Statistical information São Tomé and Príncipe 2017
São Tomé and Príncipe in the World
São Tomé and Príncipe - Introduction 2017
top of pageBackground: 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 African 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 four failed non-violent coup attempts in 1995 1998 2003 and 2009. In 2012 three opposition parties combined in a no confidence vote to bring down the majority government of former Prime Minister Patrice TROVOADA but in 2014 legislative elections returned him to the office. President Evaristo CARVALHO of the same political party as Prime Minister TROVOADA was elected in September 2016 marking a rare instance in which the positions of president and prime minister are held by the same party. New oil discoveries in the Gulf of Guinea may attract increased attention to the small island nation.
São Tomé and Príncipe - Geography 2017
top of pageLocation: Central Africa islands in the Gulf of Guinea just north of the Equator west of Gabon
Geographic coordinates: 1 00 N 7 00 E
Map reference: Africa
Area
Total: 964 km²
Land: 964 km²
Water: 0 km²
Rank: 185
Comparative: more than five times the size of Washington DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 209 km
Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate: tropical; hot humid; one rainy season (October to May)
Terrain: volcanic mountainous
Elevation
Mean elevation: NA
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m: highest point: Pico de Sao Tome 2024 m
Natural resources: fish hydropower
Land use
Land use
Agricultural land: 50.7%
arable land: 9.1%
permanent crops: 40.6%
permanent pasture: 1%
permanent crops: 40.6%
permanent pasture: 1%
Forest: 28.1%
Other: 21.2%
Irrigated land: 100 km² (2012)
Major rivers
Major watersheds area km²
Total water withdrawal
Total renewable water resources
Natural hazards: flooding
Geography
Note: the smallest country in Africa; the two main islands form part of a chain of extinct volcanoes and both are mountainous
São Tomé and Príncipe - People 2017
top of pagePopulation
Distribution: Sao Tome the capital city has roughly a quarter of the nation's population; Santo Antonio is the largest town on Principe; the northern areas of both islands have the highest population densities: 201,025 (July 2017 est.)
Rank: 184
Growth rate: 1.72% (2017 est.)
Growth rate rank: 64
Below poverty line: 66.2% (2009 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 Cabo Verde) tongas (children of servicais born on the islands) Europeans (primarily Portuguese) Asians (mostly Chinese)
Languages: Portuguese 98.4% (official) Forro 36.2% Cabo Verdian 8.5% French 6.8% Angolar 6.6% English 4.9% Lunguie 1% other (including sign language) 2.4%
Note: shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census
Religions: Catholic 55.7% Adventist 4.1% Assembly of God 3.4% New Apostolic 2.9% Mana 2.3% Universal Kingdom of God 2% Jehovah's Witness 1.2% other 6.2% none 21.2% unspecified 1% (2012 est.)
Demographic profile:
Sao Tome and Principe’s youthful age structure – more than 60% of the population is under the age of 25 – and high fertility rate ensure future population growth. Although Sao Tome has a net negative international migration rate emigration is not a sufficient safety valve to reduce already high levels of unemployment and poverty. While literacy and primary school attendance have improved in recent years Sao Tome still struggles to improve its educational quality and to increase its secondary school completion rate. Despite some improvements in education and access to healthcare Sao Tome and Principe has much to do to decrease its high poverty rate create jobs and increase its economic growth.
The population of Sao Tome and Principe descends primarily from the islands’ colonial Portuguese settlers who first arrived in the late 15th century and the much larger number of African slaves brought in for sugar production and the slave trade. For about 100 years after the abolition of slavery in 1876 the population was further shaped by the widespread use of imported unskilled contract laborers from Portugal’s other African colonies who worked on coffee and cocoa plantations. In the first decades after abolition most workers were brought from Angola under a system similar to slavery. While Angolan laborers were technically free they were forced or coerced into long contracts that were automatically renewed and extended to their children. Other contract workers from Mozambique and famine-stricken Cape Verde first arrived in the early 20th century under short-term contracts and had the option of repatriation although some chose to remain in Sao Tome and Principe.
Today’s Sao Tomean population consists of mesticos (creole descendants of the European immigrants and African slaves that first inhabited the islands) forros (descendants of freed African slaves) angolares (descendants of runaway African slaves that formed a community in the south of Sao Tome Island and today are fishermen) servicais (contract laborers from Angola Mozambique and Cape Verde) tongas (locally born children of contract laborers) and lesser numbers of Europeans and Asians.
