São Tomé and Príncipe

São Tomé and Príncipe

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name República Democrática de São Tomé e Príncipe/Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe Area 1,000 sq km/386 sq mi Capital São Tomé Language Portuguese (official), Fang (a Bantu language), Lungwa São Tomé (a Portuguese Creole) Religion Roman Catholic 80%, animist Time difference GMT +/-0 Major holidays 1 January, 3 February, 1 May, 12 July, 6, 30 September, 21, 25 December; variable: Corpus Christi, Good Friday, Easter Monday


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Santo António, Santana, Porto-Alegre, Trinidade, Neves, Santo Amaro Physical features comprises two main islands and several smaller ones, all volcanic; thickly forested and fertile Airports one international airport and one domestic airport; total passengers carried: 35,000 (2001 est) Railways none Roads total road network: 320 km/199 mi, of which 68.1% paved (1999 est); passenger cars: 30 per 1,000 people (1996 est)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state Fradique de Menezes from 2001 Head of government Tomé Vera Cruz from 2006 Political system emergent democracy Political executive limited presidency Administrative divisions six districts Political parties Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé e Príncipe–Social Democratic Party (MLSTP–PSD), nationalist socialist; Democratic Convergence Party–Reflection Group (PCD–GR), moderate left of centre; Independent Democratic Action (ADI), centrist Death penalty abolished in 1990 Armed forces no proper army; reorganization of island's armed forces (estimated at 900) and police into two separate police forces (one for public order, the other for criminal investigations) was initiated in 1992 Health spend (% GDP) 7.2 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency dobra GDP (US$) 57 million (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 5.5 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 60 million (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 1,4,80 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 19.8% (2006 est) Unemployment 2.9% (2002) Labour force 62.2% agriculture, 15.1% industry, 22.7% services (2003) Foreign debt (US$) 350 million (2004 est) Major trading partners the Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, Angola, Germany, USA, Brazil Industries agricultural and timber processing, soft drinks, soap, textiles, beer, bricks, ceramics, shirts Exports cocoa, copra, coffee, bananas, palm oil. Principal market: the Netherlands 37.3% (2004) Imports capital goods, food and live animals, petroleum and petroleum products. Principal source: Portugal 25.3% (2004) Arable land 8.3% (2006 est) Agricultural products cocoa, coconuts, copra, bananas, palm oil, cassava, sweet potatoes, yams, coffee; fishing; forest resources (75% of land area was forest and woodland in the early 1990s)


POPULATION

Population 160,100 (2006 est) Population growth rate 3.2% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 160 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 38 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 39%, 15–59 55%, 60+ 6% (2005 est) Ethnic groups predominantly African; mixed African and Portuguese origin, angolares (descendants of Angolan slaves) Life expectancy 63 (men); 65 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 118 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 6 Literacy rate 86% (men); 70% women (2003 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 4.7 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 4.7 (2002 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 89 (urban); 73 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 4.6 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 7.7 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 319 (1998 est) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 127 (2004 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 13.1 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

1471 First visited by the Portuguese, who imported convicts and slaves to work on sugar plantations in the formerly uninhabited islands. 1522 Became a province of Portugal. 1530 Slaves successfully revolted, forcing plantation owners to flee to Brazil; thereafter became a key staging post for Congo-Americas slave trade. 19th century Forced contract labour used to work coffee and cocoa plantations. 1953 More than 1,000 striking plantation workers gunned down by Portuguese troops. 1960 First political party formed, the forerunner of the socialist-nationalist Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé e Príncipe (MLSTP). 1974 Military coup in Portugal led to strikes, demonstrations, and army mutiny in São Tomé; thousands of Portuguese settlers fled the country. 1975 Independence achieved, with Manuel Pinto da Costa (MLSTP) as president; close links developed with communist bloc, and plantations nationalized. 1984 Formally declared a nonaligned state. 1988 Coup attempt against da Costa foiled by Angolan and East European troops. 1990 MLSTP abandoned Marxism as communism collapsed in Eastern Europe; new pluralist constitution approved in referendum. 1991 First multiparty elections. 1994 MLSTP returned to power. 1998 MLSTP–PSD won absolute majority in assembly. 2001 Fradique de Menezes of Force for Change Democratic Movement (MDFM) elected president. 2003 Coup by armed forces ended peacefully as President de Menezes agreed to amnesty for coup leaders. 2005 Government signed first offshore oil exploration licence. 2006 De Menezes re-elected; MDFM returned as largest parliamentary party.


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