São Tomé is the

capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...

and largest city of the

Central Africa Central Africa is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries according to different definitions. Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, ...

n island country of

São Tomé and Príncipe São Tomé and Príncipe (; pt, São Tomé e Príncipe (); English: " Saint Thomas and Prince"), officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe ( pt, República Democrática de São Tomé e Príncipe), is a Portuguese-speaking i ...

. Its name is

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

for " Saint Thomas". Founded in the

15th century The 15th century was the century which spans the Julian dates from 1 January 1401 ( MCDI) to 31 December 1500 ( MD). In Europe, the 15th century includes parts of the Late Middle Ages, the Early Renaissance, and the early modern period. M ...

, it is one of Africa's oldest colonial cities.

History

Álvaro Caminha Álvaro Caminha was appointed by King John II of Portugal in 1492 Captain-major (governor) – apparently the third – of the Portuguese colony of São Tomé and Príncipe which had been discovered 22 years earlier. He was a knight of the king' ...

founded the colony of São Tomé in 1493. The

came to São Tomé in search of land to grow

sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with ...

. The island was uninhabited before the arrival of the Portuguese sometime around 1470. São Tomé, situated about north of the

equator The equator is a circle of latitude, about in circumference, that divides Earth into the Northern and Southern hemispheres. It is an imaginary line located at 0 degrees latitude, halfway between the North and South poles. The term can als ...

, had a climate wet enough to grow sugarcane in wild abundance. In 1497, 2,000 Jewish children, eight years old and under, were taken from the Iberian peninsula, to receive catholic education, following the national policy of conversion to Catholicism. The nearby African

Kingdom of Kongo The Kingdom of Kongo ( kg, Kongo dya Ntotila or ''Wene wa Kongo;'' pt, Reino do Congo) was a kingdom located in central Africa in present-day northern Angola, the western portion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of the ...

eventually became a source of slave labor as well. The island of São Tomé was the main center of sugar production in the sixteenth century; it was overtaken by Brazil by 1600. São Tomé is centred on a sixteenth-century

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...

, that was largely rebuilt in the 19th century. Another early building is Fort São Sebastião, built in 1566 and now the São Tomé National Museum. On July 9, 1595, a slave revolt led by

Rei Amador Amador Vieira, best known as Rei Amador, was a member of the king of the Angolars and leader of a famous slave rebellion that took place in 1595 in the African islands of São Tomé and Príncipe. According to some historic documents, Rei Emadir ...

took control of the capital; they were subjugated in 1596. In 1599, the

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

took the city as well as the islands for two days; they re-occupied it in 1641 for a year. The city served as the capital of the Portuguese colony of São Tomé and Príncipe and, from São Tomé and Príncipe's independence in 1975, as capital of the sovereign nation.

Geography

Important as a port, São Tomé is located on Ana Chaves Bay in the northeast of

São Tomé Island São Tomé Island, at , is the largest island of São Tomé and Príncipe and is home in May 2018 to about 193,380 or 96% of the nation's population. The island is divided into six districts. It is located 2 km (1¼ miles) north of the ...

, and

Ilhéu das Cabras Ilhéu das Cabras is an uninhabited island in the Gulf of Guinea. It is one of the smaller islands of São Tomé and Príncipe. The islet is located about 2 km off the northeast coast of the island of São Tomé, 8 km north of the city centre of ...

lies nearby offshore. São Tomé is located northeast of Trindade, southeast of Guadalupe and northwest of

Santana Santana may refer to: Transportation * Volkswagen Santana, an automobile * Santana Cycles, manufacturer of tandem bicycles * Santana Motors, a former Spanish automobile manufacturer Boats * Santana 20, an American sailboat design by W. D. Sch ...

. It is linked to these towns by a highway which encircles the entire island of São Tomé. It is linked to

Cape Verde , national_anthem = () , official_languages = Portuguese , national_languages = Cape Verdean Creole , capital = Praia , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , demonym ...

by a weekly ferry. Features of the town include the Presidential Palace, the

, and a

cinema Cinema may refer to: Film * Cinematography, the art of motion-picture photography * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of a moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking * ...

. The city is also home to schools, and middle schools, high schools, one polytechnic, two

market Market is a term used to describe concepts such as: *Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand *Market economy *Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market Geography *Märket, an ...

s, three

radio stations Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio signal, audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-b ...

, the public television station ''TVSP'', several clinics and hospitals, the country's main airport -

São Tomé International Airport São Tomé International Airport ( pt, Aeroporto Internacional de São Tomé) is a minor international airport located on São Tomé Island, from the city of São Tomé. It is the main airport serving São Tomé and Príncipe. Facilities The ...

