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<\/a>The islands were uninhabited until their discovery by Portuguese explorers in the 15th century. Gradually colonized and settled by the Portuguese throughout the 16th century, they collectively served as a vital commercial and trade center for the Atlantic slave trade. The rich volcanic soil and proximity to the Equator made S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe ideal for sugar cultivation, followed later by cash crops such as coffee and cocoa; the lucrative plantation economy was heavily dependent upon imported African slaves. Cycles of social unrest and economic instability throughout the 19th and 20th centuries culminated in peaceful independence in 1975. S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe has since remained one of Africa’s most stable and democratic countries.<\/p>\n
With a population of 201,800, S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe is the second-smallest African sovereign state after Seychelles<\/a>, as well as the smallest Portuguese-speaking country. Its people are predominantly of African and mesti\u00e7o descent, with most practicing Catholic Christianity. The legacy of Portuguese rule is also visible in the country’s culture, customs, and music, which fuse European and African influences. S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe is a founding member state of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries.<\/a><\/p>\n The islands of S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe were uninhabited when the Portuguese arrived sometime around 1470. The first Europeans to put ashore were Jo\u00e3o de Santar\u00e9m<\/a> and P\u00earo Escobar<\/a>. Portuguese navigators explored the islands and decided that they would be good locations for bases to trade with the mainland.<\/p>\n The dates of European arrival are sometimes given as 21 December (St Thomas’s Day<\/a>) 1471, for S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9; and 17 January (St Antony’s Day<\/a>) 1472, for Pr\u00edncipe, though other sources cite different years around that time. Pr\u00edncipe was initially named Santo Ant\u00e3o (“Saint Anthony”), changing its name in 1502 to Ilha do Pr\u00edncipe (“Prince’s Island”), in reference to the Prince of Portugal to whom duties on the island’s sugar crop were paid.<\/p>\n The first successful settlement of S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 was established in 1493 by \u00c1lvaro Caminha<\/a>, who received the land as a grant from the crown. Pr\u00edncipe was settled in 1500 under a similar arrangement. Attracting settlers proved difficult, however, and most of the earliest inhabitants were “undesirables” sent from Portugal, mostly Jews. In time, these settlers found the volcanic soil of the region suitable for agriculture, especially the growing of sugar.<\/p>\n By 1515, S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe had become slave depots for the coastal slave trade centered at Elmina<\/a>.<\/p>\n The cultivation of sugar was a labor-intensive process and the Portuguese began to enslave large numbers of Africans from the mainland. These slaves originated mainly from the Gold Coast, Niger Delta and in Kongo. In the sugar boom’s early stages, property on the islands had little value, with farming for local consumption while the economy relied mainly on the transit of slaves, though already many foodstuffs were imported.<\/p>\n Eventually, competition from sugar-producing colonies in the Western Hemisphere began to hurt the islands. The large enslaved population also proved difficult to control, with Portugal unable to invest many resources in the effort. Sugar cultivation thus declined over the next 100 years, and by the mid-17th century, S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 had become primarily a transit point for ships engaged in the slave trade between continental Africa and the Americas.<\/p>\n In the early 19th century, two new cash crops, coffee and cocoa, were introduced. The rich volcanic soils proved well suited to the new crops, and soon extensive plantations (known as ro\u00e7as), owned by Portuguese companies or absentee landlords, occupied almost all of the good farmland. By 1908, S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 had become the world’s largest producer of cocoa, which remains the country’s most important crop.<\/p>\n The ro\u00e7as system, which gave the plantation managers a high degree of authority, led to abuses against the African farm workers. Although Portugal officially abolished slavery in 1876, the practice of forced paid labor continued.<\/p>\n In the early 20th century, an internationally publicized controversy arose over charges that Angolan contract workers were being subjected to forced labor and unsatisfactory working conditions. Sporadic labor unrest and dissatisfaction continued well into the 20th century, culminating in an outbreak of riots in 1953 in which several hundred African laborers were killed in a clash with their Portuguese rulers. The anniversary of this “Batep\u00e1 Massacre<\/a>” remains officially observed by the government.<\/p>\n By the late 1950s, when other emerging nations across the African continent demanded their independence, a small group of S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9ans had formed the Movement for the Liberation of S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe (MLSTP), which eventually established its base in nearby Gabon. Picking up momentum in the 1960s, events moved quickly after the overthrow of the Caetano dictatorship in Portugal in April 1974.<\/p>\n The new Portuguese regime was committed to the dissolution of its overseas colonies. In November 1974, their representatives met with the MLSTP in Algiers and worked out an agreement for the transfer of sovereignty. After a period of transitional government, S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe achieved independence on 12 July 1975, choosing as the first president the MLSTP Secretary General Manuel Pinto da Costa.