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US DEPARTMENT OF STATE BACKGROUND NOTES:  SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE

August 1991
Official Name:  Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe

PROFILE

Geography
Area:  963 sq. km. (372 sq. mi.); one-third the size of Rhode
Island.  Cities:  Capital--Sao Tome.  Other cities--Trindade,
Santana, Porto Alegre, Santo Antonio. Terrain:  Two small, volcanic
islands. Climate:  Tropical, with wet and dry seasons.

People
Nationality:  Noun and adjective--Sao Tomean(s).  Population
(1991):  123,500.  Annual growth rate: 1.8%.  Ethnic groups:  Mixed
African, Portuguese-African.   Religion:  Christian 80%.  Language:
Portuguese.  Education: Years compul-sory--to secondary level.
Literacy--about 51%.  Health:  Infant mortality rate
(1990)--62/1,000.  Life expectancy--65 yrs. Work force  (1990,
35,000):  Agriculture--70%.  Industry, commerce, services--13%.
Government--12%.

Government
Type:  Republic.  Independence:  July 12, 1975.  Constitution:
November 5, 1975; revised September 1990, following a national
referendum.
Branches:  Executive--president and prime minister.
Legislative--National Assembly.  Judicial--Supreme Tribunal.
Administrative subdivisions:  7 counties, 6 on Sao Tome, 1 on
Principe.
Political parties:  Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and
Principe/Social Democratic Party (MLSTP/PSD); Democratic
Convergence Party/Group of Reflection (PCD/GR); Christian
Democratic Front (PDC); Democratic Coalition (CODO).
Suffrage: Universal adult.
Central government budget (1990):  $9.2 million. Current
deficit--$807,000.
National holiday:  July 12.
Flag:  Green, yellow, and green horizontal bands, two black stars
in the yellow band, red triangle on the staff side.

Economy
GDP (1990):  $53 million.  Annual growth rate:  3.8%.  Per capita
income (1990):  $434.  Annual inflation rate: 40%, 1990;
36%, 1989; 40%, 1988; 25%, 1987.
Natural resources: Agricultural products, fish.
Agriculture (25% of GDP): Products--cocoa, copra, palm kernels,
bananas. Cultivated land--35,741 hectares.
Industry (10% of GNP): Types--light construction, shirts, soap,
beer, fisheries, shrimp processing.
Trade (1990 est.): Exports--$2.4 million:  cocoa, copra, palm
kernels, coffee. Major markets--Netherlands, Germany, China.
Imports--$4.5 million: foodstuffs, petroleum products. Major
suppliers--Portugal, Netherlands, Angola (fuel), Japan.
Official exchange rate (July 1991):  192.0 dobras=US$1.

Membership in International Organizations
     UN, Organization of African Unity (OAU), European Community
(associate member under the Lome Convention), Economic Community of
Central African States (CEEAC).

PEOPLE

     Of Sao Tome and Principe's total population, about 116,500
live on Sao Tome and 7,000 on Principe. All are descended from
groups that have migrated to the islands since 1485.  Six groups
are identifiable:
     --  Mestico, or mixed-blood, descendants of African slaves
brought to the islands during the early years of settlement from
Benin, Gabon, Congo, and Angola (these people also are known as
filhos da terra or "sons of the land");
     -- Angolares, reputedly descendants of Angolan slaves who
survived a 1540 shipwreck and now earn their livelihood fishing;
     --  Forros, descendants of freed slaves;
     --  Servicais, contract laborers from Angola, Mozambique, and
Cape Verde, living temporarily on the islands;
     --  Tongas, children of servicais born on the islands; and
     --  Europeans, primarily Portuguese.
     In the 1970s, there were two significant population
movements--an exodus of most of the 4,000 Portuguese residents and
an influx of several hundred Sao Tomean refugees from Angola.
     The islanders have been absorbed largely into a common
Portuguese-African culture. Almost all belong to the Roman
Catholic, Evangelical Protestant, or Seventh-day Adventist
Churches, which retain close ties with churches in Portugal.

