Geography

São Tomé and Príncipe is located on the equator in the Gulf of Guinea. The country's closest neighbors are Gabon and Equatorial Guinea on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa.

The main islands have a total area of 386 square miles (1,001 square kilometers). São Tomé accounts for most of the area, with 332 square miles (859 square kilometers). São Tomé also has most of the country's people. In the west of the island is the country's highest point, São Tomé Peak. The mountain reaches about 6,639 feet (2,024 meters) above sea level. São Tomé is roughly oval shaped.

Príncipe lies about 90 miles (145 kilometers) to the northeast of its sister island. Príncipe occupies only about 55 square miles (142 square kilometers). Its coastline is more irregular than São Tomé's.

The islands were formed by volcanoes, which are now inactive. Each of the two main islands has lowlands in the northeast and high mountains in the south and west. Lush rain forests cover nearly half the land. Both São Tomé and Príncipe have swift and rocky streams that rush down to the coast in every direction.

The country's climate is basically warm and wet. Near the coasts the temperature averages 81° F (27° C), and it is very humid. It is cooler at greater heights. At elevations of more than 2,000 feet (600 meters) the average temperature is 68° F (20° C). The rainy season lasts from October to May. The average annual rainfall in the lowlands near São Tomé city is about 39 inches (100 centimeters). In the southwest mountains it can rain more than 275 inches (700 centimeters) per year.

People and culture

The population of São Tomé and Príncipe is racially mixed but mostly African. The people are mainly the descendants of three groups: Portuguese colonists, slaves from the coast of West Africa, and workers from the African countries of Angola, Cape Verde, and Mozambique. Portuguese is the official language. Several local languages also are spoken. Most of the population is Roman Catholic. The rest are mostly Protestant, though traditional African religions also are practiced.

The country's culture was profoundly marked by centuries of Portuguese rule. The language, family structure, and religion are basically Portuguese. However, many African elements have been adopted in the cooking, customs, beliefs, and dress of the common people.

Economy

Agriculture and fishing are the main economic activities of the country. However, the country's farmers do not grow enough to feed all the people, so food must be imported, or bought from other countries. The other key imports include petroleum products, machinery, and electrical equipment.

The country is dependent on income from cocoa. It accounts for nearly 90 percent of the nation's exports, or products sold to other countries. The country also exports copra (dried coconut meat), coffee, and palm oil. São Tomé and Príncipe depends heavily on financial aid from other countries.

History

European navigators first visited the islands in the 1470s. The islands were probably uninhabited then. The Portuguese began to send convicts and Jews forced out of Portugal to the islands. The Portuguese established sugar plantations and used slave labor from the African mainland. For many years the islands were also a key port for Portuguese ships carrying African slaves to Brazil.

The colony became the world's largest producer of cocoa in the early 20th century. However, the laborers used on the islands' large plantations were forced to work against their will. Because of this, British and German chocolate manufacturers began refusing to use the colony's cocoa. Cocoa production fell after World War I (1914–18).

The islands became a Portuguese province in 1951. Brutality was common on the plantations, and the workers began to protest. In 1953 the Portuguese killed several hundred Africans during a riot. The people soon formed a liberation movement. São Tomé and Príncipe became an independent republic in 1975.

For the next 15 years the country was ruled by one political party, which had led the liberation movement. A democracy with many political parties was established in 1990. The country remained poor and deeply in debt. However, it began searching for oil in the Gulf of Guinea. Population (2000 estimate), 144,000.