The population of Sao Tome and Principe descends primarily from the islands’ colonial Portuguese settlers who first arrived in the late 15th century and the much larger number of African slaves brought in for sugar production and the slave trade. For about 100 years after the abolition of slavery in 1876 the population was further shaped by the widespread use of imported unskilled contract laborers from Portugal’s other African colonies who worked on coffee and cocoa plantations. In the first decades after abolition most workers were brought from Angola under a system similar to slavery. While Angolan laborers were technically free they were forced or coerced into long contracts that were automatically renewed and extended to their children. Other contract workers from Mozambique and famine-stricken Cape Verde first arrived in the early 20th century under short-term contracts and had the option of repatriation although some chose to remain in Sao Tome and Principe.
Today’s Sao Tomean population consists of mesticos (creole descendants of the European immigrants and African slaves that first inhabited the islands) forros (descendants of freed African slaves) angolares (descendants of runaway African slaves that formed a community in the south of Sao Tome Island and today are fishermen) servicais (contract laborers from Angola Mozambique and Cape Verde) tongas (locally born children of contract laborers) and lesser numbers of Europeans and Asians.
Age structure
Age structure
0-14 years: 41.85%
15-24 years: 20.68%
25-54 years: 30.82%
55-64 years: 3.81%
65 years and over: 2.83% (2017 est.)
Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 86.7
Youth dependency ratio: 81.1
Elderly dependency ratio: 5.6
Potential support ratio: 17.8
Median age
Total: 18.4 years
Male: 18 years
Female: 18.8 years
Rank: 214
Population growth rate: 1.72% (2017 est.)
Rank: 64
Birth rate: 32.4 births/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 31
Death rate: 6.8 deaths/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 138
Net migration rate: -8.3 migrant(s)/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 208
Population distribution: Sao Tome the capital city has roughly a quarter of the nation's population; Santo Antonio is the largest town on Principe; the northern areas of both islands have the highest population densities
Urbanization
Urban population: 66.2% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 3.03% annual rate of change
Major urban areas
Population: SAO TOME (capital) 71,000 (2014)
Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion and exhaustion
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol 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
0-14 years: 1.03 male/female
15-24 years: 1.03 male/female
25-54 years: 0.96 male/female
55-64 years: 0.84 male/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male/female
Total population: 1 male/female
Mothers mean age at first birth: 19.4 years
Note: median age at first birth among women 25-29
Maternal mortality ratio
Infant mortality rate
Total: 45.3 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 47.2 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 43.3 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 40
Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 65.3 years
Male: 63.9 years
Female: 66.7 years
Rank: 178
Total fertility rate: 4.25 children born/woman (2017 est.)
Rank: 30
Contraceptive prevalence rate: 40.6% (2014)
Drinking water source:
urban: 98.9% of population
rural: 93.6% of population
total: 97.1% of population
urban: 1.1% of population
rural: 6.4% of population
total: 2.9% of population (2015 est.)
rural: 93.6% of population
total: 97.1% of population
urban: 1.1% of population
rural: 6.4% of population
total: 2.9% of population (2015 est.)
Current health expenditure
Physicians density
Hospital bed density: 2.9 beds/1000 population (2011)
Sanitation facility access:
urban: 40.8% of population
rural: 23.3% of population
total: 34.7% of population
urban: 59.2% of population
rural: 76.7% of population
total: 65.3% of population (2015 est.)
rural: 23.3% of population
total: 34.7% of population
urban: 59.2% of population
rural: 76.7% of population
total: 65.3% of population (2015 est.)
