query: When did Trinidad and Tobago become an independent nation?
passage: History of Trinidad and Tobago
The history of Trinidad and Tobago begins with the settlements of the islands by Amerindians, specifically the Island Carib and Arawak peoples. Both islands were explored by Christopher Columbus on his third voyage in 1498. Trinidad remained in Spanish hands until 1797, but it was largely settled by French colonists. Tobago changed hands between the British, French, Dutch, and Courlanders, but eventually ended up in British hands following the second Treaty of Paris (1814). In 1889 the two islands were incorporated into a single crown colony.[1] Trinidad and Tobago obtained its independence from the British Empire in 1962 and became a republic in 1976.
passage: Outline of Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago – sovereign island nation located in the Lesser Antilles Archipelago in the southeastern Caribbean Sea. Trinidad and Tobago lies northeast of Venezuela and south of the island nation of Grenada. It also shares maritime boundaries with Barbados to the northeast and Guyana to the southeast. The country covers an area of 5,128 square kilometers (1,979 sq mi) and consists of two main islands, Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous smaller landforms. Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the main islands; Tobago is much smaller, comprising about 6% of the total area and 4% of the population. The nation lies outside the hurricane belt.