1.
[syn: Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Sao Tome e Principe, Sao Thome e Principe, St. Thomas and Principe]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
Sao Tome and Principe
n 1: island nation in the South Atlantic off the west coast of
Africa; achieved independence from Portugal in 1975; has
enormous offshore oil reserves [syn: Sao Tome and
Principe, Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe,
Sao Tome e Principe, Sao Thome e Principe, St. Thomas
and Principe]
CIA World Factbook 2002:
Sao Tome and Principe
Introduction Sao Tome and Principe
----------------------------------
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.
Although independence was achieved
in 1975, democratic reforms were not
instituted until the late 1980s. The
first free elections were held in
1991.
Geography Sao Tome and Principe
-------------------------------
Location: Western Africa, islands in the Gulf
of Guinea, straddling the Equator,
west of Gabon
Geographic coordinates: 1 00 N, 7 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 1,001 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 1,001 sq km
Area - 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
highest point: Pico de Sao Tome
2,024 m
Natural resources: fish, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 41%
other: 57% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 100 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion and
exhaustion
Environment - international party to: Biodiversity, Climate
agreements: Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification,
Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of
the selected agreements
Geography - note: the smallest country in Africa; the
two main islands form part of a
chain of extinct volcanoes and both
are fairly mountainous
People Sao Tome and Principe
----------------------------
Population: 170,372 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 47.7% (male 41,159;
female 40,125)
15-64 years: 48.3% (male 39,701;
female 42,586)
65 years and over: 4% (male 3,115;
female 3,686) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.18% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 42.3 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 7.32 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: -3.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/
female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 47.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 65.93 years
female: 67.45 years (2002 est.)
male: 64.47 years
Total fertility rate: 5.95 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ NA
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
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 Cape Verde), tongas
(children of servicais born on the
islands), Europeans (primarily
Portuguese)
Religions: Christian 80% (Roman Catholic,
Evangelical Protestant, Seventh-Day
Adventist)
Languages: Portuguese (official)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 79.3%
male: 85%
female: 62% (1991 est.)
Government Sao Tome and Principe
--------------------------------
Country name: conventional long form: Democratic
Republic of Sao Tome and Principe
conventional short form: Sao Tome
and Principe
local short form: Sao Tome e
Principe
local long form: Republica
Democratica de Sao Tome e Principe
Government type: republic
Capital: Sao Tome
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
DE MENEZES (since 3 September 2001)
election results: Fradique DE
MENEZES elected president in Sao
Tome's third multiparty presidential
election; percent of vote - NA%
elections: president elected by
popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 29 July 2001
(next to be held NA July 2006);
prime minister chosen by the
National Assembly and approved by
the president
head of government: Prime Minister
Gabriel Arcanjo Ferreira DA COSTA
(since 8 April 2002)
cabinet: Council of Ministers
appointed by the president on the
proposal of the prime minister
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or
Assembleia Nacional (55 seats;
members are elected by direct,
popular vote to serve four-year
terms)
elections: last held 3 March 2002
(next to be held NA March 2006)
election results: percent of vote by
party - MLSTP 39.6%, Force for
Change Democratic Movement 39.4%,
Ue-Kedadji coalition 16.2%; seats by
party - MLSTP 24, Force for Change
Democratic Movement 23, Ue-Kedadji
coalition 8
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 [leader NA]; 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]; Party for
Democratic Convergence or PCD [Aldo
BANDEIRA]; Ue-Kedadji coalition
[leader NA]; other small parties
Political pressure groups and NA
leaders:
International organization ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CEEAC, CEMAC, ECA,
participation: FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA,
IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU,
NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
(observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: Sao Tome and Principe does not have
an embassy in the US, but does have
a Permanent Mission to the UN,
headed by First Secretary Domingos
Augusto FERREIRA, located at 400
Park Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY
10022, telephone [1] (212) 317-0580
Diplomatic representation from the the US does not have an embassy in
US: 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 Sao Tome and Principe
-----------------------------
Economy - overview: This small poor island economy has
become increasingly dependent on
cocoa since independence 26 years
ago. However, cocoa production has
substantially declined because of
drought and mismanagement. The
resulting shortage of cocoa for
export has created a persistent
balance-of-payments problem. Sao
Tome has to import all fuels, most
manufactured goods, consumer goods,
and a substantial amount of food.
Over the years, it has been unable
to service its external debt and has
had to depend 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. Sao Tome's success
in implementing structural reforms
has been rewarded by international
donors, who have pledged increased
assistance in 2001. 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 also optimistic that
substantial petroleum discoveries
are forthcoming in its territorial
waters in the oil-rich waters of the
Gulf of Guinea. Corruption scandals
continue to weaken the economy.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $189
million (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,200
(2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 25%
industry: 10%
services: 65% (1999 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA%
percentage share: highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7% (2001 est.)
Labor force: NA
Labor force - by occupation: population mainly engaged in
subsistence agriculture and fishing
note: shortages of skilled workers
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $58 million
expenditures: $114 million,
including capital expenditures of
$54 million (1993 est.)
Industries: light construction, textiles, soap,
beer; fish processing; timber
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 17 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 41.18%
hydro: 58.82%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 15.81 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels,
copra, cinnamon, pepper, coffee,
bananas, papayas, beans; poultry;
fish
Exports: $4.1 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities: cocoa 90%, copra, coffee, palm oil
Exports - partners: Portugal 33.3%, Netherlands 8.3%,
Spain 8.3% (1999)
Imports: $40 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and electrical equipment,
food products, petroleum products
Imports - partners: Portugal 43%, France 15.7%, UK 13.7%
(1999)
Debt - external: $253.8 million (2000)
Economic aid - recipient: $200 million in December 2000 under
the HIPC program
Currency: dobra (STD)
Currency code: STD
Exchange rates: dobras per US dollar - 9,009.1
(December 2001), 8,842.1 (2001),
7,978.2 (2000), 7,119.0 (1999),
6,883.2 (1998), 4,552.5 (1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Sao Tome and Principe
------------------------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 3,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 6,942 (1997)
Telephone system: general assessment: adequate
facilities
domestic: minimal system
international: satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 38,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 2 (1997)
Televisions: 23,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .st
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000)
Internet users: 6,500 (2001)
Transportation Sao Tome and Principe
------------------------------------
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 320 km
paved: 218 km
unpaved: 102 km (1996)
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: Santo Antonio, Sao Tome
Merchant marine: total: 41 ships (1,000 GRT or over)
totaling 169,991 GRT/245,996 DWT
ships by type: bulk 6, cargo 23,
chemical tanker 1, container 3,
livestock carrier 1, petroleum
tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 1, roll
on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 1
note: includes some foreign-owned
ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Egypt 1, Greece 1,
Kenya 1, Portugal 1, Syria 1, Turkey
1 (2002 est.)
Airports: 2 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2001)
Military Sao Tome and Principe
------------------------------
Military branches: Army, Navy, Security Police
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 35,524 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 18,727 (2002 est.)
service:
Military expenditures - dollar $400,000 (FY01)
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of 0.8% (FY01)
GDP:
Transnational Issues Sao Tome and Principe
------------------------------------------
Disputes - international: none