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Destination : TRINIDAD - TOBAGO

Trinidad is the most southerly of a chain of islands stretching from Florida in the United States of America to Venezuela in South America and enclosing the Caribbean Sea. The island is separated from Venezuela by the Gulf of Paria, one of the finest natural harbours in the world. The Gulf of Paria is entered from the north by the Dragon's Mouth (Boca del Dragon) and from the south by the Serpent's Mouth (Boca de la Sierpe), names given by Christopher Columbus.
The island of Trinidad is roughly rectangular in shape with promontories at the north-west and south-west corners. It is between these two peninsulas that the Gulf of Paria lies. The Dragon's Mouth is about 19 km wide, and is subdivided into four channels by the islands of Monos, Huevos and Chacachacare which stand in the sea like stepping-stones between Trinidad and Venezuela. The Serpent's Mouth measures about 14 km across.

Trinidad is traversed by three mountain ranges - the Northern Range, the Central Range and the Southern Range. The highest, the Northern Range crosses the entire width of the island from Galera Point in the North East to the Dragon's Mouth in the North West. The range rises into two peaks, Cerro Aripo and El Tucuche, the highest point being 940.3 metres. Roads have been built over the range to Maracas Bay and Blanchisseuse. The Central Range runs diagonally across the island.

The Caroni Plain, sandwiched between the Northern and Central Ranges, is flat and well watered. Mount Tamana, reaching 307.5 metres and Mount Harris and Brigand Hill are the highest points on the Central Range. South of the Central Range the land is undulating. The Nariva Plain is to the south-east and the Naparima Plain to the south-west. Each of the plains has a large swampy area - the Caroni Swamp, the Nariva Swamp, the Oropouche Lagoon and the Naparima Plain.

As the surface of the island is dotted by hills, there are numerous streams and rivers, the most important being the Caroni, which drains the north-western portion of the island, the Ortoire or Guatare which drains the southwestern section, and the Oropouche which drains the north-eastern section. The rivers are not navigable

Tobago is situated 30 km to the north-east of Trinidad. A central chain of mountains, called the Main Ridge, extends nearly two-thirds of the length of the island from its north-eastern tip, the highest point being 567 metres. Ridges and conical hills descend from the Main Ridge forming attractive valleys through which numerous streams run to the sea.

The south-western tip, Crown Point, is low-lying coral limestone, and off the coast there is a coral lagoon bounded by the beautiful Buccoo Reef. There are several smaller islands around the coast of Trinidad and Tobago which are ideal reserves for wild life. Most notable of these is "Little Tobago", a bird sanctuary for the world-famed `Bird of Paradise'.

(courtesy of the web site of the government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago)