Trinidad and Tobago vs Jamaica

Why people mix them up

Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica are both English-speaking Caribbean island nations, both former British colonies, and both became independent in 1962. Their flags both use black with diagonal designs, both countries are famous for music, cricket and sprinters, and both use a currency called the dollar. People often ask where each one is, because they are actually far apart.

How to tell them apart

• Jamaica is a single large island; Trinidad and Tobago is made up of two main islands, the larger Trinidad and the smaller Tobago.
• Jamaica's flag has a gold diagonal cross with green and black triangles; Trinidad and Tobago's is red with a black diagonal band edged in white.
• Jamaica lies in the northwestern Caribbean, south of Cuba; Trinidad and Tobago is at the far southeastern end, just off the coast of Venezuela.
• The capitals are Kingston (Jamaica) and Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago).
• Jamaica is the larger country, about 11,000 km², roughly twice the area of Trinidad and Tobago.
• Jamaica gave the world reggae; Trinidad and Tobago is the home of calypso, soca and the steelpan.

Memory hook

Jamaica's flag is an X marking the spot near Cuba; Trinidad and Tobago's single black slash points down towards South America, where the two islands sit.

On the map

For Jamaica, find Cuba and drop straight south to the oval island below its eastern half, west of Haiti. For Trinidad and Tobago, go to the opposite corner of the Caribbean, where the island chain meets South America: Trinidad is the large, roughly square island almost touching Venezuela, and Tobago is the small island to its northeast. If the island you are tapping is visible from the South American mainland, it is Trinidad.