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.

Geographic coordinates: 1 00 N 7 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 964 km²
Rank: 184
Land: 964 km²
Water: 0 km²
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
Extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Pico de Sao Tome 2024 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 mountainous

Population: 175,808 (July 2010 est.)
Rank: 185
Growth rate: 2.112% (2010 est.)
Growth rate rank: 46
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: 46.9%
15-64 years: 49.7% (male 51,325/female 54,289)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 3,335/female 4,067) (2010 est.)

Median age
Total: 17.5 years
Male: 17 years
Female: 17.9 years (2010 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.112% (2010 est.)
Rank: 46

Birth rate: 39.09 births/1000 population (2010 est.)
Rank: 14

Death rate: 8.45 deaths/1000 population (July 2010 est.)
Rank: 86

Net migration rate: -9.52 migrant(s)/1000 population (2010 est.)
Rank: 214

Urbanization
Urban population: 61% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
Total population: 1 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 54.64 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 42
Male: 56.75 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 52.46 deaths/1000 live births (2010 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 62.73 years
Rank: 176
Male: 61.58 years
Female: 63.91 years (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.21 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Rank: 17

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
Animal contact disease: rabies (2009)

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: 11 years
Male: 11 years
Female: 11 years (2009)

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: 2 provinces; Principe Sao Tome
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 Bandiera Melo DE MENEZES
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 on 30 July 2006 (next to be held in 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: unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (55 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held on 1 August 2010 (next to be held in 2014)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ADI 26 MLSTP 21 PCD 7 MDFM 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 AOSIS AU CPLP FAO G-77 IBRD ICAO 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 WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Ovidio PEQUENO
In the us chancery: 1211 Connecticut Avenue NW Suite 300 Washington DC 20,036
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 775-2,075 2,076
In the us fax: [1] (202) 775-2,077
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; 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 anthem
Name: 'Independencia total'
Lyricsmusic: Alda Neves DA GRACA do Espirito Santo/Manuel dos Santos Barreto de Sousa e ALMEIDA
Note: adopted 1975

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 and Principe 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 and Principe 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 the government 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. Potential 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. The first production licenses were sold in 2004 though a dispute over licensing with Nigeria delayed the country's receipt of more than $20 million in signing bonuses for almost a year.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 213
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 37

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 193
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 14.7%
Industry: 22.9%
Services: 62.4% (2010 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% (2010 est.)
Rank: 42

Labor force: 52,490 (2007)
Rank: 188
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%

Inflation rate consumer prices: 16.7% (2009 est.)
Rank: 213

Central bank discount rate: 28% (31 December 2008)
Rank: 4

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 32.4% (31 December 2008 est.)
Rank: 5

Stock of narrow money: $19.1 million (31 December 2009 est)
Rank: 187

Stock of broad money: $64.79 million (31 December 2008)
Rank: 185

Stock of domestic credit: $16.57 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 182

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: -$49 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 73

Exports: $10 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 211
Commodities: cocoa 80% copra coffee palm oil
Partners: UK 32.99% Netherlands 26.93% Belgium 21.04% Portugal 4.31% (2009)

Imports: $80 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 209
Commodities: machinery and electrical equipment food products petroleum products
Partners: Portugal 58.9% Brazil 6.68% US 4.71% Japan 4.49% (2009)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $39 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 131

Debt external: $318 million (2002)
Rank: 170

Exchange rates: dobras (STD) per US dollar - 19,641 (2010) 16,000 (2009) 14,900 (2008) 13,700 (2007) 12,050 (2006)

Electricity
Production: 19 million kWh (2007 est.)
Production rank: 206
Consumption: 17.67 million kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption rank: 207
Exports: 0 kWh (2008)
Imports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Production rank: 133
Consumption: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 152
Exports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Exports rank: 131
Imports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Imports rank: 136
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2010 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 137

Telephones
Main lines in use: 7,800 (2009)
Main lines in use rank: 205
Mobile cellular: 64,000 (2009)
Mobile cellular rank: 193

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 35 telephones per 100 persons
International: country code - 239; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2008)

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
Hosts: 1514 (2010)
Hosts rank: 158
Users: 26,700 (2009)
Users rank: 183

Military expenditures: 0.8% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 147

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

Airports: 2 (2010)
Rank: 202
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2010)

Roadways
Total: 320 km
Rank: 202
Paved: 218 km
Unpaved: 102 km (2000)

Merchant marine
Total: 3
Rank: 137
By type: bulk carrier 1 cargo 2
Foreign owned: 1 (Greece 1) (2010)

Ports and terminals: Sao Tome

Disputes international: none