Mejillones Date unknown. Active; focal plane 43 m (141 ft); one long (1. s) white flash every 12 s. 12 m (39 ft) round fiberglass tower, colored with orange and white horizontal bands. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view . Punta Mejillones is a needle-sharp promontory, part of a ridge that continues underwater as a dangerous reef perpendicular to the coast. Located on a rock, a summit of the submerged ridge, about 25 km (15 mi) northeast of Güiria. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Admiralty J6515; NGA 17195. Sucre Gulf of Paria Coast Lighthouses Note: The Gulf of Paria is a broad but relatively shallow sound between Trinidad and the east coast of Venezuela. It is connected to the Caribbean Sea to the north by a strait called the Dragon's Mouths (Bocas del Dragón) and to the Atlantic on the south by another strait called the Serpent's Mouth (Boca del Serpiente).

Isla de Patos (3) 2012 (station established 1972). Active; focal plane 114 m (374 ft); white flash every 5 s. 12 m (39 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower, painted orange with one white horizontal band. Arnold Romero has a very distant view , and Google has an indistinct satellite view . The Isla de Patos is a small, steep island in the southern entrance to the Dragon's Mouth, about 10 km (6 mi) east of Macuro and 15 km (9 mi) southwest of the island of Chacachacare in Trinidad and Tobago. The island was formerly in dispute between Venezuela and Great Britain, but the British ceded their claim in a 1942 treaty that fixed the marine boundary between Venezuela and Trinidad in the Gulf of Paria. Located on the highest point of the island, near the west end. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Admiralty J6517; NGA 17200. Macuro Date unknown. Active; focal plane 76 m (249 ft); white flash every 4 s.

6 m (20 ft) hexagonal tower, painted red with a white horizontal band. The Navy has a distant view , and Bing has a distant satellite view . Macuro is the easternmost town on the Paria Peninsula, about 15 km (9 mi) west of the Dragon's Mouth on the south side of the Paria Peninsula. Located high on a promontory on the east side of the harbor. Site status unknown. Admiralty J6518; NGA 17196. Isla de Patos Light, Bocas del Dragón, November 2012 OCHINA photo Puerto Hierro Date unknown. Active; focal plane 65 m (213 ft); white flash every 6 s. Skeletal tower, height unknown, painted with orange and white horizontal bands. No photo available; the lighthouse is barely visible in Google's satellite view . Located on a promontory on the east side of Puerto Hierro, a small port on the south side of the Paria Peninsula about halfway between Macuro and Güiria. Site status unknown. Admiralty J6521; NGA 17204.

Güiria (Recalada Güiria, Güiria Landfall) (2) 2010 (station established 2000). Active; focal plane 33 m (108 ft); white flash every 10 s. Approx. 25 m (82 ft) rectangular masonry tower with lantern and gallery. A photo is at right, an aerial photo is available, there's a photo of the new lighthouse under construction next to the old one, and the shadow of the original lighthouse is centered in a Google satellite view . A postage stamp had an image of the original lighthouse. The first light at Güiria was mounted on a water tank in 1941. Located on a slope above the sea about 1 km (0.6 mi) northeast of the harbor. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J6524; NGA 17210. Güiria North Breakwater (2) 1990 (station established 1951). Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); red flash every 9 s.

9 m (30 ft) skeletal tower mounted on a round, vase-shaped white concrete base. The skeletal portion of the tower is red. Carlos Olmo Bosco has a view taken from a ferry arriving in Güiria from Trinidad, and Bing has a distant satellite view . Located at the end of the long, curving east breakwater of Güiria. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty J6525; NGA 17212. Delta Amacuro Lighthouses Isla Cotorra Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white flash every 10 s. 12 m (39 ft) round fiberglass tower, colored with orange and white horizontal bands. No photo available, and Google has only a very fuzzy satellite view of the area. The Isla Cotorra is on the south side of the Gulf of Paria; the light here helps guide vessels into the Serpent's Mouth, the strait between Venezuela and the southwestern tip of Trinidad. Located at the northern tip of the island. Site status unknown.

ARLHS VEN-028; Admiralty J6615; NGA 17227. Güiria Light, Güiria, November 2010

Question: Which Caribbean island is only 11 kilometres off the Venezuelan coast?
Answer: Trinidad