International Security Bulletin

Sao Tome and Principe

Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe

Capital: Sao Tome

History

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 African 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. In 2012, three opposition parties combined in a no confidence vote to bring down the majority government of former Prime Minister Patrice TROVOADA. The new government of Prime Minister Gabriel Arcanjo Ferreira DA COSTA is entirely composed of opposition party members with limited experience in governance. The recent discovery of oil in the Gulf of Guinea promises to attract increased attention to the small island nation.

Geography

Metric Units

Total Area	964 sq km
Land Boundaries	0 km
Border Countries	No data
Coastline	209 km
Terrain	volcanic, mountainous
Minimum Elevation	0 m
Maximum Elevation	2,024 m
Climate	tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May)
Natural Resources	fish, hydropower
Arable Land	9.06%
Permanent Crops	40.62%

Economy

Gross Domestic Product	$403 million
GDP (per capita)	$2,300
GDP Growth	4.5%
Unemployment Rate	No data%
Population in Poverty	66.2%
GINI Index	No data

Budget & Debt

Expenditures	$139.9 million
Revenue	$111.5 million
Current Account Balance	$-85.1 million
External Debt	$316.6 million

Trade

Exports	$11.9 million
Export Items	cocoa 80%, copra, coffee, palm oil
Export Partners	Netherlands 29.4%, Belgium 27.5%, US 8.7%, Italy 4.9%, Nigeria 4.8% (2011)
Imports	$121.9 million
Import Items	machinery and electrical equipment, food products, petroleum products
Import Partners	Portugal 63.8%, US 6%, Gabon 4.7%, France 4% (2011)

People

Population	186,817
Population Growth	1.94%
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)
Religion	Catholic 70.3%, Evangelical 3.4%, New Apostolic 2%, Adventist 1.8%, other 3.1%, none 19.4% (2001 census)
Life Expectancy	63.86 years
Infant Mortality	1 deaths/1,000 live births
Maternal Mortality	2.8 deaths/100,000 live births

Energy

Electricity Production	32 million kWh
Electricity Consumption	29.76 million kWh
From Fossil Fuels	57.1%
From Nuclear	0%
From Hydroelectric	42.9%
From Renewable Sources	0%