from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Sao Tome and Principe
Introduction
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. Though 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 is likely
to have a significant impact on the country's economy.
Geography
Location: Western Africa, islands in the Gulf of Guinea,
straddling the Equator, west of Gabon
Geographic 1 00 N, 7 00 E
coordinates:
Map Africa
references:
Area: total: 1,001 sq km
land: 1,001 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - more than five times the size of Washington, DC
comparative:
Land 0 km
boundaries:
Coastline: 209 km
Maritime measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
claims: territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May)
Terrain: volcanic, mountainous
Elevation lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
extremes: highest point: Pico de Sao Tome 2,024 m
Natural fish, hydropower
resources:
Land use: arable land: 8.33%
permanent crops: 48.96%
other: 42.71% (2005)
Irrigated 100 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural NA
hazards:
Environment - deforestation; soil erosion and exhaustion
current
issues:
Environment - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change,
international Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
agreements: Modification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements
Geography - the smallest country in Africa; the two main islands
note: form part of a chain of extinct volcanoes and both are
fairly mountainous
People
Population: 193,413 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 47.5% (male 46,478/female 45,302)
15-64 years: 48.8% (male 45,631/female 48,661)
65 years and over: 3.8% (male 3,368/female 3,973) (2006
est.)
Median age: total: 16.2 years
male: 15.6 years
female: 16.8 years (2006 est.)
Population 3.15% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 40.25 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 6.47 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration -2.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 41.83 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 43.74 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 39.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 67.31 years
expectancy at male: 65.73 years
birth: female: 68.95 years (2006 est.)
Total 5.62 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - NA
deaths:
Major degree of risk: high
infectious food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea,
diseases: hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria (2005)
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: Catholic 70.3%, Evangelical 3.4%, New Apostolic 2%,
Adventist 1.8%, other 3.1%, none 19.4% (2001 census)
Languages: Portuguese (official)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 79.3%
male: 85%
female: 62% (1991 est.)
Government
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 republic
type:
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 2 provinces; Principe, Sao Tome
divisions: note: Principe has had self-government since 29 April
1995
Independence: 12 July 1975 (from Portugal)
National Independence Day, 12 July (1975)
holiday:
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 chief of state: President Fradique DE MENEZES (since 3
branch: 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 unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (55
branch: seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to
serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 26 March 2006 (next to be held
March 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - MDFM-PCD
37.2%, MLSTP 28.9%, ADI 20.0%, NR 4.7%, other 9.2%;
seats by party - MDFM-PCD 23, MLSTP 19, ADI 12, NR 1
Judicial Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the National
branch: Assembly)
Political Democratic Renovation Party [Armindo GRACA]; Force for
parties and Change Democratic Movement or MDFM; Independent
leaders: 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; other small parties
Political NA
pressure
groups and
leaders:
International ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
organization (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
participation: IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ITU, NAM, OIF,
OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic chief of mission: First Secretary Domingos Augusto
representation FERREIRA
in the US: chancery: 400 Park Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY
10022
telephone: [1] (212) 317-0580
FAX: [1] (212) 935-7348
consulate(s): Atlanta
Diplomatic the US does not have an embassy in Sao Tome and
representation Principe; the Ambassador to Gabon is accredited to Sao
from the US: Tome and Principe on a nonresident basis and makes
periodic visits to the islands
Flag three horizontal bands of green (top), yellow (double
description: 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
Economy - This small, poor island economy has become increasingly
overview: 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, and is expected
to benefit from an additional round of HIPC debt relief
in early 2006, to help 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 reached 6% in 2004, and also
probably in 2005, as a result of increases in public
expenditures and oil-related capital investment.
GDP $214 million (2003 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $71.38 million
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 6% (2004 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $1,200 (2003 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 16.7%
composition by industry: 14.8%
sector: services: 68.4% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 35,050
Labor force - note: population mainly engaged in subsistence
by occupation: agriculture and fishing; shortages of skilled workers
Unemployment NA%
rate:
Population 54% (2004 est.)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: NA%
income or highest 10%: NA%
consumption by
percentage
share:
Inflation rate 15.2% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 32.2% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $26.39 million
expenditures: $59.48 million; including capital
expenditures of $54 million (2004 est.)
Agriculture - cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, copra, cinnamon, pepper,
products: coffee, bananas, papayas, beans; poultry; fish
Industries: light construction, textiles, soap, beer, fish
processing, timber
Industrial NA%
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 15 million kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 41.2%
production by hydro: 58.8%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 13.95 million kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
production:
Oil - 650 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Current $-20 million (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $8 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - cocoa 80%, copra, coffee, palm oil
commodities:
Exports - Netherlands 61.1%, Belgium 9.2%, Turkey 5.5%, South
partners: Korea 4% (2005)
Imports: $38 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - machinery and electrical equipment, food products,
commodities: petroleum products
Imports - UK 94.2%, Portugal 2.7%, US 1% (2005)
partners:
Reserves of $20 million (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $318 million (2002)
external:
Economic aid - $200 million in December 2000 under the HIPC program
recipient:
Currency dobra (STD)
(code):
Currency code: STD
Exchange dobras per US dollar - 9,900.4 (2005), (2004), 9,347.6
rates: (2003), 9,088.3 (2002), 8,842.1 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 7,000 (2004)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 12,000 (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: adequate facilities
system: domestic: minimal system
international: country code - 239; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2002)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 38,000 (1997)
Television 2 (2002)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 23,000 (1997)
Internet .st
country code:
Internet 735 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 1 (2002)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 20,000 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 2 (2006)
Airports - total: 2
with paved 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
runways: 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)
Roadways: total: 320 km
paved: 218 km
unpaved: 102 km (1999)
Merchant total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 21,527 GRT/29,823 DWT
marine: by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 7
foreign-owned: 3 (Egypt 1, Greece 1, Lebanon 1) (2006)
Ports and Sao Tome
terminals:
Military
Military Armed Forces of Sao Tome and Principe (FASTP): Army,
branches: Coast Guard, Presidential Guard (2004)
Military 18 years of age (est.) (2004)
service age
and
obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 33,438
available for females age 18-49: 35,279 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 25,950
for military females age 18-49: 28,660 (2005 est.)
service:
Military $581,729 (2005 est.)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 0.8% (2005 est.)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Military - Sao Tome and Principe's army is a tiny force with
note: almost no resources at its disposal and would be wholly
ineffective operating unilaterally; infantry equipment
is considered simple to operate and maintain but may
require refurbishment or replacement after 25 years in
tropical climates; poor pay and conditions have been a
problem in the past, as has alleged nepotism in the
promotion of officers, as reflected in the 1995 and
2003 coups; these issues are being addressed with
foreign assistance as initial steps towards the
improvement of the army and its focus on realistic
security concerns; command is exercised from the
president, through the Minister of Defense, to the
Chief of the Armed Forces staff (2005)
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - none
international: