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| Introduction | Sao Tome and Principe |
| 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. |
| People | Sao Tome and Principe |
| Population: | 181,565 (July 2004 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 47.7% (male 43,810; female 42,708) 15-64 years: 48.4% (male 42,469; female 45,456) 65 years and over: 3.9% (male 3,275; female 3,847) (2004 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 16.1 years male: 15.5 years female: 16.7 years (2004 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 3.18% (2004 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 41.36 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death rate: | 6.89 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -2.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 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: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 44.58 deaths/1,000 live births female: 42.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 46.57 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 66.63 years male: 65.11 years female: 68.21 years (2004 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 5.8 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA |
| Major infectious diseases: | typhoid fever, malaria overall degree of risk: high (2004) |
| 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: 79.3% male: 85% female: 62% (1991 est.) |
| Government | Sao Tome and Principe |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe conventional short form: Sao Tome and Principe local short form: Sao Tome e Principe local long form: Republica Democratica de Sao Tome e Principe |
| Government type: | republic |
| Capital: | Sao Tome |
| 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 Fradique DE MENEZES (since 3 September 2001) election results: Fradique DE MENEZES elected president in Sao Tome's third multiparty presidential election; percent of vote - NA% elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 29 July 2001 (next to be held NA July 2006); prime minister chosen by the National Assembly and approved by the president head of government: Prime Minister Damiao Vaz DE ALMEIDA (since 17 September 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the proposal of the prime minister |
| Legislative branch: | unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (55 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 3 March 2002 (next to be held NA March 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - MLSTP 39.6%, Force for Change Democratic Movement 39.4%, Ue-Kedadji coalition 16.2%; seats by party - MLSTP 24, Force for Change Democratic Movement 23, Ue-Kedadji coalition 8 |
| Judicial branch: | Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the National Assembly) |
| Political parties and leaders: | Democratic Renovation Party [Armindo GRACA]; Force for Change Democratic Movement [leader NA]; 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]; Ue-Kedadji coalition [leader NA]; other small parties |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA |
| International organization participation: | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OPCW, 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 400 Park Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10022, telephone [1] (212) 317-0580 |
| 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 |
| Communications | Sao Tome and Principe |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 7,000 (2003) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 4,800 (2003) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: adequate facilities domestic: minimal system international: country code - 239; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2002) |
| Radios: | 38,000 (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 2 (2002) |
| Televisions: | 23,000 (1997) |
| Internet country code: | .st |
| Internet hosts: | 1,069 (2003) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 1 (2002) |
| Internet users: | 15,000 (2003) |
| Transportation | Sao Tome and Principe |
| Highways: | total: 320 km paved: 218 km unpaved: 102 km (1999 est.) |
| Ports and harbors: | Santo Antonio, Sao Tome |
| Merchant marine: | total: 24 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 79,490 GRT/97,077 DWT by type: bulk 2, cargo 14, chemical tanker 2, livestock carrier 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 3 foreign-owned: British Virgin Islands 1, Egypt 1, Greece 1, Lebanon 1, Portugal 1, Ukraine 2 (2003 est.) |
| Airports: | 2 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways: | total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
| Military | Sao Tome and Principe |
| Military branches: | Army, Coast Guard, Presidential Guard, National Guard |
| Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 38,347 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 20,188 (2004 est.) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $500,000 (2003) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 0.8% (2003) |
| Transnational Issues | Sao Tome and Principe |
| Disputes - international: | none |
| This page was last updated on 16 December, 2004 |
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