Counties of Trinidad and Tobago
Encyclopedia
Historically, Trinidad
was divided into eight counties, and these counties
were subdivided into Wards. Tobago
was administered as a Ward of County Saint David.
Prior to reform of the system in the early 1990s these counties functioned as the administrative bodies for Local Government with the following modifications:
Counties and Wards still play a role in revenue collection by the government.
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...
was divided into eight counties, and these counties
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
were subdivided into Wards. Tobago
Tobago
Tobago is the smaller of the two main islands that make up the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located in the southern Caribbean, northeast of the island of Trinidad and southeast of Grenada. The island lies outside the hurricane belt...
was administered as a Ward of County Saint David.
- Caroni
- Mayaro
- Nariva
- Saint Andrew
- Saint David
- Saint George
- Saint Patrick
- Victoria
Prior to reform of the system in the early 1990s these counties functioned as the administrative bodies for Local Government with the following modifications:
- Saint George was divided into Saint George East, Saint George West, the CityCityA city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
of Port of Spain and the RoyalRoyal CharterA royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
BoroughBoroughA borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
of Arima. - The Borough (City after 1988) of San Fernando was separate from County Victoria.
- After 1980 the Borough of Point Fortin was separated from the County Saint Patrick.
- Saint Andrew and Saint David were combined under a single County CouncilCounty councilA county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
. - Nariva and Mayaro were combined under a single County Council.
- Since its establishment in 1980 the Tobago House of AssemblyTobago House of AssemblyThe Tobago House of Assembly is the local government body responsible for the island of Tobago within the twin-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. The THA was established in 1980 to rectify some of the disparities in the relationship between the two islands, though a prior body using the same...
has gradually assumed many of the roles of the central government, in addition to those of local government.
Counties and Wards still play a role in revenue collection by the government.