Banco Central de São Tomé.
Photo: Ji-Elle, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Did you know?
The islands were uninhabited until Portuguese explorers João de Santarém and Pedro Escobar discovered them on 21 December 1470. Gradually colonized and settled throughout the 16th century, they collectively served as a vital commercial and trade centre for the Atlantic slave trade. The rich volcanic soil and proximity to the equator made São Tomé and Príncipe ideal for sugar cultivation, followed later by other cash crops such as coffee and cocoa. The lucrative plantation economy was heavily dependent upon enslaved Africans.
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Railway hangar in Sundy, São Tomé and Príncipe (Collection Jerónimo Carneiro)
Photo: Jerónimo Carneiro Family, Public domain · source
This image was uploaded as part of Wiki Loves Africa 2019 photographic contest.
Photo: Ji-Elle, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Palais présidentiel à São Tomé, capitale de São Tomé-et-Principe.
Photo: Ji-Elle, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
History
The islands making up São Tomé and Príncipe were formed approximately 30 million years ago due to volcanic activity in deep water along the Cameroon Line. Over time, interactions with seawater and periods of eruption have engendered a wide variety of different igneous and volcanic rocks on the islands with complex assemblages of minerals.
The islands of São Tomé and Príncipe were uninhabited when the Portuguese arrived 21 December 1470. The first Europeans to put ashore were João de Santarém and Pêro Escobar. Portuguese navigators explored the islands and decided that they would be good locations for bases to trade with the mainland.
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Plantations de palmiers à huile à Ribeira Peixe, au sud-est de l'île de São Tomé, dans le district de Caué (São Tomé-et-Principe).
Photo: Ji-Elle, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
This image was uploaded as part of Wiki Loves Africa 2019 photographic contest.
Photo: Ji-Elle, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Casa da Cultura à São Tomé.
Photo: Ji-Elle, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Geography
The islands of São Tomé and Príncipe, situated in the equatorial Atlantic and Gulf of Guinea about 160 and 130 nautical miles (300 and 240 km; 180 and 150 mi), respectively, off the northwest coast of Gabon, constitute Africa's second-smallest country. Both are part of the Cameroon volcanic mountain line, which also includes the islands of Annobón to the southwest, Bioko to the northeast (both part of Equatorial Guinea), and Mount Cameroon on the coast of Gulf of Guinea.
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Politics
São Tomé and Príncipe is a unitary state operating under a semi-presidential system. The president of the republic is elected to a five-year term by direct universal suffrage and a secret ballot, and must gain an outright majority to be elected. The president may hold up to two consecutive terms. The prime minister is appointed by the president, and the 14 members of the cabinet are chosen by the prime minister.
The National Assembly, the supreme organ of the state and the highest legislative body, is made up of 55 members, who are elected for a four-year term and meet semiannually.
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Economy
Since the 19th century, the economy of São Tomé and Príncipe has been based on plantation agriculture. At the time of independence, Portuguese-owned plantations occupied 90% of the cultivated area. After independence, control of these plantations passed to various state-owned agricultural enterprises. The main crop on São Tomé is cocoa, representing about 54% of agricultural exports. In the early 1900s, São Tomé and Príncipe was the world's largest exporter of cocoa and popularly known as the "Chocolate Islands". Other export crops include copra, palm kernels, and coffee.
Wikipedia: São Tomé and Príncipe – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Demographics
The total population was estimated at 201,800 in May 2018 by the government agency. About 193,380 people live on São Tomé and 8,420 on Príncipe. The natural population increase is about 4,000 people per year.
Nearly all citizens are descended from people from different countries taken to the islands by the Portuguese from 1470 onwards. In the 1970s, two significant population movements occurred: the exodus of most of the 4,000 Portuguese residents and the influx of several hundred São Tomé refugees from Angola.
Distinct ethnic groups on São Tomé and Príncipe include:
Wikipedia: São Tomé and Príncipe – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Culture
São Toméan culture is a mixture of African and Portuguese influences.
São Toméans are known for ússua and socopé rhythms, while Príncipe is home to the dêxa beat. Portuguese ballroom may have played an integral part in the development of these rhythms and their associated dances.
Tchiloli is a musical dance performance that tells a dramatic story. The danço-Congo is similarly a combination of music, dance, and theatre.
São Tomé and Príncipe's Portuguese-language literature and poetry is considered some of the richest in Lusophone Africa.
Wikipedia: São Tomé and Príncipe – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0