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. Although 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 promises to have a significant impact on the country's economy.

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)

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

Population: 199,579 (July 2007 est.)
Growth rate: 3.13% (2007 est.)
Below poverty line: 54% (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: Catholic 70.3% Evangelical 3.4% New Apostolic 2% Adventist 1.8% other 3.1% none 19.4% (2001 census)

Age structure
0-14 years: 47.3% (male 47,796/female 46,589)
15-64 years: 49% (male 47,386/female 50,412)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 3,383/female 4,013) (2007 est.)

Median age
Total: 16.2 years
Male: 15.7 years
Female: 16.8 years (2007 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.13% (2007 est.)

Birth rate: 39.72 births/1000 population (2007 est.)

Death rate: 6.28 deaths/1000 population (2007 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.14 migrant(s)/1000 population (2007 est.)

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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.026 male/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male/female
65 years and over: 0.843 male/female
Total population: 0.976 male/female (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 40.54 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 42.42 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 38.61 deaths/1000 live births (2007 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 67.64 years
Male: 66.03 years
Female: 69.3 years (2007 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.53 children born/woman (2007 est.)

Hivaids
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 (2007)

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

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

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Fradique DE MENEZES (since 3 September 2001)
Head of government: Prime Minister Tome Soares da VERA CRUZ (since 21 April 2006)
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: Democratic Renovation Party [Armindo GRACA]; Force for Change Democratic Movement or MDFM; 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]; New Way Movement or NR; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Aldo BANDEIRA]; Ue-Kedadji coalition; other small parties

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

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 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 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 4% in 2006 as a result of increases in public expenditures and oil-related capital investment.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $278 million (2006 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 4.4% (2006 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $1200 (2003 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 15%
Industry: 13.7%
Services: 71.3% (2006 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: 35,050 (1991)
By occupation note: population mainly engaged in subsistence agriculture and fishing; shortages of skilled workers

Unemployment rate: NA%

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

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

Budget
Revenues: $42.96 million
Expenditures: $59.61 million (2006 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 23.1% (2006 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: $-46 million (2006 est.)

Exports: $3 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Commodities: cocoa 80% copra coffee palm oil
Partners: Netherlands 47.9% Belgium 19% Portugal 9.3% (2006)

Imports: $63 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Commodities: machinery and electrical equipment food products petroleum products
Partners: Portugal 48.8% France 19.7% Belgium 5.1% US 5.1% (2006)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $36 million (2006 est.)

Debt external: $318 million (2002)

Exchange rates: dobras per US dollar - 12,050 (2006) 9,900 (2005) NA 9,902 (2004) 9,348 (2003) 9,088 (2002)

Electricity
Production: 18 million kWh (2005)
Consumption: 16.74 million kWh (2005)
Exports: 0 kWh (2005)
Imports: 0 kWh (2005)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2005 est.)
Consumption: 0 m³ (2005 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 7,100 (2005)
Mobile cellular: 12,000 (2005)

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

Internet
Country code: .st
Hosts: 996 (2007)
Users: 23,000 (2005)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 0.8% (2006)

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

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)

Roadways
Total: 320 km
Paved: 218 km
Unpaved: 102 km (1999)

Merchant marine
Total: 7 ships (1000 GRT or over) 20,455 GRT/27,871 DWT
By type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 6
Foreign owned: 2 (Egypt 1, Greece 1) (2007)

Ports and terminals: Sao Tome

Disputes international: none