São Tomé and Príncipe, officially the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, is an island country in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. It consists of two archipelagos around the two main islands of São Tomé and Príncipe, about 81 nautical miles (150 km; 93 mi) apart and about 135 and 121 nautical miles (250 and 224 km; 155 and 139 mi) off the northwestern coast of Gabon. With a population of 201,800 (2018 official estimate), São Tomé and Príncipe is the second-smallest and second-least populous African sovereign state after Seychelles.
The islands were uninhabited until Portuguese explorersJoão de Santarém and Pedro Escobar became the first to discover them on 21 December 1470. Gradually colonized and settled throughout the 16th century, they collectively served as a vital commercial and trade centre for the Atlantic slave trade. The rich volcanic soil and proximity to the equator made São Tomé and Príncipe ideal for sugar cultivation, followed later by cash crops such as coffee and cocoa. The lucrative plantation economy was heavily dependent upon enslaved Africans. Cycles of social unrest and economic instability throughout the 19th and 20th centuries culminated in peaceful independence in 1975 as a one-party communist state, which would remain in place until 1990. São Tomé and Príncipe has since remained one of Africa's most stable and democratic countries. São Tomé and Príncipe is a developing economy with a medium Human Development Index.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in São Tomé and Príncipe have improved in the 21st century, although LGBTQ people face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents. Both male and female forms of same-sex sexual activity are legal in São Tomé and Príncipe; however, LGBTQ persons face stigmatization among the broader population.
Two track and field athletes, Yazaldes Nascimento and Fumilay Fonseca, were selected to represent the nation via wildcards, as the nation had no athletes that met either the "A" or "B" qualifying standards. Fonseca was selected as flag bearer for the opening ceremony. Fonseca was also notable for becoming the youngest ever athlete to represent São Tomé and Príncipe at the Summer Olympics, aged 16 years and 92 days. This is a record which still stands today. (Full article...)
Image 2Map of the Gulf of Guinea, showing São Tomé, Príncipe, and Annobón. These islands, together with the island of Bioko and Mount Cameroon on the African mainland, are part of the Cameroon line of volcanoes.
Image 5The island of São Tomé off the west coast of Africa
Image 6Island of Príncipe (Sao Tome and Principe), 1727. The inscription says: "The ISLAND of PRINCESS lies between the Islands of FERNANDO PO & St. THOMÉ in the Latitude of 1 Degree 30 Minutes N. all belonging to the Portuguese. This Island is very Woody and breeds abundance of Monkeys, insomuch that it is not safe to walk in the Woods without a gun. The harbour is very convenient to Careen Ships in, and most Ships Bound from Africa to America with Slaves put in here for Food, Water etc."
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