The total population of São Tomé and Príncipe was estimated at 165,034 in 2001. The capital and principal port is São Tomé (population, 1990 estimate, 50,000), located on the northeastern coast of São Tomé island. The population, descendants of peoples who came to the islands beginning in the late 1400s, is composed of six identifiable groups: mestiço, or mixed-blood; angolares, descendants of Angolan slaves; forros, descendants of freed slaves; serviçais, contract laborers from nearby African countries; tongas, children of serviçais born on the islands; and Europeans, mostly from Portugal. Portuguese is the official language, but 90 percent of the people speak Fang, a Bantu language. Most of the people are Christian; 83 percent are Roman Catholic.
The population consists mainly of Forros, descendants of immigrant Europeans and African slaves. They speak a creolized form of Portuguese; standard Portuguese is the official language and is understood by a majority of islanders. Cape Verdeans form the largest group of foreigners, perhaps amounting to about 10 percent of the total population; many have adopted São Tomense nationality. Portuguese, Angolans, and Mozambicans make up most of the rest of the foreign community. Like the Cape Verdeans, they are relatively well integrated with the other islanders, owing to a shared Portuguese cultural background. The Angolares, descended from slaves who survived a shipwreck in the 16th century, remained apart in the isolated southern zone of São Tomé island until the late 19th century, speaking a Bantu language. They have since spread throughout the country and have become largely assimilated. Almost the entire population belongs to the Roman Catholic church, although there are a few small Protestant congregations. Traditional African religions are also practiced.
The islands were probably uninhabited when first visited by Portuguese navigators in the early 1470s. From 1485 the Portuguese settled convicts and exiled Jews on the islands and developed a thriving slave trade and sugar-growing economy. Cacao was introduced in 1822, and by 1900 São Tomé and Príncipe was a leading world producer. In 1951, São Tomé and Príncipe became an overseas province of Portugal. On July 12, 1975, the country attained independence under MLSTP rule.
The nation’s first president, Manuel Pinto da Costa, served until 1991, when Miguel Trovoada was elected. On August 15, 1995, Trovoada was deposed in a bloodless coup led by army officers. He was reinstated, however, on August 22, after agreeing to pardon the soldiers who participated in the coup. International threats to cut off aid to the country hastened the restoration of the government. In 1996 Trovoada was reelected to another five-year term.
This small country has a homogeneous culture, profoundly marked by centuries of Portuguese colonialism, although the government has been keen to stress the country's African heritage. Language, family structure, and religion are basically Portuguese. Many African elements have been adopted in the cooking, customs, beliefs, and dress of the common people, and the poorer classes only speak creole. The single newspaper appears erratically, but the government-run radio station is active, and there have been experiments with a television station.
In the south and west of both islands, high volcanic mountains fall precipitously to the sea, although neither island has witnessed any volcanic activity in recent centuries. The mountains descend gradually to small plains in the northeast. São Tomé Peak, the highest point on the main island, rises to 6,640 feet (2,024 metres) above sea level, while Príncipe Peak on the smaller island reaches 3,110 feet (948 metres). These mountainous areas are deeply dissected by the effects of stream erosion, and spectacular isolated volcanic plugs stand out as landmarks. Swift and rocky streams rush down to the coast in every direction.
The economy of São Tomé and Príncipe is dependent on plantation agriculture, particularly cacao production. The major plantations were nationalized after independence in 1975. In 1999 the gross domestic product, which measures the total value of goods and services produced in the country, was $46.9 million, or $320 per inhabitant. The leading agricultural products are cacao, coconuts, copra, melons, and bananas. Cacao accounted for 60 percent of export earnings in the early 1990s. Because agriculture is dominated by export crops, 90 percent of the country’s food must be imported. The unit of currency is the dobra.
Decades of colonial stagnation were followed by economic disruption after independence in 1975. Under the tutelage of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, São Tomé and Príncipe has gradually restored a functioning economy by devaluing its currency, restricting the budget deficit, privatizing formerly nationalized companies, attracting foreign investment, and removing price subsidies and controls. About four-fifths of the total land area of the two islands belongs to the state and is divided into 15 large plantation enterprises, several of which have been leased out to foreign management companies. High levels of unemployment coexist with a critical labour shortage on the plantations, where wages and working conditions are poor.
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.
adequate facilities
domestic: minimal system
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat.
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
Under the 1982 constitution, as amended, the Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe (MLSTP) was the country’s sole legal political party. A new constitution approved by referendum in August 1990 abolished the monopoly of the MLSTP and authorized multiparty elections for the president and the 55-member legislature. In 1994 the legislature approved a bill granting autonomy to Príncipe. Príncipe assumed this status after holding elections in March 1995 for a five-member regional government and a seven-member regional assembly.
International organization Member
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).
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.)
None
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