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 diseases: malaria and dengue fever
Water contact disease: schistosomiasis
Obesity adult prevalence rate: 12.4% (2016)
Rank: 133
Alcohol consumption
Tobacco use
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 8.8% (2014)
Rank: 50
Education expenditures: 3.9% of GDP (2014)
Rank: 6
Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 74.9%
Male: 81.8%
Female: 68.4%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 13 years
Male: 13 years
Female: 13 years
Youth unemployment
São Tomé and Príncipe - Government 2017
top of pageCountry 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
Etymology: Sao Tome was named after Saint THOMAS the Apostle by the Portuguese who discovered the island on 21 December 1470 the saint's feast day; Principe is a shortening of the original Portuguese name of 'Ilha do Principe' (Isle of the Prince) referring to the Prince of Portugal to whom duties on the island's sugar crop were paid
Government type: semi-presidential republic
Capital
Name: Sao Tome
Geographic coordinates: 0 20 N 6 44 E
Time difference: UTC 0
Administrative divisions: 2 provinces; Principe Sao Tome
Dependent areas
Independence: 12 July 1975 (from Portugal)
National holiday: Independence Day 12 July (1975)
Constitution
History: approved 5 November 1975
Amendments: proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly; the Assembly can propose to the president of the republic that an amendment be submitted to a referendum; revised several times last in 2006
Legal system: mixed legal system of civil law base on the Portuguese model and customary law
International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Sao Tome and Principe
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
Chief of state: President Evaristo CARVALHO
Head of government: Prime Minister Patrice Emery TROVOADA
Cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister appointed by the president
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term ; election last held on 7 July 2016 and 7 August 2016 (next to be held in July 2021); prime minister chosen by the National Assembly and approved by the president
Election results: Evaristo CARVALHO elected president; percent of vote - Evaristo CARVALHO 49.8% Manuel Pinto DA COSTA (independent) 24.8% Maria DAS NEVES (MLSTP-PSD) 24.1%; note - first round results for CARVALHO were revised downward from just over 50% prompting the 7 August runoff; however on 1 August 2016 DA COSTA withdrew from the runoff citing voting irregularities and CARVALHO was declared the winner
Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional
Elections: last held on 12 October 2014
Election results: percent of vote by party - ADI 52.6% MLSTP-PSD 24.7% PCD-GR 11% other 11.7%; seats by party - ADI 33 MLSTP-PSD 16 PCD-GR 5 other 1
Judicial branch
Highest court: Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal Justica ; Constitutional Court or Tribunal Constitucional (consists of 5 judges 3 of whom are from the Supreme Court)
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the National Assembly; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges nominated by the president of the republic and elected by the National Assembly for 5-year terms
Subordinate courts: Court of First Instance; Audit Court
Political parties and leaders:
Force for Democratic Change Movement or MDFM [Fradique Bandeira Melo DE MENEZES]
Independent Democratic Action or ADI [Patrice TROVOADA]
Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe-Social Democratic Party or MLSTP-PSD [Aurelio MARTINS]
Party for Democratic Convergence-Reflection Group or PCD-GR [Leonel Mario D'ALVA]
other small parties
Independent Democratic Action or ADI [Patrice TROVOADA]
Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe-Social Democratic Party or MLSTP-PSD [Aurelio MARTINS]
Party for Democratic Convergence-Reflection Group or PCD-GR [Leonel Mario D'ALVA]
other small parties
International organization participation: ACP AfDB AOSIS AU CD CEMAC CPLP EITI (candidate country) FAO G-77 IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM (observer) IPU ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA NAM OIF OPCW PCA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO Union Latina UNWTO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos Filomeno Azevedo Agostinho das NEVES
In the us chancery: 675 Third Avenue Suite 1807 New York NY 10,017
In the us telephone: [1] 651-8,116
In the us FAX: [1] 651-8,117
From the us: the US does not have an embassy in Sao Tome and Principe; the US Ambassador to Gabon is accredited to Sao Tome and Principe on a nonresident basis
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; green stands for the country's rich vegetation red recalls the struggle for independence and yellow represents cocoa one of the country's main agricultural products; the two stars symbolize the two main islands
Note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia
National symbols: palm tree; national colors: green yellow red black
National anthem
Name: 'Independencia total'
Lyrics and music: Alda Neves DA GRACA do Espirito Santo/Manuel dos Santos Barreto de Sousa e ALMEIDA
Note: adopted 1975
National heritage
São Tomé and Príncipe - Economy 2017
top of pageEconomy 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 and Principe has to import fuels most manufactured goods consumer goods and food making it vulnerable to fluctuations in global commodity prices. Maintaining control of inflation fiscal discipline and increasing flows of foreign direct investment into the nascent oil sector are major economic problems facing the country. The government also has attempted to reduce price controls and subsidies.
Over the years Sao Tome and Principe has had difficulty servicing its external debt and has relied heavily on concessional aid and debt rescheduling. It benefited from $200 million in debt relief in December 2000 under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries program which helped bring down the country's $300 million debt burden. In April 2011 the country completed a Threshold Country Program with The Millennium Challenge Corporation to help increase tax revenues reform customs and improve the business environment. In 2016 Sao Tome and Portugal signed a five-year cooperation agreement worth approximately $64 million some of which will be provided as loans.
