Sangre Grande
 |
Sangre Grande | |
|---|---|
 Eastern Main Road, Sangre Grande | |
| Nickname: Grande | |
 | |
| Country | Trinidad and Tobago |
| Region | Sangre Grande |
| Settled | c. 1770 |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 18,127 |
| • Rank | 9th |
| Time zone | UTC−4 (AST) |
| Postal Code | 45xxx |
| Area code(s) | 668, 691 |
Sangre Grande is the largest town in northeastern Trinidad and Tobago. It is located east of Arima and southwest of the village of Toco. It is the seat of the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation and capital of the region.
Overview
The name Sangre Grande means "big blood", and it has been suggested that the town was named for a battle that took place between the native Amerindians and the Spanish settlers. However, this interpretation is not supported by historical records. The true origin of the name refers to when, in the late 1770s, Spanish surveyors who were charting the island for the purposes of creating a map, found that the waters of two of the tributaries of the nearby Oropouche River were red as blood, hence the name.
Similarly, the neighbouring town is called Sangre Chiquito ("small blood") is named for the presence of a smaller, similarly colored river in that town. Sangre Grande grew as a result of the growth of cacao cultivation in the late nineteenth century. It grew further when it became the terminus of the railroad. Construction of the railroad caused the town to migrate down the hill to meet the railroad. When the town relocated to the foot of the hill, the name Sangre Grande moved with it. As a result, the name of the pre-existing village, Cunapo, was largely, but not entirely, lost.
Climate
Sangre Grande has a tropical rainforest climate according to the Köppen climate classification, characterized by high temperatures and rainfall. Temperatures climb to a maximum of around 30°C throughout the year, hovering at a low of around 23°C at night in Summer and 19°C in winter. Temperatures outside of the immediate town center are usually around 2-3°C lower due to abundant moisture and cloud clover of the lush surrounding forest. Rainfall is heavy all year, but especially so June through December, peaking in November at 342mm, and being at its driest in March with 88mm.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).
- Cindy Devika Sharma - senator
- Scrunter - calypsonian
Sports
Sangre Grande is home to many sports teams that take part in national competition such as the North East Stars football team and the Sangre Grande All Stars basketball team, Team Elite Karate.
Steel orchestras
Sangre Grande is also home to the Sangre Grande Cordettes which has been a mainstay panside in the area for many years. The band often makes the national finals of the Panorama competition, where it currently competes in the medium band category. The band's music used to be arranged by one of the most famous pan arrangers in Trinidad, Jit Samaroo. For the past few years, the band has had a new secret weapon, choosing the wildcard arranger from Denmark, Anders Kappel to carry it forward into the panorama competition.
Other bands exist in the area, including the Tamana Pioneers (small band category). Several schoolbands in the area also participate in the school panorama competition every year.