The tiny islands of Sao Tome and Principe lie in the Gulf of Guinea just off the West African coast. Colonised by the Portugese, their influence is still evident in the 16th century architecture of Sao Tome town, the country's capital, and the old colonial plantations. Sao Tome offers visitors a unique blend of African and Portugese culture as well as some beautiful landscapes in Obo Natural Park, culminating in the heights of Pico de Sao Tome. Explore in depth highlights of Sao Tome and Principe.
| Tours | Unesco WHS | Guidebooks |
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| groups tours with set departures |
0 World Heritage Sites | country, regions and cities |
| Time zone: | GMT 0 (Greenwich mean time) | Daylight savings: None |
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| Main languages: | Portuguese |
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| Currency: |
dobras (STD) €1 = Db24505, $1 = Db21961, £1 = Db29205 (rates as of Sep 2016) |
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| Internet Domain: | .st | International Dialling Code: 239 |
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For help planning your trip to Sao Tome and Principe including visas, vaccinations, currency exchange, flights, accomodation and insurance, see our Sao Tome and Principe trip planning page.
Further information on Sao Tome and Principe
Discover more about Sao Tome and Principe - the country's geogrpahy and natural features, an assessment of its status on freedom and rights and data on the country's population and economy.
Geography & Natural Features
Total area: 1,001 sq km (0 sq km under water)
Coastline: 209 km (Gulf of Guinea)
Neighbours (border lengths): No land borders
Climate: Tropical climate with hot and humid conditions and one rainy season between October and May.
Highest mountain: Pico de Sao Tome (2,024m)
Freedom & Rights
Summary status and rankings for Sao Tome and Principe from classifications of different organisations measuring political and economic freedom, democracy and civil rights. See more details of these rankings.
| Index | Status | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Freedom in the World | Free | - |
 | Democracy Index | No Data | - |
 | Economic Freedom | Mostly Unfree | 136/179 |
 | Press Freedom | No Data | - |
 | ILGA LGBT rights | Limited rights | - |
 | Corruption Perceptions | Medium corruption | 76/174 |
| Overall Ranking: | 92/195 | ||
Other Data & Links
Full name: Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe Status: Independent Country
Population: 190,428 (rank: 177/196) Density: 190.2 people/sq km (rank: 49/196)
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)
Religions: Catholic 70.3%, Evangelical 3.4%, New Apostolic 2%, Adventist 1.8%, other 3.1%, none 19.4% (2001 census)
GDP (PPP): $0.421 billion GDP per capita: $2,200 (rank: 158/195)
Information derived from the CIA World Factbook. Other country profiles: BBC News.