São Tomé and Príncipe

• Area: 386 sq mi (1,001 sq km) / World Rank: 175
• Location: Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, in the Gulf of Guinea, near the equator, west of the northern coast of Gabon on the African continent.
• Coordinates: 1°00′N, 7°00′E
• Borders: None
• Coastline: 130 mi (209 km)
• Territorial Seas: 12 NM
• Highest Point: São Tomé Peak, 6,640 ft (2,024 m)
• Lowest Point: Sea level
• Longest Distances: São Tomé: 30 mi (49 km) NNE SSW / 18 mi (29 km) ESE-WNW; Príncipe: 13 mi (21 km) SSE-NNW / 9 mi (15 km) ENE-WSW
• Longest River: Not available
• Natural Hazards: Drought
• Population: 165,034 (July 2001 est.) / World Rank: 179
• Capital City: São Tomé, located on the northeast coast of the island of São Tomé
• Largest City: São Tomé, population 57,000 (2000 est.)

OVERVIEW

Africa's smallest country, São Tomé and Príncipe, is part of a chain of extinct volcanoes. The two main islands are São Tomé (330 sq mi/855 sq km) and Príncipe (42 sq mi/109 sq km). The country also includes the tiny Ilhéu Bombom, Ilhéu Caroço, and Ilhéu das Rôlas.

São Tomé and Príncipe's landscape is mostly mountainous. Rainforest covers other large areas of land, most of which, at higher elevations, give way to mountain-cloud forests. Most of the coastline is comprised of white sand beaches. Almost all of the population lives on the island of São Tomé.

The islands of São Tomé and Príncipe are located on the African Tectonic Plate.

MOUNTAINS AND HILLS

Mountains

The islands of São Tomé and Príncipe were once part of a chain of ocean volcanoes; these volcanoes are now extinct. Both São Tomé and Príncipe are mountainous. São Tomé's highest peaks are Pico de São Tomé (São Tomé Peak) at 6,640 ft (2,024 m) and Pico Kabumbé (Kabumbé Peak) at 4,630 ft (1,403 m). While there are 10 peaks that rise over 3,500 ft (1,067 m), many of the island's other peaks reach only a little more than half that height. Príncipe's highest elevation is Pico de Príncipe (Príncipe Peak) at 3,109 ft (948 m).

Plateaus

Príncipe features a large plateau that extends along the northwestern coast at elevations that reach 3,110 ft (948 m); the terrain of São Tomé also features a plateau, although it is smaller.

INLAND WATERWAYS

Rivers

The Contador River is located in the northwest, and its river valley is possibly the deepest in São Tomé. Several streams run down from the volcanic highlands into the Gulf of Guinea, the body of water that separates São Tomé and Príncipe from the mainland of Africa.

THE COAST, ISLANDS, AND THE OCEAN

Oceans and Seas

The Gulf of Guinea, the portion of the Atlantic Ocean that lies of the coast of West Africa, surrounds São Tomé and Príncipe.

Major Islands

São Tomé and Príncipe comprise an island nation. Small islets lie around the two main islands, and include Ilhéu das Rôlas, straddling the equator off the southern tip of São Tomé; Ilhéu Caroço, off the southern tip of Príncipe; and Bombom, off the northern coast of Príncipe. In the waters between the two main islands are Tinhosa Peqeuna, Pedras Tinhosas, and Tinhosa Grande. These islets are uninhabited.

The Coast and Beaches

Mostly untouched white sand beaches line most of the coasts and the country is attempting to develop a tourist industry around them. The main ports are São Tomé on the main island, and Santo António on Príncipe.

CLIMATE AND VEGETATION

Temperature

Lying near the equator, the islands' climate is tropical, and temperatures vary with the different altitudes. Temperatures in the coastal regions average 81°F (27°C), while the mountain areas average 68°F (20°C). The seasons are differentiated by precipitation changes rather than temperature changes.

Rainfall

The northern regions of São Tomé and Príncipe receive approximately 40 to 60 in (100 to 150 cm) of rain during the rainy season from October to May, while the most of the southern regions receive between 150 and 200 in (380 and 510 cm). The dry season occurs from early June to September.

Grasslands

In the northern region of São Tomé, there is a dry area where the climate resembles that of the savanna.

Forests and Jungles

Forestland and jungle covers most of the islands. Tropical rainforest changes to cloud-mountain forest above eleveations of 4,500 ft (1,370 m).

HUMAN POPULATION

Almost 95 percent of the population lives on São Tomé, and an estimated 47 percent lives in urban areas.

Santo António is the largest town on Príncipe. The population density is: São Tomé, 392 inhabitants per sq mi (151 per sq km) on São Tomé; 98 per sq mi (38 per sq km) on Príncipe.

NATURAL RESOURCES

São Tomé and Príncipe's natural resources are few; however, the island nation has considerable fish and hydropower resources. The economy, based on agriculture, was once based on the growth of sugarcane, but cocoa has since become the primary resource. Ninety percent of the country's food supply is imported.

FURTHER READINGS

Hodges, Tony. São Tomé and Príncipe: from Plantation Colony to Microstate. Boulder, Colo: Westview Press, 1988.

Iafrica.com. São Tomé and Príncipe. http://africa.iafrica.com/countryinfo/saotome/ (Accessed March 21, 2002).

LonelyPlanet. São Tomé and Príncipe. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/africa/sao_tome_and_principe/environment.htm (Accessed March 21, 2002).

Shaw, Caroline S. São Tomé and Príncipe. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Clio Press, 1994.