Port of Spain,
Trinidad and Tobago
Since January 1987
Committee Chair: Karen Clarke
About
Port of Spain
Mayor
Joel Martinez
37,074
English
Port of Spain, is the capital city of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality. It is located on the Gulf of Paria, on the northwest coast of the island of Trinidad and is part of a larger conurbation stretching from Chaguaramas in the west to Arima in the east.
The City is a shopping and business Centre for much of the country. Within recent years, local banks headquartered in Port of Spain have helped the city become a financial Centre for the Caribbean and Central America regions. Trinidad's economy is based on natural gas and oil and home to British Petroleum Trinidad and Tobago, BHP Billiton, EOG Resources, Fluor and Baker Hughes.
The city is home to the largest container port on the island and is one of several shipping hubs of the Caribbean, exporting both agricultural products and manufactured goods.
There are several prominent tertiary institutions in Port of Spain and environs, in particular the St. Augustine campus of the three-campus, Caribbean-wide University of the West Indies. The University of Trinidad and Tobago has several campuses and institutions in the greater Port of Spain area including the research based Natural Gas Institute of the Americas and the Chaguaramas Center for Maritime Studies.
About the Partnership
Under the Sister Cities Charter, the Atlanta - Port of Spain Sister City Committee was founded in 1986 as a people-to-people exchange. It was an outgrowth of an Atlanta trade mission to Trinidad and Tobago in 1985 and a subsequent trip to Trinidad by the Atlanta Women’s Chamber of Commerce in 1986. The purpose was to foster understanding across international frontiers and to promote good human relationships.
The two cities were officially twinned in 1987 under former Mayor Ambassador Andrew Young's leadership. The Atlanta-Port of Spain Sister City Committee maintains connection with both Atlanta and Port of Spain city governments and organizations in each location. Activities have included educational exchanges for students, academic and administrative staff, reciprocal art exhibitions and business and economic missions.
In 1999, the Atlanta-Port of Spain Sister Cities Committee launched the Ambassador’s Program in Trinidad in partnership with the Atlanta’s Visitors and Convention Bureau and Central Atlanta Progress Committee. The Committee, together with the Trinidad & Tobago Society of Georgia, collected medical supplies and equipment for hospitals and health centers in rural areas of Trinidad and Tobago. Later, the North Atlanta’s International Business Program (IBP) and Ostrovsky’s Young Entrepreneurs formed an educational partnership and engaged students in international trade practices. The partnership allowed students to import Ahava Dead Sea lotions and Israeli arts and crafts.
The Atlanta and Port of Spain fire rescue departments expanded upon the sister city relationship and signed a memorandum of understanding in 1999. Since the two entities have facilitated numerous best practice exchanges and sponsored humanitarian efforts. Specifically, the Atlanta Fire Department provided smoke detectors to low-income and elderly families. Trinidad native Battalion Chief Fire Officer John Springle also led a six-week training course in Atlanta which covered airport security, mass and IT communication, public relations and public information, fire service administration, as well as fire and safety training.
RwRecent Activities
2020
In March 2020, the Port of Spain Sister City Committee partnered with the Georgia Youth Select Soccer Association to provide training sessions for Atlanta area youth at Miller grove High School in Lithonia and Briscoe Park in Snellville.
The Port of Spain Sister Cities Commission participated at the Fernbanks Museum’s annual Celebrations and Traditions Around the World by decorating a Christmas tree in the theme of “Carnival in Trinidad.”