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. 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 two failed coup attempts in 1995 and 2003. The recent discovery of oil in the Gulf of Guinea promises to attract increased attention to the small island nation.

Western Africa, islands in the Gulf of Guinea, straddling the Equator, west of Gabon

more than five times the size of Washington, DC

measured from claimed archipelagic baselines

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

volcanic, mountainous

deforestation; soil erosion and exhaustion

the smallest country in Africa; the two main islands form part of a chain of extinct volcanoes and both are mountainous

212,679 (July 2010 est.)

38.54 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

5.8 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

-1.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

5.21 children born/woman (2010 est.)

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)

Catholic 70.3%, Evangelical 3.4%, New Apostolic 2%, Adventist 1.8%, other 3.1%, none 19.4% (2001 census)

Portuguese (official)

2 provinces; Principe, Sao Tome

12 July 1975 (from Portugal)

Independence Day, 12 July (1975)

approved March 1990, effective 10 September 1990

based on Portuguese legal system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (55 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the National Assembly)

Force for Change Democratic Movement or MDFM [Tome Soares da VERA CRUZ]; Independent Democratic Action or ADI [Patrice TROVOADA]; Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe-Social Democratic Party or MLSTP-PSD [Rafael BRANCO]; New Way Movement or NR; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Delfim NEVES]; Ue-Kedadji coalition; other small parties

Association of Sao Tome and Principe NGOs or FONG

ACP, AfDB, AOSIS, AU, CPLP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ITU, ITUC, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

the US does not have an embassy in 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

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; red symbolizes the struggle for independence, the two stars represent the two main islands

This small, poor island economy has become increasingly dependent on cocoa since independence in 1975. Cocoa production has substantially declined in recent years because of drought and mismanagement. 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, which helped 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. Potential exists for the development of petroleum resources in Sao Tome's territorial waters in the oil-rich Gulf of Guinea, which are being jointly developed in a 60-40 split with Nigeria, but any actual production is at least several years off. 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 averaged about 6% in 2006-07, as a result of increases in public expenditures and oil-related capital investment, but has been declining in the years since.

$295.1 million (2009 est.)

$283.7 million (2008 est.)

$268.2 million (2007 est.)

$191 million (2009 est.)

34.5% of GDP (2009 est.)

28% (31 December 2008)

28% (31 December 2007)

32.4% (31 December 2008)

32.4% (31 December 2007)

$27.84 million (31 December 2008)

$19.99 million (31 December 2007)

$36.95 million (31 December 2008)

$33.5 million (31 December 2007)

$20.42 million (31 December 2008)

$31.84 million (31 December 2007)

cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, copra, cinnamon, pepper, coffee, bananas, papayas, beans; poultry; fish

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

19 million kWh (2007 est.)

17.67 million kWh (2007 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

1,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

726 bbl/day (2007 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)

-$58 million (2009 est.)

-$53 million (2008 est.)

$8 million (2009 est.)

$8 million (2008 est.)

cocoa 80%, copra, coffee, palm oil

UK 32.99%, Netherlands 26.93%, Belgium 21.04%, Portugal 4.31% (2009)

$86 million (2009 est.)

$73 million (2008 est.)

machinery and electrical equipment, food products, petroleum products

Portugal 58.9%, Brazil 6.68%, US 4.71%, Japan 4.49% (2009)

$39 million (31 December 2009 est.)

$34 million (31 December 2008 est.)

dobras (STD) per US dollar - 16,000 (2009), 14,900 (2008), 13,700 (2007), 12,050 (2006), 9,900.4 (2005)

1 government-owned TV station; 1 government-owned radio station; 3 independent local radio stations authorized in 2005 with 2 operating at the end of 2006; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available (2007)

Armed Forces of Sao Tome and Principe (FASTP): Army, Coast Guard of Sao Tome e Principe (Guarda Costeira de Sao Tome e Principe, GCSTP), Presidential Guard (2010)

18 years of age (est.) (2004)

Sao Tome and Principe's army is a tiny force with 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, working conditions, and alleged nepotism in the promotion of officers have been problems in the past, as reflected in the 1995 and 2003 coups; these issues are being addressed with foreign assistance aimed at improving 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)