Quick Facts
Geography
Tobago lies south of the hurricane belt, at latitude 11°N and longitude 60°W, just off the coast of South America. Tobago rests 33km (21 miles) northeast of Trinidad, the most southerly island of the Caribbean. The island is surrounded by the tranquil Caribbean Sea on its North coast with the less calm Atlantic Ocean on its southern and western sides.
Topography
Tobago is an undulating mass of coral and volcanic rock. The Main Ridge Forest Reserve, Tobago's backbone, is a hilly range of forest, which covers 60% of the island and has Pigeon Peak at 549 metres (1,860 feet) above sea level as its highest point.
Climate
Tobago boasts a warm tropical climate with constant cool breezes from NE trade winds and year-round temperatures ranging from 23°C (73°F) to 32°C (89°F). There is a dry season for the first six months of the year, while the months from July to December account for the rainier periods, with an average rainfall during that time measuring 200cm (40 inches).
Size
Tobago is 300 km2 (116 sq. miles) and has a population of 60,874 (Census 2011) ... The Airport is currently undergoing extensive expansion works due to be completed in 2023
Capital
Tobago's capital is Scarborough with a population of just over 1,000. The Canaan/Bon Accord/Crown Point area on the southwestern tip of the island is the island's busiest and fastest developing area with all the major facilities and amenities of Tobago's capital.
Airport
Tobago's only airport for both domestic and international travel is the ANR Robinson International Airport (Formerly Crown Point International Airport) located at Crown Point on the south-western side of the island and 11km from the Capital centre of Scarborough
Currency
Our currency is the Trinidad and Tobago Dollar (TT$), which floats against the US Dollar at an average of TT$6.35 to US$1.00, but you can check the daily newspapers for the current exchange rate.
Economy
Unlike Trinidad's highly industrialised economy, Tobago relies heavily on the service sector with tourism, agriculture and fishing being its major revenue earners.
Language
English, but locals also use a Creole dialect, which is an intriguing mélange of patois and extracts from our European colonizers, especially the French, Dutch, as well as our Amerindian ancestors.
People
With a population of just over 60,000, about 90% of the population is of African descent with an interspersing of people of East Indian Chinese and Syrian/Lebanese descent.
Time Zone
Tobago lies in the Atlantic Standard Time Zone, which is one hour ahead of US Eastern Standard Time and four hours behind Greenwich Mean Time. Daylight Savings Time is not observed.
Electricity
110v/220v — European visitors are required to use an adaptor when using their electrical appliances.
Getting Here
Several carriers make direct scheduled stops to the island. Getting to Tobago from Trinidad is easy, either via the Fast Ferry service (2 to 3 hours) or on a Caribbean Airlines fight (20 minutes). Caribbean Airlines also offers a weekly service to Tobago from NewYork (IRK). Virgin Atlantic, British Airways and Monarch provide direct service from London (Gatwick) to Tobago, while Condor offers weekly service from Frankfurt, Germany.