Considerable potential exists for development of a tourist industry and the government has taken steps to expand facilities in recent years. Potential also exists for the development of petroleum resources in Sao Tome and Principe's territorial waters in the oil-rich Gulf of Guinea which are being jointly developed in a 60-40 split with Nigeria but any actual production is at least several years off. Volatile aid and investment inflows even with a growing tourism sector have kept growth moderate at around 4% annually which is insufficient to alleviate poverty. The IMF in late 2016 expressed concern about the country’s banking sector vulnerabilities.
Over the years Sao Tome and Principe has had difficulty servicing its external debt and has relied heavily on concessional aid and debt rescheduling. It benefited from $200 million in debt relief in December 2000 under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries program which helped bring down the country's $300 million debt burden. In April 2011 the country completed a Threshold Country Program with The Millennium Challenge Corporation to help increase tax revenues reform customs and improve the business environment. In 2016 Sao Tome and Portugal signed a five-year cooperation agreement worth approximately $64 million some of which will be provided as loans.
Considerable potential exists for development of a tourist industry and the government has taken steps to expand facilities in recent years. Potential also exists for the development of petroleum resources in Sao Tome and Principe's territorial waters in the oil-rich Gulf of Guinea which are being jointly developed in a 60-40 split with Nigeria but any actual production is at least several years off. Volatile aid and investment inflows even with a growing tourism sector have kept growth moderate at around 4% annually which is insufficient to alleviate poverty. The IMF in late 2016 expressed concern about the country’s banking sector vulnerabilities.
Real gdp purchasing power parity:
$638 million (2016 est.)
$606 million (2015 est.)
$576 million (2014 est.)
$606 million (2015 est.)
$576 million (2014 est.)
Note: data are in 2016 dollars
Rank: 209
Real gdp growth rate:
4.1% (2016 est.)
4% (2015 est.)
4.1% (2014 est.)
4% (2015 est.)
4.1% (2014 est.)
Rank: 60
Real gdp per capita:
$3,100 (2016 est.)
$3,000 (2015 est.)
$3,000 (2014 est.)
$3,000 (2015 est.)
$3,000 (2014 est.)
Note: data are in 2016 dollars
Rank: 192
Gross national saving:
21.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
19.1% of GDP (2015 est.)
3.3% of GDP (2014 est.)
19.1% of GDP (2015 est.)
3.3% of GDP (2014 est.)
Rank: 90
Gdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 81.2%
Government consumption: 20.8%
Investment in fixed capital: 33.3%
Investment in inventories: 0%
Exports of goods and services: 8.8%
Imports of goods and services: -44.2%
Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 12.1%
Industry: 14.8%
Services: 73.2%
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: 4.5% (2016 est.)
Rank: 53
Labor force: 67,870 (2016 est.)
Rank: 187
By occupation agriculture: 26.1%
By occupation industry: 21.4%
By occupation services: 52.5%
Labor force
Unemployment rate:
12.6% (2016 est.)
13.6% (2015 est.)
13.6% (2015 est.)
Rank: 163
Youth unemployment
Population below poverty line: 66.2% (2009 est.)
Gini index
Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%
Distribution of family income gini index
Budget
Revenues: $105.6 million
Expenditures: $120 million
Surplus or deficit: -4.1% of GDP (2016 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 142
Taxes and other revenues: 30.2% of GDP (2016 est.)
Rank: 77
Public debt:
58.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
56.7% of GDP (2015 est.)
56.7% of GDP (2015 est.)
Rank: 75
Revenue
Fiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer prices:
5.4% (2016 est.)
5.2% (2015 est.)
5.2% (2015 est.)
Rank: 176
Central bank discount rate:
16% (31 December 2009)
28% (31 December 2008)
28% (31 December 2008)
Rank: 8
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
19.59% (31 December 2016 est.)
23.31% (31 December 2015 est.)
23.31% (31 December 2015 est.)
Rank: 16
Stock of narrow money:
$65.47 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$63.82 million (31 December 2015 est.)
$63.82 million (31 December 2015 est.)
Rank: 190
Stock of broad money:
$116.3 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$126.7 million (31 December 2015 est.)
$126.7 million (31 December 2015 est.)
