The name ‘Couva’ derives from a river the Spanish named Rio de Cuba and which appeared on the first British map of Trinidad in 1797. Since the Spanish ‘B’ is often sounded as ‘V’, the river was pronounced Rio de Couva, and finally Couva River.

First inter-disciplinary child development centre opened in Couva in 1980.

In 1972, six Couva youths organized a clean-up campaign and took their shovels, brooms and hoses to Couva’s streets and sidewalks in an effort to smarten their town.

In 1971, Carnival in Couva drew 25,000 people to the celebrations.

Couva is one of the oldest sugar villages in Trinidad & Tobago. In 1880 it was no more than a clearing in a cane field, and was populated mostly by indentured East Indian cane workers and a few Africans.

In 1991, Couva hosted the biggest Carnival parade of bands and competitions in Caroni County. Father Ronald Tagallie, a Roman Catholic priest in Couva, won the County Calypso crown.