Trinidad and Tobago is the most southerly Commonwealth Caribbean island territory and the second most populous. The territory was the subject of rivalry between the British, French and Dutch, changing hands regularly before British control was confirmed in 1814. The territory’s plantations were initially worked by enslaved peoples from West Africa. Following emancipation in the 1830s, the British imported indentured labour from India and China. People of Indian heritage currently make up the largest ethnic group constituting 35% of the total population, 34% are of African heritage and 23% of mixed heritage. Trinidad and Tobago gained its independence in 1962 as a Commonwealth Realm. In 1976, it became only the second Caribbean Realm (after Guyana) to adopt a republican constitution. It remained in the Commonwealth. Due to its oil and gas wealth, Trinidad and Tobago is one of the region’s most prosperous countries and was the destination for a considerable amount of intra-Caribbean migration in the post-war era. Nevertheless, significant numbers of its nationals settled in the UK. Current population c. 1,405,000.