Background: Portugal discovered and colonized the uninhabited islands in the late 15th century, setting up a sugar-based economy that 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 five 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 were held by the same party. Prime Minister TROVOADA resigned at the end of 2018 and was replaced by Jorge BOM JESUS. Carlos Vila NOVA was elected president in September 2021 and was inaugurated early the following month. TROVOADA began his fourth stint as prime minister in November 2022, following his party's victory in legislative elections held in September of that year. 

Geographic coordinates: 1 00 N, 7 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 964 km²
Land: 964 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: more than five times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries
Total: 0 km

Coastline: 209 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone:

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

Terrain: volcanic, mountainous

Elevation
Highest point: Pico de Sao Tome 2,024 m
Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Natural resources: fish, hydropower

Land use
Agricultural land: 50.7% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 9.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 40.6% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 1% (2018 est.)
Forest: 28.1% (2018 est.)
Other: 21.2% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 100 km² (2012)

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 600,000 cubic meters (2017 est.)
Agricultural: 30 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 2.18 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Natural hazards: flooding

Geography
Note: the second-smallest African country (after the Seychelles); the two main islands form part of a chain of extinct volcanoes and both are mountainous

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 as shown in this: 220,372 (2023 est.)
Growth rate: 1.45% (2023 est.)
Below poverty line: 66.7% (2017 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Sao Tomean(s)
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; other Portuguese-based Creoles are also spoken (2012 est.)

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 as of 2020 - 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.

Age structure
0-14 years: 37.21% (male 41,620/female 40,373)
15-64 years: 59.64% (male 65,356/female 66,078)
65 years and over: 3.15% (2023 est.) (male 2,986/female 3,959)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 77.9
Youth dependency ratio: 71.2
Elderly dependency ratio: 6.7
Potential support ratio: 14.9 (2021 est.)

Median age
Total: 20.4 years (2023 est.)
Male: 20 years
Female: 20.8 years

Population growth rate: 1.45% (2023 est.)

Birth rate: 27.4 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate: 6.1 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate: -6.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

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 as shown in this

Urbanization
Urban population: 76.4% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 2.96% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 80,000 SAO TOME (capital) (2018)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation and illegal logging; soil erosion and exhaustion; inadequate sewage treatment in cities; biodiversity preservation
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed, but not ratified: Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 33.75 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 0.12 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 0.04 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
Total population: 1 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 19.4 years (2008/09 est.)
Note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29

Maternal mortality ratio: 146 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 43.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Male: 46.9 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 39.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 67.4 years (2023 est.)
Male: 65.7 years
Female: 69.1 years

Total fertility rate: 3.44 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 49.7% (2019)

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 100% of population
Improved rural: 94% of population
Improved total: 98.5% of population
Unimproved urban: 0% of population
Unimproved rural: 6% of population
Unimproved total: 1.5% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure: 4.9% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density: 0.49 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

Hospital bed density: 2.9 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: high (2023)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever
Water contact diseases: schistosomiasis

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 12.4% (2016)

Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 4.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 0.42 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 3.58 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 0.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use
Total: 5.7% (2020 est.)
Male: 10.1% (2020 est.)
Female: 1.3% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 5.4% (2019)

Education expenditures: 5% of GDP (2020 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 94.8%
Male: 96.5%
Female: 91.1% (2021)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 12 years
Male: 12 years
Female: 13 years (2015)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 22.9% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 18% NA
Rate ages 15 24 female: 34.3% NA

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
Etymology: Sao Tome was named after Saint THOMAS the Apostle by the Portuguese who discovered the island on 21 December 1470 (or 1471), 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 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: named after Saint Thomas the Apostle

Administrative divisions: 6 districts (distritos, singular - distrito), 1 autonomous region* (regiao autonoma); Agua Grande, Cantagalo, Caue, Lemba, Lobata, Me-Zochi, Principe*

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 based 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 Carlos Manuel VILA NOVA (since 2 October 2021)
Head of government: Prime Minister Patrice TROVOADA (since 11 November 2022)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, appointed by the president
Elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 18 July 2021 and runoff on 5 September 2021 (next to be held in 2026); prime minister chosen by the National Assembly and approved by the president
Election results:

