Tobago
Island ward of Trinidad and Tobago with a complex colonial history.
Tobago is an island and ward in Trinidad and Tobago, located northeast of Trinidad and off the coast of Venezuela. Its history includes indigenous settlement, European colonization, and a role in the sugar trade, with the island changing hands 33 times before becoming part of Trinidad and Tobago.
- Area
- 300 km²
- Capital
- Scarborough
- Location
- 11° 15' N, 60° 40' W
Lore & Background
Spanish slave raids decimated the population by the 1620s.
Reader's Guide
Tobago's significance lies in its role as a focal point of Caribbean colonial competition, changing hands more than any other Caribbean island.
Did You Know?
- Christopher Columbus named Tobago Belaforme 'because from a distance it seemed beautiful'.
- The island changed hands 33 times, the most in Caribbean history.
More in Islands 1-24
Elsewhere in the Islands universe
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record
Comments
Loading…