![]() So close to South America, Trinidad is home to a surprisingly dense population of continental species. South of here you come to the agricultural heartlands, low plains given over to vast tracts of sugar cane and tropical produce, even some oilfields. It has mountains - the Northern Range runs along the north coast of the island: once this was patched with coffee and cocoa plantations but they have mainly been abandoned. At 1864 sq miles, it is the largest island in the eastern Caribbean, but unlike most of the Lesser Antilles, it is not volcanic (though there is definitely some weird connection to the geological underworld at the Pitch Lake). Trinidad (and sister-island Tobago) may be Caribbean in spirit, but geologically it is South American, having been eroded away from the mainland around 10,000 years ago. Even the musical rhythms (soca in this area) can be blended - ‘chutney’ soca has distinctly (East) Indian-sounding strains. ![]() On the skyline, Hindu prayer flags and the domes of minarets stand among classically English parish-church towers. You will hear names such as Harris Mohammed and Winston Chang and see people wearing saris and African-style suits. There is an extraordinary mix of people which has been made yet more complex and exotic as the races have intermingled. ![]() In the faces of Trinidad you will see echoes from around the globe: African, (East) Indian, European, Middle Eastern (referred to as Syrian), Chinese and South American.
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