]! ^! 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. Although the first free elections were held in 1991, the political environment has been one of continued instability with frequent changes in leadership and coup attempts in 1995 and 2003. The recent discovery of oil in the Gulf of Guinea promises to have a significant impact on the country's economy. 
]" ^" Western Africa, islands in the Gulf of Guinea, straddling the Equator, west of Gabon ^# 1 00 N, 7 00 E ^$ Africa ^% `! 1,001 sq km `" 1,001 sq km `# 0 sq km ^& more than five times the size of Washington, DC ^' 0 km ^( 209 km ^) measured from claimed archipelagic baselines `$ 12 nm `N 200 nm ^* tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May) ^+ volcanic, mountainous ^, `% Atlantic Ocean 0 m `& Pico de Sao Tome 2,024 m ^- fish, hydropower ^. `' 8.33% `( 48.96% `) 42.71% (2005) ^/ 100 sq km (2003) ^0 NA ^1 deforestation; soil erosion and exhaustion _P `P Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands `Q none of the selected agreements ^2 the smallest country in Africa; the two main islands form part of a chain of extinct volcanoes and both are fairly mountainous 
]# ^3 199,579 (July 2007 est.) ^4 `+ 47.3% (male 47,796/female 46,589) `, 49% (male 47,386/female 50,412) `- 3.7% (male 3,383/female 4,013) (2007 est.) ^5 `! 16.2 years `. 15.7 years `/ 16.8 years (2007 est.) ^6 3.13% (2007 est.) ^7 39.72 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) ^8 6.28 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) ^9 -2.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) ^: `0 1.03 male(s)/female `1 1.026 male(s)/female `, 0.94 male(s)/female `- 0.843 male(s)/female `2 0.976 male(s)/female (2007 est.) ^; `! 40.54 deaths/1,000 live births `. 42.42 deaths/1,000 live births `/ 38.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) ^< `2 67.64 years `. 66.03 years `/ 69.3 years (2007 est.) ^= 5.53 children born/woman (2007 est.) ^> NA ^? NA ^@ NA _` `h high `i bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria (2007) ^A `3 Sao Tomean(s) `4 Sao Tomean ^B 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) ^C Catholic 70.3%, Evangelical 3.4%, New Apostolic 2%, Adventist 1.8%, other 3.1%, none 19.4% (2001 census) ^D Portuguese (official) ^E `5 age 15 and over can read and write `2 79.3% `. 85% `/ 62% (1991 est.) 
]$ ^F `6 Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe `7 Sao Tome and Principe `Z Republica Democratica de Sao Tome e Principe `[ Sao Tome e Principe ^H republic ^I `8 Sao Tome `9 0 12 N, 6 39 E `: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) ^J 2 provinces; Principe, Sao Tome `* Principe has had self government since 29 April 1995 ^K 12 July 1975 (from Portugal) ^L Independence Day, 12 July (1975) ^M approved March 1990, effective 10 September 1990 ^N based on Portuguese legal system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction ^O 18 years of age; universal ^P `; President Fradique DE MENEZES (since 3 September 2001) `< Prime Minister Tome Soares da VERA CRUZ (since 21 April 2006) `= Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the proposal of the prime minister `> 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 `? Fradique DE MENEZES elected president; percent of vote - Fradique DE MENEZES 60%, Patrice TROVOADA 38.5% ^Q unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (55 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) `> last held on 26 March 2006 (next to be held in March 2010) `? 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 ^R Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the National Assembly) ^S Democratic Renovation Party [Armindo GRACA]; Force for Change Democratic Movement or MDFM; Independent Democratic Action or ADI [Carlos NEVES]; Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe-Social Democratic Party or MLSTP-PSD [Manuel Pinto Da COSTA]; New Way Movement or NR; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Aldo BANDEIRA]; Ue-Kedadji coalition; other small parties ^T NA ^U ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ITU, ITUC, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) ^V `R First Secretary Domingos Augusto FERREIRA `S 400 Park Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10022 `T [1] (212) 317-0580 `U [1] (212) 935-7348 `^ Atlanta ^W 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 ^X 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 
]% ^Y 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, but strengthening prices helped boost export earnings in 2003. 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 4% in 2006, as a result of increases in public expenditures and oil-related capital investment. ^Z $214 million (2003 est.) ^[ $71.38 million (2005 est.) ^\ 4.4% (2006 est.) ^] $1,200 (2003 est.) ^^ `@ 16.6% `A 15.3% `B 68.1% (2006 est.) ^_ 35,050 (1991) ^` `* population mainly engaged in subsistence agriculture and fishing; shortages of skilled workers ^a NA% _! 54% (2004 est.) _" `C NA% `D NA% _# 15% (2006 est.) _V 35.2% of GDP (2006 est.) _$ `E $102.1 million `F $61.43 million; including capital expenditures of $54 million (2006 est.) _& cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, copra, cinnamon, pepper, coffee, bananas, papayas, beans; poultry; fish _' light construction, textiles, soap, beer, fish processing, timber _( NA% _) 18 million kWh (2004) _* 16.74 million kWh (2004) _+ 0 kWh (2004) _, 0 kWh (2004) _- 0 bbl/day (2004 est.) _. 660 bbl/day (2004 est.) _/ NA bbl/day _0 NA bbl/day _1 0 cu m (2004 est.) _2 0 cu m (2004 est.) _Q $-24.4 million (2006 est.) _3 $9.773 million f.o.b. (2006 est.) _4 cocoa 80%, copra, coffee, palm oil _5 Netherlands 61.7%, Belgium 9.3%, Turkey 5.6%, South Korea 4.1% (2005) _6 $48.87 million f.o.b. (2006 est.) _7 machinery and electrical equipment, food products, petroleum products _8 Portugal 47.6%, US 17.3%, Malaysia 6.2%, Belgium 5.3% (2005) _[ $25.47 million (2006 est.) _9 $318 million (2002) _: $200 million in December 2000 under the HIPC program _; dobra (STD) _< dobras per US dollar - 12,050 (2006), 9,900.4 (2005), NA 9,902.3 (2004), 9,347.6 (2003), 9,088.3 (2002) _= calendar year 
]& _> 7,000 (2004) _? 12,000 (2005) _@ `G adequate facilities `H minimal system `I country code - 239; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) _A AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2002) _B 2 (2002) _C .st _D 735 (2006) _E 20,000 (2005) 
]' _F 2 (2006) _G `! 2 `b 1 `c 1 (2006) _H `! 320 km `K 218 km `L 102 km (1999) _S `! 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 21,527 GRT/29,823 DWT by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 7 `X 3 (Egypt 1, Greece 1, Lebanon 1) (2006) _I Sao Tome 
]( _J Armed Forces of Sao Tome and Principe (FASTP): Army, Coast Guard, Presidential Guard (2004) _T 18 years of age (est.) (2004) _K males age 18-49: 33,438 females age 18-49: 35,279 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 25,950 females age 18-49: 28,660 (2005 est.) _U 0.8% (2006 est.) _M 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) 
]) _N none 