Trinidad and Tobago, although originally colonized by the Spanish, was passed over to the British in the early 19th century. It was not until 1962 that the state gained independence, and has since been an example of Caribbean success due to their petroleum and natural gas exportation. Trinidad and Tobago is situated in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela. The country functions under the English common law system, with a parliamentary democracy that grants universal suffrage. The island is comparable to the size of Delaware, and has a little over a million constituents.