Sao Tome and Principe

Internet country code

.st

Internet hosts

1,355 (2008)

Internet users

23,000 (2007)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2001)

Telephone system

general assessment: local telephone network of adequate quality with most lines connected to digital switches domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity approaching 20 telephones per 100 persons international: country code - 239; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

7,700 (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular

30,100 (2007)

Television broadcast stations

2 (2001)

Agriculture - products

cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, copra, cinnamon, pepper, coffee, bananas, papayas, beans; poultry; fish

Budget

revenues: $63.21 million expenditures: $54.94 million (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate

28% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

32.4% (31 December 2007)

Currency (code)

dobra (STD)

Current account balance

-$55 million (2007 est.)

Debt - external

$318 million (2002)

Economy - overview

This small, poor island economy has become increasingly dependent on cocoa since independence in 1975. Cocoa production has substantially declined in recent years because of drought and mismanagement. Sao Tome has to import all fuels, most manufactured goods, consumer goods, and a substantial amount of food. Over the years, it has had difficulty servicing its external debt and has relied heavily 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, which helped bring down the country's $300 million debt burden. In August 2005, Sao Tome signed on to a new 3-year IMF Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) program worth $4.3 million. 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. Sao Tome is optimistic about the development of petroleum resources in its territorial waters in the oil-rich Gulf of Guinea, which are being jointly developed in a 60-40 split with Nigeria. The first production licenses were sold in 2004, though a dispute over licensing with Nigeria delayed Sao Tome's receipt of more than $20 million in signing bonuses for almost a year. Real GDP growth exceeded 6% in 2007, as a result of increases in public expenditures and oil-related capital investment.

Electricity - consumption

16.74 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2007)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production

18 million kWh (2006 est.)

Exchange rates

dobras (STD) per US dollar - 13,700 (2007), 12,050 (2006), 9,900.4 (2005), 9,902.3 (2004), 9,347.6 (2003)

Exports

$9 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities

cocoa 80%, copra, coffee, palm oil

Exports - partners

Netherlands 23.7%, Belgium 23.7%, France 12.9%, US 5.9%, Portugal 4.1% (2007)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$144 million (2007 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$256 million (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 14.9% industry: 14% services: 71% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$1,600 (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

6% (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$66 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and electrical equipment, food products, petroleum products

Imports - partners

Portugal 62.2%, US 11.6%, Gabon 4.5% (2007)

Industrial production growth rate

7% (2007 est.)

Industries

light construction, textiles, soap, beer, fish processing, timber

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

18% (2007 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

36.9% of GDP (2007 est.)

Labor force

35,050 (1991)

Labor force - by occupation

note: population mainly engaged in subsistence agriculture and fishing; shortages of skilled workers

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

660 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports

659.5 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$34.6 million (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$31.84 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of money

$19.99 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money

$33.5 million (31 December 2007)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Area

total: 1,001 sq km land: 1,001 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

more than five times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May)

Coastline

209 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Pico de Sao Tome 2,024 m

Environment - current issues

deforestation; soil erosion and exhaustion

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

1 00 N, 7 00 E

Geography - note

the smallest country in Africa; the two main islands form part of a chain of extinct volcanoes and both are mountainous

Irrigated land

100 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 8.33% permanent crops: 48.96% other: 42.71% (2005)

Location

Western Africa, islands in the Gulf of Guinea, straddling the Equator, west of Gabon

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

measured from claimed archipelagic baselines territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

fish, hydropower

Terrain

volcanic, mountainous

Administrative divisions

2 provinces; Principe, Sao Tome note: Principe has had self government since 29 April 1995

Capital

name: Sao Tome geographic coordinates: 0 12 N, 6 39 E time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

approved March 1990, effective 10 September 1990

Country name

conventional long form: Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe conventional short form: Sao Tome and Principe local long form: Republica Democratica de Sao Tome e Principe local short form: Sao Tome e Principe

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: First Secretary Domingos Augusto FERREIRA chancery: 400 Park Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10022 telephone: [1] (212) 317-0580 FAX: [1] (212) 935-7348 consulate(s): Atlanta

