The country is made up of two
main islands, São Tomé and Principe, and several
small islets.
Lying on the equator the
climate is hot and humid, although different micro
climates mean there are dry planes of grass in the
North of São Tomé, unspoilt rainforest in Principe,
and cool fresh climates in the mountains.
The islands are of volcanic
origin with fertile soil and rich vegetation.
Unique to the country are a
number of species of flowers, birds and butterflies.
Rainy season is from
September to May and the dry season is from June to
August.
Cocoa production dominates
the islands’ agriculture.
There is a population of
133,000 in the country, of which 95.7% live on São
Tomé island.
The official language is
Portuguese, spoken by 95% of the population. Lungwa
Santomé is the main national dialect and several
regional dialects are spoken.
Today the population can be
divided between Angolares, reportedly
descending from the survivors of a slave ship
shipwrecked in the 1540s, Forros or Filhos
da Terra, descendants of the first Portuguese
settlers and freed slaves, Seviçais, contract
labourers from Cape Verde, Angola, and Mozambique,
and Tongas descendants of Serviçais.
in history 