Trinidadians and Tobagonians, colloquially known as Trinis or Trinbagonians, are the people who are identified with the country of Trinidad and Tobago. The country is home to people of many different national, ethnic and religious origins. As a result, Trinidadians do not equate their nationality with ethnicity, but with citizenship, cultural identification with the islands as whole, or either Trinidad or Tobago specifically. Although citizens make up the majority of Trinidadians, there is a substantial number of Trinidadian expatriates, dual citizens and descendants living worldwide, chiefly elsewhere in the Anglosphere.
Population
The total population of Trinidad and Tobago was 1,328,019 according to the 2011 census, an increase of 5.2 per cent since the 2000 census. According to the 2012 revision of the World Population Prospects the total population was estimated at 1,328,000 in 2010, compared to only 646,000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2010 was 20.7 per cent, 71 per cent was between 15 and 65 years of age, while 8.3 per cent was 65 years or older.
Ethnic groups
The ethnic composition of Trinidad and Tobago reflects a history of conquest and immigration. While the earliest inhabitants were of Amerindian heritage, since the 20th century the two dominant groups in the country were those of South Asian and of African heritage.
Indians-South Asian
s make up the country's largest ethnic group. They are primarily descendants from indentured workers from South Asia, brought to replace freed African slaves who refused to continue working on the sugar plantations. Through cultural preservation residents of Indian descent continue to maintain traditions from their ancestral homeland.
make up the country's second largest ethnic group, with approximately 36.3 percent of the population identifying as being of African descent. People of Sub-Saharan African background were brought to the island as slaves as early as the 16th century.
Other origins
There are also significant minorities of Douglas, Creoles-Mulattoes, Europeans, Chinese, indigenous Amerindians, Arabs, Hispanics-Latinos, Zambos-Maroons, Cocoa panyols-Pardos, Anglo-Indians, and Jews, residing in Trinidad and Tobago.
Emigration
Emigration from Trinidad and Tobago, as with other Caribbean nations, has historically been high; most emigrants go to the United States, Canada, and Britain. Emigration has continued, albeit at a lower rate, even as the birth-rate sharply dropped to levels typical of industrialised countries. Largely because of this phenomenon, as of 2011, Trinidad and Tobago has been experiencing a low population growth rate.