Rank: 194
Stock of domestic credit:
$72.19 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$72.71 million (31 December 2015 est.)
$72.71 million (31 December 2015 est.)
Rank: 188
Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A
Current account balance:
$-22 million (2016 est.)
$-68.6 million (2015 est.)
$-68.6 million (2015 est.)
Rank: 66
Exports:
$13.6 million (2016 est.)
$11.3 million (2015 est.)
$11.3 million (2015 est.)
Rank: 216
Commodities: cocoa 80% copra coffee palm oil (2010 est.)
Partners: Germany 23.3% Netherlands 13.8% Portugal 10% Angola 6.4% South Korea 5.2% Peru 4.5% Dominican Republic 4.1% (2016)
Imports:
$119.1 million (2016 est.)
$118.9 million (2015 est.)
$118.9 million (2015 est.)
Rank: 214
Commodities: machinery and electrical equipment food products petroleum products
Partners: Portugal 58.8% Angola 15.2% China 5.3% (2016)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$61.5 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$72.86 million (31 December 2015 est.)
$72.86 million (31 December 2015 est.)
Rank: 168
Debt external:
$308.5 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$249.4 million (31 December 2015 est.)
$249.4 million (31 December 2015 est.)
Rank: 186
Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
$430.3 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$409.5 million (31 December 2015 est.)
$409.5 million (31 December 2015 est.)
Rank: 125
Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
$2.2 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$2.5 million (31 December 2015 est.)
$2.5 million (31 December 2015 est.)
Rank: 111
Exchange rates:
dobras (STD) per US dollar -
22,149 (2016 est.)
22,149 (2015 est.)
22,091 (2014 est.)
18,466 (2013 est.)
19,068 (2012 est.)
22,149 (2016 est.)
22,149 (2015 est.)
22,091 (2014 est.)
18,466 (2013 est.)
19,068 (2012 est.)
São Tomé and Príncipe - Energy 2017
top of pageElectricity
Access population without electricity: 100,000
Access electrification total population: 59%
Access electrification urban areas: 70%
Access electrification rural areas: 40%
Production: 66 million kWh (2015 est.)
Production rank: 204
Consumption: 61.38 million kWh (2015 est.)
Consumption rank: 202
Exports: 0 kWh (2016)
Exports rank: 205
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 209
Installed generating capacity: 20,000 kW (2015 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 205
Generation sources fossil fuels: 80% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 90
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 193
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 20% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 89
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 208
Coal
Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 202
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 199
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 198
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2017)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 202
Crude oil
Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products production rank: 203
Products consumption: 1000 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products consumption rank: 207
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products exports rank: 204
Products imports: 1001 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products imports rank: 201
Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Production rank: 203
Consumption: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Consumption rank: 138
Exports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 195
Imports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 196
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 es)
Proven reserves rank: 201
Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 100,000 Mt (2013 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 207
Energy consumption per capita
São Tomé and Príncipe - Communication 2017
top of pageTelephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 5,733
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3
Fixed lines rank: 205
Mobile cellular total: 132,000
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 68
Mobile cellular rank: 187
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 roughly 70 telephones per 100 persons
International: country code - 239; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (2016)
Broadcast media: 1 government-owned TV station; 1 government-owned radio station; 3 independent local radio stations authorized in 2005 with 2 operating at the end of 2006; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available (2007)
Internet
Country code: .st
Users total: 50,000
Users percent of population: 25.8%
Users rank: 186
Broadband fixed subscriptions
São Tomé and Príncipe - Military 2017
top of pageMilitary expenditures
Military and security forces
Military service age and obligation: 18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory military service; 17 is the legal minimum age for voluntary service (2012)
Space program
Terrorist groups
São Tomé and Príncipe - Transportation 2017
top of pageNational air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 50,716
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0 mt-km
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: S9 (2016)
Airports: 2 (2013)
Rank: 206
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
Heliports
Pipelines
Railways
Roadways
Total: 320 km
Paved: 218 km
Unpaved: 102 km
Rank: 206
Waterways
Merchant marine
Total: 3
By type: bulk carrier 1 cargo 2
Foreign owned: 2 (2010)
Rank: 139
Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Sao Tome
São Tomé and Príncipe - Transnational issues 2017
top of pageDisputes international: none
Refugees and internally displaced persons
Illicit drugs
Rank: li>a href='../rankorder/rankorderguide.html'>Guide to Country Comparisons
