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. While independence was achieved in 1975 democratic reforms were not instituted until the late 1980s. The country held its first free elections in 1991 but frequent internal wrangling between the various political parties precipitated repeated changes in leadership and two failed coup attempts in 1995 and 2003. The recent discovery of oil in the Gulf of Guinea promises to attract increased attention to the small island nation.


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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: 8.33%
Permanent crops: 48.96%
Other: 42.71% (2005)

Irrigated land: 100 km² (2003)

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 mountainous


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Population: 206,178 (July 2008 est.)
Growth rate: 3.116% (2008 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: Catholic 70.3% Evangelical 3.4% New Apostolic 2% Adventist 1.8% other 3.1% none 19.4% (2001 census)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 47.1% (male 49,196/female 47,941)
15-64 years: 49.3% (male 49,326/female 52,324)
65 years and over: 3.6% (male 3,350/female 4,041) (2008 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 16.3 years
Male: 15.8 years
Female: 16.9 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.116% (2008 est.)

Birth rate: 39.12 births/1000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 5.98 deaths/1000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.97 migrant(s)/1000 population (2008 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, Wetlands
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: 0.94 male/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male/female
Total population: 0.98 male/female (2008 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 38.36 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 40.11 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 36.55 deaths/1000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 68 years
Male: 66.35 years
Female: 69.69 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.43 children born/woman (2008 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
Degree of risk: high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne disease: malaria (2008)

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 84.9%
Male: 92.2%
Female: 77.9% (2001 census)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 10 years
Male: 10 years
Female: 10 years (2006)

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
Name: Sao Tome
Geographic coordinates: 0 12 N, 6 39 E
Time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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 Joachim Rafael BRANCO (since 22 June 2008)
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 (eligible for a second term); election last held 30 July 2006 (next to be held July 2011); prime minister chosen by the National Assembly and approved by the president
Election results: Fradique DE MENEZES elected president; percent of vote - Fradique DE MENEZES 60%, Patrice TROVOADA 38.5%

Legislative branch
Elections: last held on 26 March 2006 (next to be held in March 2010)
Election results: percent of vote by party - MDFM-PCD 37.2%, MLSTP 28.9%, ADI 20.0%, NR 4.7%, others 9.2%; seats by party - MDFM-PCD 23, MLSTP 19, ADI 12, NR 1

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

Political parties and leaders: Force for Change Democratic Movement or MDFM [Tome Soares da VERA CRUZ]; Independent Democratic Action or ADI [[Patrice TROVOADA]; Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe-Social Democratic Party or MLSTP-PSD [Rafael BRANCO]; New Way Movement or NR; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Delfim NEVES]; Ue-Kedadji coalition; other small parties

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AU CPLP FAO G-77 IBRD ICAO ICCt (signatory) ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM (observer) IPU ITU ITUC NAM OIF OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO Union Latina UNWTO UPU WCL WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: First Secretary Domingos Augusto FERREIRA
In the us chancery: 400 Park Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10,022
In the us telephone: [1] (212) 317-0580
In the us fax: [1] (212) 935-7,348
In the us consulates: Atlanta
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 in 1975. Cocoa production has substantially declined in recent years because of drought and mismanagement. Sao Tome has to import all fuels most manufactured goods consumer goods and a substantial amount of food. Over the years it has had difficulty servicing its external debt and has relied heavily 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 which helped bring down the country's $300 million debt burden. In August 2005 Sao Tome signed on to a new 3-year IMF Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) program worth $4.3 million. 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 which are being jointly developed in a 60-40 split with Nigeria. The first production licenses were sold in 2004 though a dispute over licensing with Nigeria delayed Sao Tome's receipt of more than $20 million in signing bonuses for almost a year. Real GDP growth exceeded 6% in 2007 as a result of increases in public expenditures and oil-related capital investment.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $256 million (2007 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 6% (2007 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $1600 (2007 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 14.9%
Industry: 14%
Services: 71% (2007 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: 7% (2007 est.)

Labor force: 35,050 (1991)
By occupation note: population mainly engaged in subsistence agriculture and fishing; shortages of skilled workers

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

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

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $63.21 million
Expenditures: $54.94 million (2007 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 18% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate: 28% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 32.4% (31 December 2007)

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit: $31.84 million (31 December 2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: -$55 million (2007 est.)

Exports: $9 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Commodities: cocoa 80% copra coffee palm oil
Partners: Netherlands 23.7% Belgium 23.7% France 12.9% US 5.9% Portugal 4.1% (2007)

Imports: $66 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Commodities: machinery and electrical equipment food products petroleum products
Partners: Portugal 62.2% US 11.6% Gabon 4.5% (2007)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $34.6 million (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt external: $318 million (2002)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: dobras (STD) per US dollar - 13,700 (2007) 12,050 (2006) 9,900 (2005) 9,902 (2004) 9,348 (2003)


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Electricity
Production: 18 million kWh (2006 est.)
Consumption: 16.74 million kWh (2006 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2007)
Imports: 0 kWh (2007 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Consumption: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2006 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 7,700 (2007)
Mobile cellular: 30,100 (2007)

Telephone system
General assessment: local telephone network of adequate quality with most lines connected to digital switches
Domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity approaching 20 telephones per 100 persons
International: country code - 239; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .st
Hosts: 1355 (2008)
Users: 23,000 (2007)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 0.8% of GDP (2006)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age (est.) (2004)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 2 (2007)
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2007)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 320 km
Paved: 218 km
Unpaved: 102 km (2000)

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 6
By type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 5
Foreign owned: 1 (Greece 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals: Sao Tome


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs