The City of San Fernando with a population of 55,419 according to the 2000 census, is the larger of 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...

's two cities and the second largest municipality

Municipality

A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...

 after 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...

. It occupies 18 km² and is located in the southwestern part of the island of Trinidad

Trinidad

Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...

. It is bounded to the north by the Guaracara River

Guaracara River

The Guaracara River, located in south Trinidad, runs westward out of the Central Range and drains into the Gulf of Paria. It forms the boundary between the city of San Fernando and the Couva-Tabaquite-Talparo Regional Corporation...

, the south by the Oropouche River, the east by the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway

Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway

The Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway is the major north-south highway in Trinidad and Tobago. It connects Chaguanas with San Fernando. It meets the Uriah Butler Highway at Chaguanas. The highway was named for Solomon Hochoy, the first Caribbean-born Governor of Trinidad and Tobago and the first...

, and the west by the Gulf of Paria

Gulf of Paria

The Gulf of Paria is a shallow inland sea between the island of Trinidad and the east coast of Venezuela. This sheltered body of water is considered to be one of the best natural harbours on the Atlantic coast of the Americas...

. The former Borough

Borough

A 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 San Fernando was elevated to the status of a city on November 18, 1988.