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (55 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed party-list proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms)
Elections: last held on 25 September 2022 (next to be held 30 September 2026)
Election results: percent of vote by party - ADI 46.81%, MLSTP/PSD 32.70%, MCI-PS -PUN 6.56%, BASTA Movement- 8.8%, other 5.14%; seats by party - ADI 30, MLSTP-PSD 18, MCI-PS -PUN 5, BASTA Movement 2; composition - men 47, women 8, percent of women 14.5%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal Justica (consists of 5 judges); 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 and elected by the National Assembly for 5-year terms
Subordinate courts: Court of First Instance; Audit Court

Political parties and leaders:

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 (vacant)
In the us chancery:
In the us telephone: [1] (212) 317-0533
In the us FAX: [1] (212) 317-0580
In the us email address and website:
From the us embassy: the US does not have an embassy in Sao Tome and Principe; the US Ambassador to Angola is accredited to Sao Tome and Principe
From the us mailing address: 2,290 Sao Tome Place, Washington DC 20,521-2,290

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" (Total Independence)
Lyrics/music: Alda Neves DA GRACA do Espirito Santo/Manuel dos Santos Barreto de Sousa e ALMEIDA
Note: adopted 1975

Economy overview: lower middle-income Central African island economy; falling cocoa production due to drought and mismanagement; joint oil venture with Nigeria; government owns 90% of land; high debt, partly from fuel subsidies; tourism gutted by COVID-19

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 81.4% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 17.6% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 33.4% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 7.9% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -40.4% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 11.8% (2017 est.)
Industry: 14.8% (2017 est.)
Services: 73.4% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: plantains, oil palm fruit, coconuts, taro, bananas, fruit, cocoa, yams, cassava, maize

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

Industrial production growth rate: 1.44% (2021 est.)

Labor force: 71,400 (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate:

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 22.9% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 18% NA
Rate ages 15 24 female: 34.3% NA

Population below poverty line: 66.7% (2017 est.)

Gini index
Coefficient distribution of family income: 40.7 (2017 est.)

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

Budget
Revenues: $95 million (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $102 million (2019 est.)
Surplus  or deficit: -2.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 26.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Public debt:

Revenue
From forest resources: 1.9% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:

Current account balance:

Exports:
Partners: Singapore 30%, Switzerland 24%, France 11%, Poland 7%, Belgium 7%, United States 5% (2019)
Commodities: gas turbines, cocoa beans, aircraft parts, iron products, chocolate (2019)

Imports:
Partners: Portugal 41%, Angola 17%, China 8% (2019 )
Commodities: refined petroleum, cars, rice, flavored water, postage stamps (2019)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

Debt external:

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access population without electricity: (2020) less than 1 million
Access electrification-total population: 78.4% (2021)
Access electrification-urban areas: 80% (2021)
Access electrification-rural areas: 73.7% (2021)
Installed generating capacity: 28,000 kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 78 million kWh (2019 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 11.9 million kWh (2019 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 89.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources solar: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 10.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Coal
Production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 1,200 bbl/day (2019 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports: 1,027 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 173,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 173,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 11.636 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 2,501 (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 197,318 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 87 (2022 est.)

Broadcast media: 1 government-owned TV station; 2 government-owned radio stations; 7 independent local radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available

Internet
Country code: .st
Users total: 112,200 (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 51% (2021 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 2,512 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2020 est.)

Military and security forces: Armed Forces of Sao Tome and Principe (Forcas Armadas de Sao Tome e Principe, FASTP): Army, Coast Guard of Sao Tome e Principe (Guarda Costeira de Sao Tome e Principe, GCSTP), Presidential Guard, National Guard (2023)
Note: the Army and Coast Guard are responsible for external security while the public security police and judicial police maintain internal security; both the public security police and the military report to the Ministry of Defense and Internal Affairs; the judicial police report to the Ministry of Justice, Public Administration, and Human Rights

Military service age and obligation: 18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory military service (reportedly not enforced); 17 is the legal minimum age for voluntary service (2023)

National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: S9

Airports: 2 (2021)
With paved runways: 2
With paved runways note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

Roadways
Total: 1,300 km (2018)
Paved: 230 km (2018)
Unpaved: 1,070 km (2018)

Merchant marine
Total: 25 (2022)
By type: general cargo 15, oil tanker 2, other 8

Ports and terminals
Major seaports: Sao Tome

Disputes international: none identified