The Royal Borough of Arima (population 35,000) is the fourth largest town in Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...

. Located 26 km (16.2 mi) east of the capital, Port of Spain

Port of Spain

Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population...

, Arima supports the only organised indigenous community in the country, the Santa Rosa

Santa Rosa Carib Community

The Santa Rosa Carib Community is the major organisation of indigenous people in Trinidad and Tobago. The Caribs of Arima are descended from the original Amerindian inhabitants of Trinidad; Amerindians from the former encomiendas of Tacarigua and Arauca were resettled to Arima between 1784 and 1786...

 Carib Community and is the seat of the Carib Queen (currently Valentina Medina

Valentina Medina

Valentina Medina . Died 24 April 2011 was the fifth Carib Queen since the introduction in 1875.On March 26 2000, Valentina Medina, of Mausica Lands, Arima, Trinidad aka Iere was named Carib Queen for life, at an election at the Santa Rosa Carib Community Centre in Arima...

). Arima was founded in 1757 by Capuchin friars as a mission

Spanish missions in Trinidad

Spanish Missions in Trinidad were established as part of the Spanish colonisation of its new possessions. In 1687 the Catholic Catalan Capuchin friars were given responsibility for religious conversions of the indigenous Amerindian residents of Trinidad and the Guianas. In 1713 the missions were...

 to convert the Amerindian population to Christianity. The name is reported to mean "water".

Arima petitioned Queen Victoria

Victoria of the United Kingdom

Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....

 for municipal status as part of her Golden Jubilee

Golden Jubilee

A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary.- In Thailand :King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, celebrated his Golden Jubilee on 9 June 1996.- In the Commonwealth Realms :...

 in 1887. This was granted the following year and Arima became a Royal Borough on 1 August 1888. Historically the third town of Trinidad, Arima has slid into fourth position as Chaguanas

Chaguanas

The Borough of Chaguanas is the largest municipality 2000 census) and fastest-growing town in Trinidad and Tobago. Located in Central Trinidad about south of Port of Spain. It grew in size due to its proximity to the Woodford Lodge sugar refinery. It remained a minor town until the 1980s when it...

 has boomed into the largest town in the country.

The calypsonian

Calypsonian

A calypsonian , originally known as the chantwell is a musician, from the Anglophone Caribbean, who sings songs called calypso. Calypsos are musical renditions having their origins in the West African griot tradition...

 Lord Kitchener

Lord Kitchener (calypsonian)

Aldwyn Roberts , better known by the stage name Lord Kitchener , was one of the most internationally famous calypsonians. He was the son of a blacksmith, Stephen, and homemaker, Albertha.-Life:...

 (1922–2000) was a favoured son of Arima. His remains are interred in the Santa Rosa Roman Catholic Cemetery, Arima. Footballer Clayton Ince

Clayton Ince

Clayton Ince is a Trinidadian football goalkeeper who had lengthy spells in the English Football League at Crewe Alexandra and Walsall...

 was also born in the town.

Culture and entertainment

Arima hosts annual Borough Day anniversary celebration in August. The celebration incorporates Carnival-style street parades and usually coincide with the staging of the Santa Rosa Carib Community annual festival. The annual Arima Carnival includes street parades of masqueraders on Carnival Tuesday, J'ouvert bands on Carnival Monday as well as a local calypso competition.

Attractions

• Asa Wright Nature Centre
  Asa Wright Nature Centre
  The Asa Wright Nature Centre and Lodge is a nature resort and scientific research station in the Arima Valley of the Northern Range in Trinidad and Tobago. The Centre is one of the top birdwatching spots in the Caribbean; a total of 159 species of birds have been recorded there...
  
  

Located in Arima Valley, you can enjoy a nature walk or a refreshing swim in the freshwater pond.

• Santa Rosa Carib Centre

Located on Paul Mitchell road, off De Gannes Street in Arima, you can view items from Arima's native history and interact with the descendants of the Caribs in Arima. Native items also available for purchase.

• Cleaver Woods

Nature walks and Amerindian exhibits make this attraction a favorite with school tours.

Utilities

Electric generation is handled by Powergen, while electrical distribution is handled by the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC). Powergen has natural gas fired generation plants at Point Lisas, Penal and Wrightson Road in Port of Spain. Additional power can be supplied from power generation facilities controlled by Inncogen at Point Lisas.

Telecommunications are regulated by the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT). It has been working to de-monopolise the industry, granting several new licenses in 2005. Fixed-line telephone service is a monopoly controlled by Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT). Licenses have been granted for competition in this area, but start-up is a while away. Wireless telephony is currently controlled by TSTT as well as Digicel which came later, but licenses have been granted for a private company, Laqtel to offer wireless service in competition with TSTT and Digicel. However, Laqtel has had its license revoked and is undergoing severe financial difficulties.

Cable television is provided by Flow. The service is currently analog, but digital service has been promised for some time in 2009. The arrival of digital service introduces packages such as high speed internet service up to 15Mbit/s, digital landline telephone service and the digital cable service.

Water and sewerage are under the purview of the Water and Sewerage Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (WASA).

Education

There are several primary (private and public) and secondary educational institutions in Arima, and some post-secondary level technical training institutes. St. Joseph's Convent, Arima was closed many years ago and the building now houses a retreat centre called Emmaus Centre.

Arima Schools

Primary

• Arima Centenary Government
• Malabar Roman Catholic
• Malabar Government Primary
• Arima Girls' Roman Catholic
• Arima Boys' Roman Catholic
• Arima Girls' Government
• Arima Boys' Government
• Arima New Government

Arima West Primary School

• St. Hilary's Private
• Arima Hindu School

Secondary

• Arima Government Secondary School
  Arima Government Secondary School
  Arima Central Secondary School formerly called Arima Government Secondary School is a co-educational secondary school on Roberts Street in Arima in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago....
  
  
• Arima Senior Comprehensive (now Arima North Secondary School)
• Holy Cross College

Post-secondary Institutions

• Ambi's Career Institute
• College of Professional Studies
• Zenith Educational Institute

External links

• Arima Borough Corporation Official website
• Articles from Nalis marking Arima's 112th anniversary as a borough.
• Article from Nalis marking Arima's 109th anniversary as a borough.
• Some pictures of Arima from TriniView.com showing many streets.
• Cleaver Woods at wcities.com
• Santa Rosa Carib Community
• Newsday: Arima Carnival Results