Couva is a town in west-central Trinidad,[3] south of Port of Spain and Chaguanas and north of San Fernando and Point Fortin.

Couva is considered a major power base for the United National Congress, whose headquarters was previously located here.

The first British map of Trinidad, made in 1797 after the island was surrendered by Spain, suggested the existence of a river in the area now known as Couva called "Rio de Cuba".

During World War II, the Camden (Field) Auxiliary Air Base was established as an emergency airstrip.

Couva was profoundly affected by the closure of Caroni (1975) Ltd. in the early 2000s, particularly its residents who worked on the nearby sugarcane estates and the associated small and medium enterprises that supported this industry.

Point Lisas is a petrochemical and heavy industrial estate clustered around a series of port facilities on Trinidad's sheltered western coastline.

The location at Point Lisas was chosen due to the nature of the coastline and crucially the availability of large tracts of flat, undeveloped land next to the coast.

The "estate" is now home to over 90 companies, e.g. YARA, Phoenix Park Gas Processors Ltd. (PPGPL), PLIPDECO, and Methanex.

National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago (NGC) was founded alongside this as an aggregator and distributor of feedstock provided by the upstream.

The idea behind NGC was to consolidate supply and provide guaranteed distribution to the various consumers at the end of its pipeline network.

The elimination of large contracts between upstream and downstream created an efficient system of gas flow on which the estate was fed.

The Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway ensures easy access to Port of Spain and San Fernando, in addition to the neighbouring towns of Chaguanas, Arima, and Point Fortin.

Transportation, public-service utilities, shopping, recreation and entertainment, health care, businesses, schools, and tndustrial centres are readily accessible.

Recently, though, people have begun buying land and starting their businesses outside of the town centre areas in the communities of Balmain, Exchange, Point Lisas, McBean, and Camden.

The HDC entered into a joint-venture arrangement with the private sector to design, finance, and construct Phases 4–6 of the Couva North Housing Project, also known as Roystonia.

Under this arrangement, the development of over 170 ha (420 acres) of land, from Perseverance to the Southern Main Road, has been constructed and delivered in excess of 1,000 homes.

Consequently, the current services within Couva are under strain and are in state of transition or expansion to incorporate the new influx of residential activity.

[9] With the closure of Caroni (1975) Limited and the resultant decline in sugarcane production, more lands in the greater Couva area will be under pressure for residential, commercial, and industrial expansion.

The primary means of access to the region from areas in north and south Trinidad are the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway and the Southern Main Road.

Religious practices and rituals are mainly along the lines of the Christian (Roman Catholic, Anglican, Presbyterian, Pentecostal/Evangelist, Seventh-day Adventist, Baptist), Hindu, and Muslim faiths.

However, the warm, loving family atmosphere of the small school was well grounded to adapt, not only to over 700 pupils, but also to a multidenominational student body today.

The Exchange Presbyterian Primary School (at the corner of Bryce and La Croix Streets), has been consistently ranked highly in the national SEA examinations.

Its services extend further into the community, though, drawing users from the teacher-training colleges, the University of the West Indies, and other institutions and libraries, as well as members of the general public.

The facility will consist of 230 beds, and includes a burn-care unit, central pharmacy, children and adult casualty clinic, and helicopter rooftop access for emergencies.

The Sevilla Sports Club, located south of Rivulet Road, includes two tennis courts, a swimming pool, a golf course, and snooker facilities.

The Brechin Castle Golf Course started out as a 9-hole course in 1927 and was increased to an 18-hole course in 1929/1930, but by 1938, nine holes had been reclaimed by the sugarcane factory when crops were planted on the site and houses were built on it.

The Aquatic Centre, Cycling Velodrome, Ato Boldon Stadium, and the NCC are expected to make Couva the main hub of sports in the country.

An airstrip is located on the outskirts of the town called the Camden Base, which was originally built by the US military during World War II.

The town is served by all major telecommunication (including cable, satellite) companies, e.g. Amplia, bmobile, Flow, DirectTV, Digicel+, RVR International (partly), and Greendot.

Culturally, the town is the home of Couva Joylanders Steel Orchestra, a group well known for its varied repertoire and community projects.