In 1498, Christopher Columbus landed at Trinidad island off the coast of Venezuela, which initiated several centuries of colonization by various countries. In 1889, England joined Trinidad with neighboring Tobago, and 14 years after achieving independence, the two islands became a republic in 1976. The multicultural islands are best known for their cultural contributions to music and Carnival, but years of colonization and ethnic diversity endowed Trinidad and Tobago with several significant landmarks.