Hello. Gorgeous island. BTW, someone told me Trinidad and Tobago has some trouble with Rastafarians. Is that true?
Posted on 04/03/2006 11:08:29 AM PDT by Alice Linsley
Trinidad and Tobago: A Nation of Two Islands
Ansil Williams
“You’re from where?” That’s a question I often hear as an international student.
My name is Ansil Williams. I am a senior cadet at Millersburg Military Institute in Kentucky, but I come originally from Trinidad and Tobago, two small islands in the Caribbean. These islands comprise the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
Trinidad and Tobago won independence from Great Britain in 1962. The islands had been under Dutch, French and Spanish rule before they came under Great Britain.
My country’s flag has a rectangle shape and appears with three colors: red, white and black. The flag, chosen by the Independence Committee in 1962, was designed to symbolize aspects of the nation’s history and people. As with all flags, the colors have symbolic meaning.
Red symbolizes the vitality or liveliness of the people and the land. It also represents the energy of the sun and the sun’s warmth. Red is also used to speak of the blood of those who died in the struggle for independence. A visitor to the islands will notice that red is the most popular color of clothing.
White represents the sea and the clouds that surround our islands. It also symbolizes purity of honorable people and efforts, and stands for the equality of all men.
Black represents the hard work of my people, their strength, and the unity which holds us together. It also stands for the wealth of the land. These colors tell of the friendliness, determination and warmth of the people and islands.
The first people to inhabit the islands were the Amerindians, from South America. Most of the people of Trinidad and Tobago are of Spanish, French, Dutch and British descent, as these powers fought over the islands. English is the official language because the last European country to control these islands was Great Britain. In Trinidad and Tobago the population percentages are .39.5% African, 40.3% East Indians, 18% Mixed/Creole,1% Chinese, and 0.6 % European.
Most Americans know very little about my country. I hope that this short essay will help them to be better informed. Maybe one day when I tell an American that I am from Trinidad and Tobago, they will answer: “I know where that is! You’re from a nation of two islands in the Caribbean!”
Ansil Williams is a senior cadet at Millersburg Military Institute in KY. He is 6'2" and an excellent basketball player as well as a published poet. He is also a philosophy student and has written on the Universal-Particular Dialectic between Kant and Hume.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.