<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n In 1990, S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 became one of the first African countries to undergo democratic reform, and changes to the constitution \u2013 the legalization of opposition political parties \u2013 led to elections in 1991 that were nonviolent, free, and transparent. Free and fair elections have continued well into the 21st century.<\/p>\n The islands of S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe, situated in the equatorial Atlantic and Gulf of Guinea<\/a> about 300 and 250 km (190 and 160 mi), respectively, off the northwest coast of Gabon<\/a>, constitute Africa’s second-smallest country. Both are part of the Cameroon volcanic mountain line<\/a>, which also includes the islands of Annob\u00f3n<\/a> to the southwest, Bioko<\/a> to the northeast (both part of Equatorial Guinea<\/a>), and Mount Cameroon<\/a> on the coast of Gulf of Guinea.<\/p>\n S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 is 50 km (30 mi) long and 30 km (20 mi) wide and the more mountainous of the two islands. Its peaks reach 2,024 m (6,640 ft) \u2013 Pico de S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9<\/a>. Pr\u00edncipe is about 30 km (20 mi) long and 6 km (4 mi) wide. Its peaks reach 948 m (3,110 ft) \u2013 Pico de Pr\u00edncipe<\/a>. Swift streams radiating down the mountains through lush forest and cropland to the sea cross both islands. The Equator lies immediately south of S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 Island, passing through the islet Ilh\u00e9u das Rolas.<\/p>\n Since the 19th century, the economy of S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe has been based on plantation agriculture. At the time of independence, Portuguese-owned plantations occupied 90% of the cultivated area. After independence, control of these plantations passed to various state-owned agricultural enterprises. The main crop on S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 is cocoa, representing about 95% of agricultural exports. Other export crops include copra, palm kernels, and coffee.<\/p>\n Domestic food-crop production is inadequate to meet local consumption, so the country imports most of its food. As of 1997, an estimated 90% of the country’s food needs were met through imports. Efforts have been made by the government in recent years to expand food production, and several projects have been undertaken, largely financed by foreign donors.<\/p>\n Other than agriculture, the main economic activities are fishing and a small industrial sector engaged in processing local agricultural products and producing a few basic consumer goods. The scenic islands have potential for tourism, and the government is attempting to improve its rudimentary tourist industry infrastructure. The government sector accounts for about 11% of employment.<\/p>\n Recent oil exploration holds promise for new revenue if the cost of offshore drilling is economically viable.<\/p>\n The main ports in the country are in the city of S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Neves, both on the island of S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9, which were modernized in 2014. Close to the city of S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9, the international airport<\/a> was expanded and modernized.<\/p>\n The telephone system and the road network are good by African standards. The use of the cell phone is widely used and has been improved in recent years. The Internet service is available and has been widely installed in urban areas.<\/p>\n The flag of S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe consists of a red triangle situated at the hoist, with three horizontal green, yellow and green bands charged with two five-pointed black stars at the center. Adopted in 1975 to replace the flag of Portugal from the colonial period, it has been the flag of the Democratic Republic of S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe since the country gained independence in that same year. The design of the present flag was inspired by and is almost identical to the flag of the Movement for the Liberation of S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe<\/a>.<\/p>\n The colors and symbols of the flag carry cultural, political, and regional meanings. The green alludes to the plentiful vegetation of the country, while the yellow stands for the tropical sun and cocoa, a key agricultural crop for the nation. The red evokes the “struggle for independence”, as well as equality. The two black stars on the yellow band represent the two islands that make up the country.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The flag of S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe consists of a red triangle situated at the hoist, with three horizontal green, yellow and green bands charged with two five-pointed black stars at the centre. Adopted in 1975 to replace the flag of Portugal from the colonial period, it has been the flag of the Democratic Republic of S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe since the country gained independence in that same year. The design of the present flag was inspired by and is almost identical to the flag of the Movement for the Liberation of S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9262,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[19,66,59,5,6,7,29,60],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8448"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8448"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8448\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9262"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8448"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8448"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8448"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}History:<\/h2>\n
Arrival of Europeans:<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Portuguese S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe:<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/a>Independence (1975):<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Geography:<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Economy:<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Transportation:<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Flag of S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe:<\/h2>\n
<\/a>