Discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1498, Trinidad was settled by Spanish in 1577 and Tobago was settled by the English in 1616.

The two islands were joined politically as a British colony in 1888. From 1958 to 1962 they were part of the short-lived West Indies Federation, together with Barbados and Jamaica and other former colonies of the United Kingdom. Trinidad and Tobago became a sovereign state in 1962.

With an area of 5,130 km², the island nation is about twice the size of Luxembourg or slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Delaware. Trinidad's landscape offers mostly plains with some hills and low mountains in north, within the Aripo Massif is the nations highest point, El Cerro del Aripo at 940 m. Tobago island is of volcanic origin and primarily hilly.

There is a carnival where people get dirty with mud, cocoa, paint and powder.

You are sure to get dirty from the mud volcanoes! With volcanoes active year-round, the mud is said to have healing properties. Journey to L’eau Michel Mud Volcano or the “Devil’s Woodyard” in South Trinidad for a day of sun, sand and wellmud.