01
Physical geography
Volcanic, mountainous.
Local timeSão Tomé ·
Africa / Middle Africa · Card 044
São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipe is a country in Middle Africa. Its capital is São Tomé.
Find São Tomé and Príncipe
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- São Tomé
- Languages
- Portuguese
- Currency
- São Tomé and Príncipe dobra (STN)
- Population
- 240,2542025 · World Bank
- Area
- 964 km²372 square miles
- Independence
- 1975from Portugal
São Tomé and Príncipe in context
Africa and its surrounding islands. The dot marks São Tomé; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include Portuguese.
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Location
Central Africa, islands in the Gulf of Guinea, just north of the Equator, west of Gabon.
Flag
Three horizontal bands of green (top), yellow (double-width), and green with two five-pointed black stars in the center of the yellow band and a red isosceles triangle based on the left side
History & independence
São Tomé and Príncipe became independent from Portugal on 12 July 1975 after Portugal’s revolution and negotiations with the liberation movement. A new constitution introduced multiparty politics in 1990.
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Portuguese settlement begins
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Independence from Portugal
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A new constitution introduces multiparty politics
Economy
Main activities
Cocoa, tourism, fishing and services are important activities. The small island economy depends on imported goods and external finance. Developing transport links and reliable energy supplies is important for growth.
Industry and production
light construction, textiles, soap, beer, fish processing, timber
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Thousands of people240.32025 · thousands of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Thousands of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 77,626 | 77.626 |
| 1980 | 98,544 | 98.544 |
| 1990 | 122,980 | 122.980 |
| 2000 | 144,018 | 144.018 |
| 2010 | 181,802 | 181.802 |
| 2020 | 217,435 | 217.435 |
| 2025 | 240,254 | 240.254 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars0.332025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 118,982,020 | 0.119 |
| 1991 | 120,410,999 | 0.120 |
| 1992 | 121,253,872 | 0.121 |
| 1993 | 122,587,663 | 0.123 |
| 1994 | 125,284,594 | 0.125 |
| 1995 | 127,790,288 | 0.128 |
| 1996 | 129,707,144 | 0.130 |
| 1997 | 130,999,443 | 0.131 |
| 1998 | 134,274,413 | 0.134 |
| 1999 | 137,631,282 | 0.138 |
| 2000 | 138,248,377 | 0.138 |
| 2001 | 142,484,975 | 0.142 |
| 2002 | 147,272,738 | 0.147 |
| 2003 | 159,483,886 | 0.159 |
| 2004 | 165,126,276 | 0.165 |
| 2005 | 176,048,759 | 0.176 |
| 2006 | 191,657,435 | 0.192 |
| 2007 | 198,636,586 | 0.199 |
| 2008 | 211,009,232 | 0.211 |
| 2009 | 217,977,601 | 0.218 |
| 2010 | 221,134,909 | 0.221 |
| 2011 | 225,556,351 | 0.226 |
| 2012 | 232,194,345 | 0.232 |
| 2013 | 244,081,947 | 0.244 |
| 2014 | 256,057,121 | 0.256 |
| 2015 | 259,999,643 | 0.260 |
| 2016 | 273,459,369 | 0.273 |
| 2017 | 284,706,697 | 0.285 |
| 2018 | 297,171,521 | 0.297 |
| 2019 | 303,157,496 | 0.303 |
| 2020 | 311,114,955 | 0.311 |
| 2021 | 317,023,958 | 0.317 |
| 2022 | 317,558,772 | 0.318 |
| 2023 | 318,740,894 | 0.319 |
| 2024 | 323,454,716 | 0.323 |
| 2025 | 326,781,366 | 0.327 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.637Medium human developmentRank 141 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
20100.564
20200.628
20230.637
69.7 yearsLife expectancy at birth
6.0 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Semi-presidential republic. National Assembly (Assembleia Nacional) has one chamber (a unicameral legislature). The president holds executive responsibilities; the legislature makes national laws.
Knowledge check
Three questions about São Tomé and Príncipe.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which crop is highlighted in São Tomé and Príncipe’s economy?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.