| 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. |
| Location: |
Western Africa,
islands in the Gulf of Guinea, straddling the Equator, west
of Gabon |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
1 00 N, 7 00 E |
| Area: |
total:
1,001 sq km
land: 1,001 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
more than five
times the size of Washington, DC |
| Maritime
claims: |
measured from
claimed archipelagic baselines
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 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: 36%
permanent pastures: 1%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 61% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
100 sq km (1993
est.) |
| Environment
- current issues: |
deforestation;
soil erosion and exhaustion |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental
Modification, Law of the Sea, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
| Population: |
165,034 (July
2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
47.7% (male 39,857; female 38,859)
15-64 years: 48.28% (male 38,430; female
41,246)
65 years and over: 4.02% (male 3,034; female
3,608) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
3.18% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
42.74
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
7.54 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-3.38 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 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: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
48.96
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 65.59 years
male: 64.15 years
female: 67.07 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
6.02 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
NA% |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
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: 73%
male: 85%
female: 62% (1991 est.) |
| 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
type: |
republic |
| 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 Miguel TROVOADA (since 4 April
1991)
head of government: Prime Minister Guilherma
Posser da COSTA (since 30 December 1998)
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; election last held 30 June and 21 July
1996 (next to be held NA July 2001); prime minister chosen
by the National Assembly and approved by the president
election results: Miguel TROVOADA reelected
president in Sao Tome's second multiparty presidential
election; percent of vote - Miguel TROVOADA 52.74%, Manuel
Pinto da COSTA 47.26% |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral
National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (55 seats; members
are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 8 November 1998 (next to
be held NA November 2003)
election results: percent of vote by party -
MLSTP-PSD 56%, PCD 14.5%, ADI 29%; seats by party -
MLSTP-PSD 31, ADI 16, PCD 8 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court
(judges are appointed by the National Assembly) |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
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]; Democratic Renovation
Party [Armindo GRACA]; other small parties |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| International
organization participation: |
ACCT, ACP, AfDB,
CEEAC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), 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 122 East 42nd Street,
Suite 1604, New York, NY 10168, telephone [1] (212) 317-0533 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
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 |
| 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
- overview: |
This small poor
island economy has become increasingly dependent on cocoa
since independence 25 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 significant 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. 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, but
economic growth has remained sluggish. Sao Tome is also
optimistic that significant 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. At the same time, progress in the
economic reform program has attracted international
financial institutions' support, and GDP growth will likely
rise to at least 4% in 2001-02. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $178 million (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
3% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $1,100 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
23%
industry: 19%
services: 58% (1997 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
5% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
population mainly
engaged in subsistence agriculture and fishing
note: shortages of skilled workers |
| 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
(1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
41.18%
hydro: 58.82%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
15.8 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
cocoa, coconuts,
palm kernels, copra, cinnamon, pepper, coffee, bananas,
papayas, beans; poultry; fish |
| Exports: |
$3.2 million
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
cocoa 90%, copra,
coffee, palm oil |
| Exports
- partners: |
Netherlands 18%,
Germany 9%, Portugal 9% (1998) |
| Imports: |
$40 million
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and
electrical equipment, food products, petroleum products |
| Imports
- partners: |
Portugal 42%, US
20%, South Africa 6% (1998) |
| Debt
- external: |
$268 million
(2000) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$200 million in
December 2000 under the HIPC program |
| Exchange
rates: |
dobras per US
dollar - 2390.04 (December 2000), 7,119.0 (1999), 6,883.2
(1998), 4,552.5 (1997), 2,203.2 (1996) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| 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) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
2 (1997) |
| Televisions: |
23,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.st |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
2 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
500 (2000) |
| Highways: |
total:
320 km
paved: 218 km
unpaved: 102 km (1996) |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Santo Antonio,
Sao Tome |
| Merchant
marine: |
total:
39 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 130,843 GRT/149,048
DWT
ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 21, chemical
tanker 1, container 3, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 1,
petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off
5, specialized tanker 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Army, Navy,
Security Police |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 34,205 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 18,043 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$1 million (FY94) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
1.5% (FY94) |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
|
