Five Fascinating Facts on Sao Tome and Principe

Angola

A major business partner mainly in the area of natural energy resources; this country is the major supplier of oil and natural gas to São Tomé and Príncipe and hundreds from this country visit São Tomé and Príncipe every year, contributing to the local economy. São Tomé and Príncipe maintains an embassy in Luanda and Angola maintains an embassy in São Tomé.

Sao Tome

The capital and largest city of the Central African island country of São Tomé and Príncipe. Its name is Portuguese for "Saint Thomas". Founded in the 15th century, it is one of Africa's oldest colonial cities.

Cameroon Line

The islands making up São Tomé and Principe were formed around approximately 30 million years ago due to volcanic activity in deep water along this line. Over time, seawater and eruptions have formed a wide variety of different igneous and volcanic rocks on the islands with a variety of minerals.

Gabon

The islands of São Tomé and Príncipe, situated in the equatorial Atlantic and Gulf of Guinea about 300 and 250 km (190 and 160 mi) lie off the northwest coast of which African country, constituting Africa's second-smallest country, after the Seychelles?

Portugal

The islands were uninhabited until their discovery in 1470 by explorers from this country. Gradually colonized and settled throughout the 16th century, they collectively served as a vital commercial and trade centre for the Atlantic slave trade. The rich volcanic soil and proximity to the equator made São Tomé and Príncipe ideal for sugar cultivation, followed later by cash crops such as coffee and cocoa; the lucrative plantation economy was heavily dependent upon African slaves.