Executive branch

chief of state: President Fradique DE MENEZES (since 3 September 2001) head of government: Prime Minister Joachim Rafael BRANCO (since 22 June 2008) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the proposal of the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 30 July 2006 (next to be held July 2011); prime minister chosen by the National Assembly and approved by the president election results: Fradique DE MENEZES elected president; percent of vote - Fradique DE MENEZES 60%, Patrice TROVOADA 38.5%

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

Government type

republic

Independence

12 July 1975 (from Portugal)

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, CPLP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ITU, ITUC, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the National Assembly)

Legal system

based on Portuguese legal system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (55 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held on 26 March 2006 (next to be held in March 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - MDFM-PCD 37.2%, MLSTP 28.9%, ADI 20.0%, NR 4.7%, others 9.2%; seats by party - MDFM-PCD 23, MLSTP 19, ADI 12, NR 1

National holiday

Independence Day, 12 July (1975)

Political parties and leaders

Force for Change Democratic Movement or MDFM [Tome Soares da VERA CRUZ]; Independent Democratic Action or ADI [[Patrice TROVOADA]; Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe-Social Democratic Party or MLSTP-PSD [Rafael BRANCO]; New Way Movement or NR; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Delfim NEVES]; Ue-Kedadji coalition; other small parties

Political pressure groups and leaders

Association of Sao Tome and Principe NGOs or FONG other: the media

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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. While independence was achieved in 1975, democratic reforms were not instituted until the late 1980s. The country held its first free elections in 1991, but frequent internal wrangling between the various political parties precipitated repeated changes in leadership and two failed coup attempts in 1995 and 2003. The recent discovery of oil in the Gulf of Guinea promises to attract increased attention to the small island nation.

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 42,340 females age 16-49: 43,781 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 33,735 females age 16-49: 36,779 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 2,437 female: 2,394 (2008 est.)

Military - note

Sao Tome and Principe's army is a tiny force with almost no resources at its disposal and would be wholly ineffective operating unilaterally; infantry equipment is considered simple to operate and maintain but may require refurbishment or replacement after 25 years in tropical climates; poor pay, working conditions, and alleged nepotism in the promotion of officers have been problems in the past, as reflected in the 1995 and 2003 coups; these issues are being addressed with foreign assistance aimed at improving the army and its focus on realistic security concerns; command is exercised from the president, through the Minister of Defense, to the Chief of the Armed Forces staff (2005)

Military branches

Armed Forces of Sao Tome and Principe (FASTP): Army, Coast Guard of Sao Tome e Principe (Guarda Costeira de Sao Tome e Principe, GCSTP), Presidential Guard (2007)

Military expenditures

0.8% of GDP (2006)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age (est.) (2004)

Age structure

0-14 years: 47.1% (male 49,196/female 47,941) 15-64 years: 49.3% (male 49,326/female 52,324) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 3,350/female 4,041) (2008 est.)

Birth rate

39.12 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate

5.98 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Education expenditures

NA

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)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

total: 38.36 deaths/1,000 live births male: 40.11 deaths/1,000 live births female: 36.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Languages

Portuguese (official)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 68 years male: 66.35 years female: 69.69 years (2008 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 84.9% male: 92.2% female: 77.9% (2001 census)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria (2008)

Median age

total: 16.3 years male: 15.8 years female: 16.9 years (2008 est.)

Nationality

noun: Sao Tomean(s) adjective: Sao Tomean

Net migration rate

-1.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Population

206,178 (July 2008 est.)

Population growth rate

3.116% (2008 est.)

Religions

Catholic 70.3%, Evangelical 3.4%, New Apostolic 2%, Adventist 1.8%, other 3.1%, none 19.4% (2001 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 10 years male: 10 years female: 10 years (2006)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.43 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Airports

2 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)

Merchant marine

total: 6 by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 5 foreign-owned: 1 (Greece 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals

Sao Tome

Roadways

total: 320 km paved: 218 km unpaved: 102 km (2000)