Countries of the World (Africa) - Sao Tome and Principe
Second country from Africa in my new geography series (and the first of many for 2026). As I mentioned before, I started each continent at a different point alphabetically, so we will be focusing on "S" countries the next few weeks for Africa. I'm also trying to decide how often I want to post in this series - you can probably tell I'm doing more than one a week during the holidays since they are not dependent on "news".
Jay LeBlanc
1/3/20264 min read
Section I - Basic Info on Sao Tome and Principe
Official Name: Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe
Population: 223,561 (176th largest in the world, 2nd smallest in Africa)
Area/Size: 372 square miles (a little larger than the city of Indianapolis, IN)
Capital: Sao Tome (80,000 - twinned city of Lisbon, Portugal)
Spoken Languages: Portuguese (official), Forro, Angolar
Religions: Catholic (74%), other Christian (16%), Bahai (2%)
Life Expectancy: 67.7 years Internet Access Rate: 61.5%
Per Capita Income: $6,064 Unemployment: 14%
What do they Export?: Cocoa, copper, palm oil, coffee - exploring for petroleum
Export Partners: Netherlands (26%), France (11%), Belgium (11%), Portugal (8%)
Import Partners: Portugal (35%), Angola (18%), Togo (13%), China (6%)
Government Type: Semi-presidential republic (competitive, free elections)
Section II - Images of Sao Tome and Principe
6 Key Dates in Sao Tome and Principe History
Probably no surprise to teachers, but most of the time the "key dates" will drive what the present-day issues are in the country. That is certainly true in Rwanda, where most Americans' knowledge of the country is probably focused on the events around the movie "Hotel Rwanda".
Dec 21, 1471 - first recorded landing of Portuguese sailors on Sao Tome island (Principe's first record was about a year later). Historical records indicate the islands were uninhabited at the time. As was common in the time period, both islands were originally named after saints (though Principe was later renamed to honor the Prince of Portugal).
1493 - the first successful settlement on Sao Tome by Álvaro Caminha. The earliest settlers were “undesirable” populations sent from Portugal since attracting inhabitants was difficult. Eventually settlers had success with growing sugar and other agriculture (though that quickly led to the importing of slaves).
Early 1800s - the introduction of coffee and cocoa planting (as a way to replace sugar, which was being grown more successfully in the Caribbean) led to the rise of roças, large plantations that were owned by Portuguese companies or absent landlords (with very poor working conditions).
Feb 3, 1953 - the culmination of decades of labor unrest was the “Batepá Massacre” in which workers were killed by Portuguese rulers during a series of riots. The event is still remembered with a holiday in Sao Tome and Principe each year. It also led to the founding of an initial independence movement.
Jul 12, 1975 - after the overthrow of Portugal's dictator in 1974, the new leadership in Portugal wanted to dissolve its overseas colonies. After a short transitional period, Sao Tome and Principe finally gained independence. They quickly became one of the most successful democracies in Africa, with consistent elections and peaceful transfers of power.
1995 - 2009 - Sao Tome's government experienced four different failed, non-violent coup attempts during this period, led by groups concerned about accusations of corruption and mismanagement of oil reserves potentially being developed in the Gulf of Guinea. No long-term issues seem to have continued, with elections coming up in 2026.
Other Non-Political Issues
Section III - Issues of Sao Tome and Principe
General Information on Sao Tome and Principe:
“All About Sao Tome and Principe", Africa.com, Jan 2025, https://africa.com/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-sao-tome-and-principe/
“A guide to São Tomé and Príncipe”, Lonely Planet, Sep 2025, https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/guide-to-sao-tome-principe
“Sao Tome and Principe", Wikipedia, Nov 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A3o_Tom%C3%A9_and_Pr%C3%ADncipe or https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A3o_Tom%C3%A9_and_Pr%C3%ADncipe
"Visit Sao Tome" (national tourism site), 2025, https://www.visitsaotome.com/
“The World Factbook - Sao Tome and Principe", Central Intelligence Agency, Dec 2025, https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/sao-tome-and-principe/
Current Events Stories on Sao Tome and Principe:
"A Break from Crushing Waves: Building Resilience in the Tropical Islands of São Tomé and Príncipe", World Bank Group, Sep 2023, https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/immersive-story/2023/09/04/a-break-from-crushing-waves-building-resilience-in-the-tropical-islands-of-afe-sao-tome-and-principe
"The Development Zone That Never Was?", The Republic, Jul 2025, https://rpublc.com/june-july-2025/nigeria-sao-tome-and-principe/
“São Tomé and Príncipe’s hidden turbulence”, Institute for Security Studies, Dec 2022, https://issafrica.org/iss-today/sao-tome-and-principes-hidden-turbulence
“Sao Tome and Principe coverage", Al-Jazeera, https://www.aljazeera.com/where/sao-tome-and-principe/
“Sao Tome and Principe graduates from least developed country status", UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Dec 2024, https://unctad.org/news/sao-tome-and-principe-graduates-least-developed-country-status
Other Interesting Links Related To Sao Tome and Principe:
“10 Reasons To Visit the Unexplored Islands of São Tomé and Príncipe”, Much Better Adventures, Jun 2023, https://www.muchbetteradventures.com/magazine/visit-sao-tome-principe/
"Sao Tome and Principe: The Islands in the Middle of the World" (video), Somewhere on Earth documentaries, 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaiccEGDc68
“Sao Tome and Principe Explained in 11 Minutes (History, Geography, & Culture)” (video), Opentiera, 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8nwIMvDEFQ
"Sao Tome’s traditional boards are inspiring a new wave of surfers", CNN, Sep 2024, https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/27/business/video/sao-tome-surf-boards-spc
“Why São Tomé and Príncipe Should Be on Your Travel List”, World Nomads, Jan 2020, https://www.worldnomads.com/explore/africa/sao-tome-and-principe/why-this-destination-should-be-on-your-travel-list