1. The region is one of Africa’s tiniest.
São Tomé and Príncipe are two volcanic islands off the coast of West Africa in the Gulf of Guinea and is one of Africa’s smallest countries.
The coordinates for São Tomé and Príncipe are 0.3333° N, 6.7333°
2. Nine out of ten people here choose one island over the other!
Their joint population was 227,380 in 2022, with around 90% living on São Tomé.
3. Seriously, these islands are minute!
The total area of both islands is 386 square miles (1,001 square kilometres), with São Tomé about 6 times larger than Príncipe.
4. What is the capital city?
São Tomé and Príncipe’s capital is São Tomé (city), which has an area of 6.6 square miles (17 square kilometres) and a population of 71,868 (2015).
5. Temperatures are warm, yet manageable.
At sea level, the islands have a tropical climate with average annual temperatures of around 27°C, but which rarely exceeds 32°C! Let’s go!
6. There’s good life expectancy here.
The average life span here is 70.17 years (2018).
7. Time to exchange those coins!
You’ll need to exchange your money for Dobra should you wish to be sipping a cool drink on one of São Tomé and Príncipe’s sandy beaches!
8. What do they speak on the islands?
The main language spoken here is Portuguese, owing to the fact the islands were discovered by Portuguese navigators in the 15th century and only gained independence in 1975!
9. It has a Portuguese name
The name ‘Sao Tome’ is Portuguese for ‘Saint Thomas’.
10. There are plenty of exports.
The islands farm coconuts, palm kernels, cacao, copra, poultry and fish, and export cacao, palm oil and coffee.
Its industry consists of textiles, soap, beer, timber, light construction and perhaps unsurprisingly, fish processing.
11. The wildlife here is gorgeous.
The islands are home to a number of different plants and birds, including the world’s largest sunbird and the world’s smallest ibis. There are, however, no lions, tigers or deadly spiders or snakes on the islands! Perfect!
12. Want to call your friends in São Tomé and Príncipe?
The international dialling code for São Tomé and Príncipe is +239.
FAQs about São Tomé and Príncipe
Are São Tomé and Príncipe safe for travellers?
Yes - São Tomé and Príncipe are considered very safe to travel to as crime rates are extremely low.
Are São Tomé and Príncipe poor?
As much of São Tomé and Príncipe are uninhabited, the islands are considered fairly poor when it comes to GDP and average earnings.
What are the natural resources of São Tomé and Príncipe?
São Tomé and Príncipe is very big on renewables - in fact, they focus largely on hydroelectrics!
Do you know any interesting or fun facts about Sao Tome and Principe? Share them in the comments below!
Are you interested in learning more about the smaller African nations? Check out these interesting facts about Comoros.
