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Rh and Oligocene; (2) Naparima marls=Miocene and (3) Moruga series=Pliocene and Pleistocene. The Naparima marls consist of a lower division containing Globigerina and an upper division with Radiolaria and diatoms and are clearly of deep-sea origin. The bitumen of the Pliocene and Pleistocene deposits appears to have been formed by the decomposition of vegetable matter, Salses or mud volcanoes occur upon the island, but there is no evidence of true volcanic action in Tertiary or recent times, except the presence of occasional bands of pumiceous earth in some of the Tertiary deposits, and the pumice in these cases was probably derived from a distance.

The presence of oil in large quantities in Trinidad had been suspected for many years, and early in the 20th century the government undertook a geological survey to determine the probabilities of an industry. This survey revealed the presence of a series of anticlines at payable depths in the southern division of the island, and experimental borings by three companies at La Brea and Point Fortin in the south-west and Guayaguayare in the south-east proved the presence of oil in large quantities. In 1910 the commercial exploitation of Trinidad oil was being rapidly pushed forward.

The soil of the island is exceedingly rich, and well adapted to the growth of tropical products, especially of sugar and cocoa, which are its staples. The planting of new lands is rapidly progressing, the greater part of the unsold crown lands (various blocks of which have been formed into forest or water reserves) being covered with forests, containing a valuable supply of timber. Poisonous and medicinal herbs grow eve where. Owing to the variety of its resources, Trinidad has suffered less from general depression than the other islands in the British West Indies. It exports cocoa, sugar, rum, molasses, coffee, tobacco, coco-nuts, fruit, timber, dyewoods, balata gum, india-rubber and asphalt. Large quantities of tonga-beans, the produce of the mainland, are cured in bond at Port of Spain. The manufacture of bitters (Angostura and others) is an important industry, as is also the raising of stock. In addition Trinidad has a large carrying trade with the neighbouring republics, and rivals (q.v.) as a centre of distribution for British and American merchandise through the West Indies and Venezuela.

Lying in the tract of the trade winds and being practically apart of the mainland, Trinidad is immune from the vicissitudes of climate to which the other Antilles are exposed. It is never visited by hurricanes and its seasons are regular, wet from May to January, with a short dry season in October known as the Indian summer and lasting usually about four weeks, and dry from end of January to middle of May. The average annual rainfall is 66.26 in. and the mean temperature is 78.6° F. A volunteer force was established in 1879, and now consists of infantry, garrison artillery and three companies of Light Horse stationed in Port of Spain, San Fernando and St Joseph. Elementary education is given chiefly in the state-aided schools of the different denominations, but there are a number of entirely secular schools managed by the government. The Presbyterian schools are conducted by a Canadian mission. Instruction is free, but in some few schools fees are paid. Agriculture is a compulsory subject in all the primary schools. Higher education is provided by the Queen’s Royal College, a secular institution, to which the Presbyterian Naparima College and the Roman Catholic St Mary’s College are affiliated. Attached to these colleges are four scholarships of the annual value of £150 for four years, tenable at any British university. The religious bodies, both Christian and pagan are exceedingly numerous. The Roman Catholics (with an archbishop at Port of Spain) and the Anglicans, with the bishop of Trinidad at their head, are the more powerful bodies. Of the inhabitants of the island, one-third are East Indians. Immigration from India is conducted under government control, and the prosperity of Trinidad is largely due to the contract labour obtained under this system. Of the rest the upper classes are creoles of British, French and Spanish blood, while the lower classes are of pure or mixed negro origin, with a few Chinese. English is spoken in the towns and in some of the country districts, but in the north and generally in the cocoa-growing areas a French patois prevails, and in several districts Spanish is still in use. English money is legal tender, as also is the United States gold currency. Accounts are kept in dollars by the general public, but in sterling by the government. There is a complete system of main and local roads constructed or under construction; there are about 90 m. of railways, and practically all the towns of any size can be reached from Port of Spain by rail. Steamers ply daily between Port of Spain and the islands at the northern entrance to the Gulf of Paria and between San Fernando (the southern terminus of the railway) and the south-western ports of the island, while two steamers of the Royal Mail Company under contract connect Port of Spain with the other parts of Trinidad and Tobago. Port of Spain is also in direct communication with Southampton.