HISTORY

     These uninhibited islands were first discovered by Portuguese
navigators between 1469 and 1472. The first successful settlement
of Sao Tome was established in 1493 by Avaro Caminha, who received
the land as a grant from the Portuguese crown. Principe was settled
in 1500 under a similar arrangement. By the mid-1500s, with the
help of slave labor, the Portuguese settlers had turned the islands
into Africa's foremost exporter of sugar. Sao Tome and Principe
were taken over and administered by the Portuguese crown in 1522
and 1573, respectively.
     Sugar cultivation declined over the next 100 years, and by the
mid-1600s, Sao Tome was little more than a port of call for
bunkering ships. In the early 1800s, two new cash crops, coffee and
cocoa, were introduced. The rich volcanic soils proved well  suited
to them, and extensive plantations (rocas), owned by Portuguese
companies or absentee landlords, soon occupied most of the good
farmland. By 1908, Sao Tome had become the world's largest producer
of cocoa, still the country's most important crop.
     The rocas system, which gave the plantation managers a high
degree of authority, led to abuses against the African farm
workers. Although Portugal officially abolished slavery in 1876,
the practice of forced paid labor continued. In the early 1900s, an
international  press controversy arose over charges that Angolan
contract workers were being subjected to forced labor and
unsatisfactory working conditions. Sporadic labor unrest and
dissatisfaction continued well into the 20th century, culminating
in an outbreak of riots in 1953 in which several hundred African
laborers were killed.  This "Batepa Massacre" remains a major event
in the colonial history of the islands, and its anniversary is
officially observed by the government.
     By the late 1950s, when other emerging nations across the
African Continent were demanding independence, a small group of Sao
Tomeans had formed the Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and
Principe (MLSTP), which eventually established its base in nearby
Gabon. Picking up momentum in the 1960s, events moved quickly after
the overthrow of the Caetano dictatorship in Portugal in April
1974. The new Portuguese regime was  committed to the dissolution
of its overseas colonies.  In 1974, Portuguese representatives met
with the MLSTP in Algiers and worked out an agreement for the
transfer of sovereignty. After a period of transition, Sao Tome and
Principe achieved independence on July 12, 1975, choosing as its
first president the MLSTP Secretary General Manuel Pinto da Costa.
     Da Costa was re-elected unopposed in 1985 to a third 5-year
term.  He declined to run in Sao Tome's first multi-party
presidential election, held in March 1991, and was succeeded on
April 3, 1991, by Miguel Trovoada, an MLSTP founder who had been
exiled after challenging Da Costa's leadership of the party.

GOVERNMENT

     Under the new constitution passed by the National Assembly in
April 1990, which was approved in an August public referendum and
promulgated in September, Sao Tome and Principe held multi-party
elections for the first time since independence.  Shortly after the
constitution took effect, the Popular Assembly formally legalized
opposition parties and permitted independent candidates to
participate in the January 1991 legislative elections.  The Popular
Assembly is the supreme organ of the state and the highest
legislative body.  It is elected for a 4-year period and meets
semiannually.
     The president of the republic is elected to a 5-year term by
universal suffrage and secret ballot.  Under the revised
constitution, the president is now elected by direct vote and is
limited to two terms.
     Justice is administered at the highest level by the Supreme
Tribunal, formerly responsible to the Popular Assembly.  The
judiciary is now independent under the new constitution.

Principal Government Officials
President--Miguel Trovoada
Prime Minister--Daniel Lima Dos Santos Daio
Minister Foreign Affairs--Alda Bandeira Tavares Vaz Da Conceicao
Ambassador to the United States and the United Nations--Joaquim
Rafael Branco

     The Sao Tome and Principe Mission to the United States, which
also is the Sao Tomean Embassy to the United Nations, is located at
801 Second Avenue, Suite 1504, NY, NY  10017 (tel. [phone])

POLITICAL CONDITIONS
     The MLSTP was the sole political party and predominant force
in Sao Tomean politics from independence until 1991.
A new constitution, as announced in 1989 by President Da Costa, was
adopted by the Popular Assembly in April 1990 approved in an August
nationwide referendum, and promulgated in September of that year.
     In preparation for the elections, opposition parties were
legalized, and independent candidates were authorized to seek
seats.  Several oppositoin candidates, including Miguel Trovoada,
who became the country's new president, returned to Sao Tome and
Principe from exile to participate.  In January 1991, Sao Tome
became the second Lusophone African country (only weeks after Cape
Verde) to hold multi-party legislative elections;  2 months later,
it completed the transition by electing a new president.

ECONOMY

     Since the 1800s, the Sao Tome and Principe economy has been
based on plantation agriculture.  At the time of independence,
Portuguese-owned plantations occupied 90% of the cultivated land.
After independence, control of these plantations passed to various
state-owned agricultural enterprises. The dominant crop on Sao Tome
is cocoa, representing about 90% of exports.  Other export crops
include copra, palm kernels, and coffee.  Domestic food-crop
production is inadequate to meet local consumption, and the country
imports some of its food.  Efforts have been made by the government
in recent years to expand food production, and several projects
have been undertaken, largely financed by foreign donors.
     Other than agriculture, the main economic activities are
fishing and a small industrial sector engaged in processing local
agricultural products and producing a few basic consumer goods.
The scenic islands have potential for tourism, and the government
is attempting to improve its rudimentary tourist industry
infrastructure.  The government sector accounts for about 20% of
both employment and gross domestic product.  Since independence,
the country has had a centrally directed economy with most means of
production owned and controlled by the state.  The new constitution
guarantees a "mixed economy," with privately owned cooperatives
combined with publicly owned property and means of production.
     In recent years, the economy of Sao Tome has encountered major
difficulties:  economic growth has stagnated, and cocoa exports
have dropped in both value and volume, leaving large
balance-of-payments deficits.  The situation stems from a
combination of external and internal factors, including the
significantly lower world price for cocoa and production
inefficiencies on the plantations.
     In response to its economic downturn, the government announced
its intention to carry out far-reaching economic reforms.  In 1987,
the government implemented  an International Monetary Fund
structural adjustment program, to which the new government
continues to adhere.  It has invited greater private participation
in management of parastatals, as well as in the agricultural,
commercial, banking, and tourism sectors, and is increasing efforts
to attract foreign investment to Sao Tome and Principe.
     The Sao Tomean Government has traditionally obtained foreign
assistance from various donors.  The UN Development Program, the
World Bank, the European Community, and the African Development
Bank finance projects on the islands.  Both communist and Western
governments have provided bilateral technical assistance in the
past.
     Portugal remains one of Sao Tome's major trading partners,
particularly as a source of imports.  Food, manufactured articles,
and machinery and transportation equipment are imported from the
European Economic Community. The Netherlands and Germany represent
the largest markets for the country's exports.

