Sao Tome and Principe : Ask Biography

General information

Common name

São Tomé and Príncipe

Local name

República Democrática de São Tomé e Príncipe

Name

República Democrática de São Tomé e Príncipe

Motto

Unidade, Disciplina, Trabalho
Portuguese: "Unity, Discipline, Work"

Anthem

Independência total
"Total Independence"

Capital

São Tomé

Largest city

capital

Official languages

Portuguese

Regional languages

Forro, Angolar, Principense

Demonym

Santomean

Government

Government

Democratic semi-presidential Republic

President

Manuel Pinto da Costa

Prime Minister

Patrice Trovoada

Independence

Independence

from Portugal

12 July 1975

Geography

Total Area

372 sq mi (963.5 km2) (183rd)

Water %

Demography

Population Est.

163000 (188th)

Density (pop.)

169.1/km² (69th) (438.2/sq mi)

Economy

GDP PPP

$311 million (2010)

GDP (PPP) per capita

$1,880

GDP (nominal)

$196 million (2010)

GDP (nominal) per capita

$1,183

Other information

HDI

(+) 0.488 (2010) (medium) (127th)

Currency

Dobra (STD)

Time zone

UTC (UTC+0)

Drives on the

right

Internet TLD

.st

Calling code

239

Home | Country | Sao Tome and Principe

São Tomé and Príncipe, officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is a Portuguese-speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. It consists of two islands: São Tomé and Príncipe, located about 140 km (87 mi) apart and about 250 and 225 km (155.3 and 139.8 mi ), respectively, off the northwestern coast of Gabon. Both islands are part of an extinct volcanic mountain range. São Tomé, the sizable southern island, is situated just north of the equator. It was named in honour of Saint Thomas by Portuguese explorers who arrived at the island on his feast day.

With a population of 163,000 (2010), São Tomé and Príncipe is the second-smallest African country (the Seychelles being the smallest). It is the smallest country in the world in terms of population that is not a former British overseas territory, a former United States trusteeship, or one of the European microstates. It is also the smallest Portuguese-speaking country.

The name in Portuguese, São Tomé e Príncipe, is pronounced -ptsɐ̃w̃ tuˈmɛ i ˈpɾĩsɨpɨ. Pronunciation of São Tomé and Príncipe in English varies, with dictionaries citing the most common pronunciations as c-enˌsaʊ_toʊˈmeɪ_ən_ˈprɪnsɨpə and c-enˌsaʊ_tɒˈmeɪ_ənd_ˈprɪnsɨpeɪ .