Map of São Tomé and Príncipe | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Discovered and claimed by Portugal in the late 15th century the islands' sugar-based economy gave way to coffee and cocoa in the 19th century - all grown with plantation slave labor a form of which lingered into the 20th century. Although independence was achieved in 1975 democratic reforms were not instituted until the late 1980s. Though the first free elections were held in 1991 the political environment has been one of continued instability with frequent changes in leadership and coup attempts in 1995 and 2003. The recent discovery of oil in the Gulf of Guinea is likely to have a significant impact on the country's economy.


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Location: Western Africa islands in the Gulf of Guinea straddling the Equator west of Gabon

Geographic coordinates: 1 00 N 7 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 1,001 km²
Land: 1,001 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: more than five times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 209 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate: tropical; hot humid; one rainy season (October to May)

Terrain: volcanic mountainous

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Pico de Sao Tome 2,024 m

Natural resources: fish hydropower

Land use
Arable land: 6.25%
Permanent crops: 48.96%
Other: 44.79% (2001)

Irrigated land: 100 km² (1998 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: NA

Geography
Note: the smallest country in Africa; the two main islands form part of a chain of extinct volcanoes and both are fairly mountainous


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Population: 181,565 (July 2004 est.)
Growth rate: 3.18% (2004 est.)
Below poverty line: 54% NA (2004 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Sao Tomean
Adjective: Sao Tomean

Ethnic groups: mestico angolares (descendants of Angolan slaves) forros (descendants of freed slaves) servicais (contract laborers from Angola Mozambique and Cape Verde) tongas (children of servicais born on the islands) Europeans (primarily Portuguese)

Languages: Portuguese (official)

Religions: Christian 80% (Roman Catholic Evangelical Protestant Seventh-Day Adventist)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 47.7% (male 43,810; female 42,708)
15-64 years: 48.4% (male 42,469; female 45,456)
65 years and over: 3.9% (male 3,275; female 3,847) (2004 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 16.1 years
Male: 15.5 years
Female: 16.7 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.18% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 41.36 births/1000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 6.89 deaths/1000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.72 migrant(s)/1000 population (2004 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion and exhaustion
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.03 male/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male/female
Total population: 0.97 male/female (2004 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 44.58 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 46.57 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 42.53 deaths/1000 live births (2004 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 66.63 years
Male: 65.11 years
Female: 68.21 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.8 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 79.3%
Male: 85%
Female: 62% (1991 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe
Conventional short form: Sao Tome and Principe
Local long form: Republica Democratica de Sao Tome e Principe
Local short form: Sao Tome e Principe

Government type: republic

Capital: Sao Tome

Administrative divisions
Note: Principe has had self-government since 29 April 1995

Dependent areas

Independence: 12 July 1975 (from Portugal)

National holiday: Independence Day 12 July (1975)

Constitution: approved March 1990; effective 10 September 1990

Legal system: based on Portuguese legal system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Fradique DE MENEZES (since 3 September 2001)
Head of government: Prime Minister Damiao Vaz DE ALMEIDA (since 17 September 2004)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the proposal of the prime minister
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 29 July 2001 (next to be held NA July 2006); prime minister chosen by the National Assembly and approved by the president
Election results: Fradique DE MENEZES elected president in Sao Tome's third multiparty presidential election; percent of vote - NA%

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 3 March 2002 (next to be held NA March 2006)
Election results: percent of vote by party - MLSTP 39.6%, Force for Change Democratic Movement 39.4%, Ue-Kedadji coalition 16.2%; seats by party - MLSTP 24, Force for Change Democratic Movement 23, Ue-Kedadji coalition 8

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the National Assembly)

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Renovation Party [Armindo GRACA]; Force for Change Democratic Movement [leader NA]; Independent Democratic Action or ADI [Carlos NEVES]; Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe-Social Democratic Party or MLSTP-PSD [Manuel Pinto Da COSTA]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Aldo BANDEIRA]; Ue-Kedadji coalition [leader NA]; other small parties

International organization participation: ACCT ACP AfDB AU FAO G-77 IBRD ICAO ICCt (signatory) ICFTU ICRM IDA IFAD IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM (observer) ITU NAM OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCL WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Sao Tome and Principe does not have an embassy in the US but does have a Permanent Mission to the UN headed by First Secretary Domingos Augusto FERREIRA located at 400 Park Avenue 7th Floor New York NY 10,022 telephone [1] (212) 317-0580
From the us: the US does not have an embassy in Sao Tome and Principe; the Ambassador to Gabon is accredited to Sao Tome and Principe on a nonresident basis and makes periodic visits to the islands

Flag description: three horizontal bands of green (top) yellow (double width) and green with two black five-pointed stars placed side by side in the center of the yellow band and a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: This small poor island economy has become increasingly dependent on cocoa since independence 29 years ago. Cocoa production has substantially declined in recent years because of drought and mismanagement but strengthening prices helped boost export earnings in 2003. Sao Tome has to import all fuels most manufactured goods consumer goods and a substantial amount of food. Over the years it has been unable to service its external debt and has had to depend on concessional aid and debt rescheduling. Sao Tome benefited from $200 million in debt relief in December 2000 under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) program. Sao Tome's success in implementing structural reforms has been rewarded by international donors who pledged increased assistance in 2001. Considerable potential exists for development of a tourist industry and the government has taken steps to expand facilities in recent years. The government also has attempted to reduce price controls and subsidies. Sao Tome is optimistic about the development of petroleum resources in its territorial waters in the oil-rich Gulf of Guinea; production could begin as early as 2004.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 5% (2003 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $1200 (2003 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 19.6%
Industry: 17.8%
Services: 62.6% (2003 est.)

Agriculture products: cocoa coconuts palm kernels copra cinnamon pepper coffee bananas papayas beans; poultry; fish

Industries: light construction textiles soap beer; fish processing; timber

Industrial production growth rate: NA

Labor force: NA
By occupation note: shortages of skilled workers

Unemployment rate: NA

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 54% NA (2004 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA
Highest 10: NA

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $38.59 million
Expenditures: $42.04 million, including capital expenditures of $54 million (2003 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 9% (2003 est.)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance: $-8 million (2003)

Exports: $6.479 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Commodities: cocoa 80% copra coffee palm oil
Partners: Netherlands 41.7% Canada 16.7% Belgium 8.3% Germany 8.3% Philippines 8.3% (2003)

Imports: $30.03 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Commodities: machinery and electrical equipment food products petroleum products
Partners: Portugal 51.6% Germany 11.3% Italy 6.5% Belgium 4.8% Netherlands 4.8% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $318 million (2002)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: dobras per US dollar - 9,348 (2003) 9,088 (2002) 8,842 (2001) 7,978 (2000) 7,119 (1999)


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Electricity
Production: 17 million kWh (2001)
Consumption: 15.81 million kWh (2001)
Exports: 0 kWh (2001)
Imports: 0 kWh (2001)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 7,000 (2003)
Mobile cellular: 4,800 (2003)

Telephone system
General assessment: adequate facilities
Domestic: minimal system
International: country code - 239; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .st
Hosts: 1069 (2003)
Users: 15,000 (2003)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $500,000 (2003)
Percent of gdp: 0.8% (2003)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 2 (2003 est.)
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 24 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 79,490 GRT/97,077 DWT
By type: bulk 2, cargo 14, chemical tanker 2, livestock carrier 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 3
Foreign owned: British Virgin Islands 1, Egypt 1, Greece 1, Lebanon 1, Portugal 1, Ukraine 2 (2004 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs