Sao Tome and Principe — map and facts

About São Tomé and Príncipe

São Tomé and Príncipe is a small island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, located on the Equator off the west coast of Central Africa, and is Africa's second-smallest country by population. The capital, São Tomé, sits on the larger island of the same name. The combined population is approximately 230,000 people. The country is a democratic republic with a semi-presidential system; since independence it has maintained a stable multiparty democracy that is rare in the region. Portuguese is the official language, a legacy of colonial settlement, as both islands were uninhabited when Portuguese explorers arrived in the 1470s. The economy has historically rested on cocoa production — São Tomé was once the world's largest cocoa exporter — and today cocoa, coconut products, and tourism remain important. Offshore oil exploration raised hopes in the early 2000s, though yields have been disappointing. The country benefits from international aid and has made notable gains in health and education despite being among Africa's smallest economies. The population is descended largely from African slaves brought to work the Portuguese sugar and cocoa plantations.

Geography and Landscape

São Tomé and Príncipe consists of two main islands and several smaller islets, all of volcanic origin, situated in the Gulf of Guinea roughly 250 and 225 kilometres respectively from the coast of Gabon. São Tomé is the larger island, about 48 kilometres long and 32 kilometres wide, dominated by the central Pico de São Tomé at 2,024 metres. Príncipe is smaller and more rugged, with Pico do Príncipe reaching 948 metres. Both islands have dramatic, forested mountainous interiors that descend to coastal plains and beaches. The equatorial climate produces high temperatures year-round, moderated by altitude, with heavy rainfall; São Tomé town receives around 1,000 millimetres annually while the island's southern mountainous zone receives more than 7,000 millimetres. A dry season called the gravana runs from June to September. Dense tropical rainforest covers much of the higher elevations and harbours exceptional biodiversity, including many endemic bird and plant species. The islands lie within the Cameroon Volcanic Line, a chain of volcanoes that stretches from Mount Cameroon into the Atlantic.

History

The islands of São Tomé and Príncipe were uninhabited when Portuguese navigators, led by João de Santarém and Pêro Escobar, arrived around 1470–1471. Portugal quickly established sugar plantations worked by enslaved Africans transported from the mainland, and by the mid-16th century São Tomé was among the world's largest sugar producers. The islands became a major entrepôt in the transatlantic slave trade. Dutch and later English attacks reduced Portuguese control during the 17th century, but Portugal retained sovereignty. Sugar production declined as Brazil emerged as a dominant producer, and the islands' fortunes waned until cocoa cultivation transformed the economy in the late 19th century. Portuguese colonial rule ended on 12 July 1975 when the Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe led the country to independence. The one-party socialist state that followed gave way to multiparty democracy in 1991 — one of Africa's earliest democratic transitions. Príncipe was granted autonomous status within the republic in 1995. Political life has since been characterised by coalition governments and peaceful transfers of power.