 It is located on the Gulf of Paria, on the northwest coast of the island of Trinidad and is part of a larger conurbation stretching from Chaguaramas in the west to Arima in the east with an estimated population of 600,000.The city serves primarily as a retail and administrative centre and it has been the capital of the island since 1757.It is also an important financial services centre for the Caribbean and is home to two of the largest banks in the region.