San Fernando (population of 50,208 according to the 2011 census,) is the larger of
Trinidad and Tobago's two cities and the second largest
municipality after
Chaguanas. It occupies 18 km² and is located in the southwestern part of the island of
Trinidad. It is bounded to the north by the
Guaracara River, the south by the
Oropouche River, the east by the
Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway, and the west by the
Gulf of Paria. The former
borough was elevated to the status of a city on November 18, 1988. The motto of San Fernando is:
"Sanitas Fortis" -
In a Healthy Environment We Will Find Strength. Many local Trinidadians refer to the city with the shortened name "Sando." San Fernando is called Trinidad and Tobago's "industrial capital" because of its proximity to the Pointe-a-Pierre oil refinery and many other petrochemical, LNG, iron and steel and aluminium smelters in places such as Point Lisas, Point Fortin, and La Brea.