The island nation of Sao Tome and Principe achieved independence from Portugal in 1975, and its first democratic elections were held in 1991. A series of coups attempts and a vote of no confidence eventually lead to the displacement of current President Prime Minister Patrice Trovoada, but he was later reinstated. While the most significant source of income over recent years in Sao Tome and Principe has been the production of cocoa, oil reserves not far off the coast were recently discovered.

• Country Profile
  • Land Mass/Major Cities – Sao Tome & Principe’s capital city is Sao Tome. It is made up of two small islands located in the Gulf of Guinea.
  • Languages – Portuguese (official), Forro, Cabo Verdian, French, Angolar, English, Lunguie
• Business Activity
  • Agriculture – Bananas, beans, cinnamon, cocoa, coconuts, coffee, copra, palm kernels, papayas, pepper, and poultry; fish
  • Industries – Beer, fish, light construction, soap, textiles, and timber
  • Natural Resources – Fish and hydropower
  • Exports – Cocoa, coffee, and palm oil
  • Imports – Food products, machinery and electrical equipment, and petroleum products
  • Major Trading Partners – Belgium, China, Gabon, Netherlands, Nigeria, Portugal, Spain, and the United States

Source: CIA. (2017). The World Factbook: Sao Tome & Principe. CIA. Retrieved from: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tp.html