Until 1962 Trinidad and Tobago, now a Republic in which Tobago has semi-autonomous status, was a British Crown Colony, and topographic mapping was undertaken by the Directorate of Overseas Surveys (DOS), (now Ordnance Survey International (OSI)). This began in about 1950 and continued after independence until 1977. The present mapping authority is the Lands and Surveys Department (LSD), Port of Spain.
The most recent DOS series of Trinidad was the 1:25,000 scale DOS 316/1, which covered the northern and southern parts of the island in 30 sheets. This program terminated in 1977, but subsequently the eight sheets covering the central area were also completed by LSD. DOS 316/1 is on a Transverse Mercator projection, International 1924 ellipsoid, with UTM grid and 50 ft contours. It is litho-printed in seven colors. There are plans for a new series of 1:25,000 scale sheets covering Trinidad and based on 1994 photography, but currently priority is being given to preparation of 1:25,000 scale cadastral sheets. General purpose maps of Trinidad are published by LSD at 1:150,000 and 1:75,000 scales. The latter has contours at 30 m and 100 m intervals and both are on the UTM projection, International 1924 ellipsoid. A general road map of Trinidad, which includes distances and tourist information was last revised in 1990.
Tobago is currently covered in three sheets in a 1:25,000 scale series (DOS 307) on the Cassini projection, Clarke 1858 ellipsoid, with 25 ft contours, and by a 1:50,000 scale map published by LSD in color but without contours, and with a selection of tourist symbols. The (DOS 307) sheets were published in a second edition in 1969. There is also a 1:10,000 scale, 19-sheet cover of Tobago published by DOS in 1962 on the Cassini projection.
Soviet military topographic mapping of Trinidad and Tobago is available at the following scales: 1:1,000,000 (1 sheet, complete coverage, published in 1987) and 1:500,000 (2 sheets, complete coverage, published in 1964). These products are available in print, digital raster and digital vector GIS formats from East View Geospatial.
The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (MENR) is responsible for geological investigations. The geologic-tectonic map published by the Robertson Group covers both land and offshore areas, taking in the five hydrocarbon-producing sedimentary basins.
Land use, land capability and soil maps were compiled jointly by the Ministry of Agriculture and the University of the West Indies.
Cadastral maps have been compiled at scales of 1:10,000 and printed sheets have been updated to 1980 for Trinidad and 1975 for Tobago. 1:2,500 and 1:1,250 scale sheets cover urban areas.
Four color-printed city street maps, covering Port of Spain, San Fernando, Arima Borough and Scarborough, are published by LSD.
Copyright © 2014 De Gruyter for e-version of World Mapping Today, 2nd Edition | Copyright © 2019 East View Geospatial, Inc.