The colony (Trinidad and Tobago) is administered by a governor assisted by an executive council and a legislative council of twenty members of whom ten are officials sitting by virtue of office and ten are unofficials nominated by the Crown. Port of Spain, the capital, is situated on the west coast on the shores of the Gulf of Paria. It is considered one of the finest towns in the West Indies, its streets are regular and well shaded, its water supply abundant, and an excellent service of tramways connects the various quarters of the town. It has two cathedrals, a fine block of public buildings containing the principal government departments, the courts of justice and the legislative council chamber, many other large government buildings, a public library, and many good shops, while one of its most beautiful features is its botanical garden, in which the residence of the governor is situated. The harbour is an open road stead, safe and sheltered, but so shallow that large ships have to lie at anchor half a mile from the jetties. It is, nevertheless, the place of shipment not only for the produce of the entire island but also for that of the Orinoco region. The population is about 55,000. The other towns are San Fernando (pop. 7613), also on the Gulf of Paria, about 30 m. south of the capital; and Arima (pop. 4076), an inland town 16 m. by rail east of Port of Spain.

Trinidad was discovered by Columbus in 1496. It remained in Spanish possession (although its then capital, San José de Oruna, was burned by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1595) until 1797, when a British expedition from Martinique caused its capitulation. It was finally ceded to Great Britain by the Treaty of Amiens in 1802.

 TRINIDAD, an uninhabited island in the South Atlantic 680 m. E. of the coast of Espirito Santo, Brazil, in 20° 30' S. 29° 30' W., 4 m. long by 2 broad. It is of volcanic formation, and has springs of fresh water. As a possible coaling and telegraph station in mid-ocean, it formed a subject of contention between Brazil and Great Britain in 1895. The dispute was settled in favour of Brazil, which claimed on the ground of its discovery by Tristan da Cunha early in the 16th century, while Great Britain relied on its occupation by the astronomer Halley in the name of England in the year 1700. About 30 m. east are the three islets of Martin Vaz so named from the Portuguese mariner who discovered them about 1510.

 TRINIDAD, a city and the county-seat of Las Animas county, Colorado, U.S.A., in the south part of the state, about 100 m. S. of Pueblo. Pop. (1890) 5523; (1900) 5345 (659 foreign-born), (1910) 10,204. Trinidad is served by the Denver & Rio Grande, the Colorado & Southern, the Colorado & Wyoming, and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fé railways and by electric railways to the neighbouring coal-mining towns. The city is regularly laid out on a hilly site, on both sides of the Purgatory (or Las Animas) river, near a picturesque canyon and mountain district, including the Stonewall Valley, and at the foot of the Raton Mountains, of which the highest peak, Fisher’s (or Raton) Peak (9586 ft.), is 10 m. south of Trinidad. The city has a Carnegie library, a Federal building, an opera house, an amusement park, and the San Rafael hospital, under the charge of the Sisters of Charity. A steam heating plant pipes heat to many shops, offices and residences. Trinidad is in a coal and coke and stock-raising region, and alfalfa, frijole and sugar beets are produced in large quantities in the surrounding region, much of which is irrigated. Dry farming has been successfully carried on at an experiment farm, established in 1906, 12 m. north of the city. Trinidad has railway shops, foundry and machine shops, and coking ovens, ships large quantities of coal, has a wool scouring mill, and various manufactures. The municipality owns and operates the waterworks. Trinidad was incorporated as a town in 1876, and in 1879 became a city of the second class.

 TRINIDAD, a town near the southern coast of Cuba; in Santa Clara Province, about 45 m. south-east of Cienfuegos. and 3 m. from its seaport, Casilda, which lies due south.