FOREIGN RELATIONS
     Until independence, Sao Tome and Principe had few ties abroad
except those that passed through Portugal.  Following independence,
the new government sought to expand its diplomatic relationships.
A common language, tradition, and colonial experience have led to
close collaboration between Sao Tome and other ex-Portuguese
colonies in Africa, particularly Angola.  Sao Tomean relations with
other countries in the region, such as the Congo and Gabon, also
are good.
     Sao Tome and Principe has diplomatic relations with Western
countries, including the US, Portugal, France, and Germany, and
with communist countries, such as the Soviet Union and Cuba.  The
latter have been active in providing technical advisers in Sao
Tome, especially Cuba, which has advisers in the Ministries of
Education and Planning.
     While the Sao Tomean Government has maintained a foreign
policy based on nonalignment and cooperation with any country
willing to assist in its economic development, it has recently
begun to emphasize ties to the United States and Western Europe.

US-SAO TOMEAN RELATIONS

     The United States was among the first to accredit an
ambassador to Sao Tome and Principe.  The US Ambassador, based in
Gabon, is accredited to Sao Tome on a non-resident basis.  The
Ambassador and embassy staff make regular visits to the islands.
The first Sao Tomean Ambassador to the United States, resident in
New York City, was accredited in 1985.  In 1986, Sao Tomean
President da Costa visited the United States and met with Vice
President Bush.
     The United States has funded projects aimed at training
managers on cocoa plantations and has contributed food commodities
through the UN World Food Program. In addition, the
United States has a program to develop and support farmers'
cooperatives.  A small Peace Corps program in health education was
inaugurated in October 1990.  The United States, through the Human
Rights Fund, provided communications equipment and an election
expert to help organize Sao Tome and Principe's 1991 multi-party
legislative and presidential elections.

Principal US Officials

Ambassador--Keith L. Wauchope
Deputy Chief of Mission--Stephen G. Brundage
Political Officer--Alexander Andrews
Economic/Commercial Officer--Matthew Rooney
Consular Officer--Melissa Kehoe
Public Affairs Officer--Jan Hartman

     The US Embassy in Gabon is located on the Boulevard de la Mer,
B.P. 4000, Libreville, Gabon (tel: [phone]; fax: [phone]).

Travel Notes
     Customs:  Obtain visas in advance from a Sao Tomean Embassy.
A vaccination certificate against yellow fever is required of all
visitors except those arriving from a non-infected area and who
stay for less than 2 weeks. Health requirements change; check
latest information.
     Climate and clothing: Lightweight, washable clothing is
recommended year round.  At higher altitudes in the interior,
evenings can be cool enough for sweaters.
     Health: Tapwater is not potable; boil drinking water.  Avoid
raw vegetables and undercooked meats.  Take malaria pills starting
3 weeks before arrival.  The islands have adequate hospital
facilities for common ailments.
     Telecommunications: Telephone and telegraph link the islands
with Europe and, more recently, with the African mainland at Gabon,
although in the latter case connections are often difficult. A
radio network also connects the Sao Tomean government with its
representative in Libreville. Sao Tome is four standard time zones
ahead of eastern standard time.
     Transportation:  Regular air service from Libreville is
limited to four weekly flights by Equatorial Airlines.  Charter
aircraft also are available. The Angolan national airline, TAAG,
has two flights weekly from Luanda. Taxi service is available.  The
Portuguese national airline, TAP, has one flight monthly from
Lisbon. There are two flights a week from Sao Tome to Principe, but
most transportation between the islands is by boat.
     National holidays: Businesses may be closed on the following
official holidays Martyrs' Day,   February 4;
Independence/National Day, July 12; Armed Forces Day,  First week
in September (varies); Farmers' Day, September 30.

     For information on economic trends, commercial development,
production, trade regulations, and tariff rates, contact the
International Trade Administration, US Department of Commerce,
Washington, DC, 20230 or any Commerce Department district office.