(with direct regular scheduled flights to Angola, Gabon, Ghana and Portugal as well as occasional domestic flights to

Príncipe Príncipe is the smaller, northern major island of the country of São Tomé and Príncipe lying off the west coast of Africa in the Gulf of Guinea. It has an area of (including offshore islets) and a population of 7,324 at the 2012 Census;

), and many squares ('' praças''). São Tomé also serves as the centre of the island's road and bus networks The town is well known for the tchiloli playing.

Population history

Transport

São Tomé is served by

with regular flights to Europe and other African countries.

Climate

São Tomé features a

tropical wet and dry climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry winter) and ''As'' (for a dry summer). The driest month has less than of p ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

''As''), although it is not far above a

semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi-ar ...

(''BSh'') due to the influence of the cold Benguela Current, which makes even the wettest months drier than would be expected for such a low latitude but at the same time makes the city very cloudy and foggy even during the almost rainless dry season mid-year. The city has a relatively lengthy

wet season The wet season (sometimes called the Rainy season) is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. It is the time of year where the majority of a country's or region's annual precipitation occurs. Generally, the sea ...

from October through May and a short

dry season The dry season is a yearly period of low rainfall, especially in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which moves from the northern to the southern tropics and back over the course of the year. The te ...

. São Tomé sees on average just under of rainfall per year. Temperatures in the city are relatively constant, with average high temperatures usually around and average low temperatures around .

Education

University of São Tomé and Príncipe The University of São Tomé and Príncipe ( pt, Universidade de São Tomé e Príncipe), USTP, is a public institution of higher education in São Tomé and Príncipe.

, formed in 2016 *

National Lyceum National Lyceum (''Liceu Nacional'') is a lyceum (secondary school) located at Avenida Marginal 12 Julho in the city of São Tomé, São Tomé and Príncipe. It is one of the oldest secondary schools in the nation. It currently has an estimate of 6 ...

* Patrice Lumumba Preparatory School *

National Library of São Tomé and Príncipe The National Library of São Tomé and Príncipe ( pt, Biblioteca Nacional de São Tomé e Príncipe) is located in the capital city of São Tomé in São Tomé and Príncipe. It is responsible for the technical coordination of public libraries an ...

The following Portuguese international schools are in the city: * Escola Portuguesa de S. Tomé * Instituto Diocesano de Formação João Paulo II * Escola Bambino * Escola Internacional de S. Tomé e Príncipe

Health

The main hospital of the country is Hospital Ayres de Menezes.

Sports

Sports clubs based in the city include

Sporting Praia Cruz Sporting Clube da Praia Cruz is a football club that plays in the São Tomé and Príncipe Championship. The team is based in the island of São Tomé. The team has won eight national and six island titles and is the third team in history to clai ...

and

Vitória FC Vitoria or Vitória may refer to : People * Francisco de Vitoria (c. 1483–1546), a Spanish Renaissance theologian * Alberto Vitoria (1956–2010), Spanish footballer * Rui Vitória (born 1970), Portuguese retired footballer * Steven Vitória (b ...

based in the neighborhood of Riboque. All clubs play at

Estádio Nacional 12 de Julho Estádio Nacional 12 de Julho is a multi-use stadium in the neighbourhood of Ponta da Mina southeast of the centre of São Tomé, São Tomé and Príncipe and is located on Avenida das Nações Unidas. The building is classified as a Heritage of ...

Places of worship

File:Catedral_de_Nossa_Senhora_da_Gra%C3%A7a_S%C3%A3o_Tom%C3%A9_(20234213142).jpg,

Our Lady of Grace Cathedral, São Tomé The Our Lady of Grace Cathedral ( pt, Sé Catedral de Nossa Senhora da Graça), also called Cathedral of São Tomé, is a church in the city of São Tomé, capital of the African and island country of São Tomé and Príncipe. It is the cathedral o ...

File:Sao Tome 10 (16247155721).jpg,

Our Lady of Conception Church, São Tomé Our or OUR may refer to: * The possessive form of " we" * Our (river), in Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany * Our, Belgium, a village in Belgium * Our, Jura, a commune in France * Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR), a government utility regulato ...

Among the

places of worship A place of worship is a specially designed structure or space where individuals or a group of people such as a congregation come to perform acts of devotion, veneration, or religious study. A building constructed or used for this purpose is somet ...

, they are predominantly

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

churches and temples :

Roman Catholic Diocese of São Tomé and Príncipe The Roman Catholic Diocese of São Tomé and Príncipe ( la, Sancti Thomae in Insula) is a diocese, immediately subject to the Holy See, with its seat in the city of São Tomé in São Tomé and Príncipe.Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

Universal Church of the Kingdom of God The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG; pt, Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus, IURD) is an evangelical charismatic Christian denomination with its headquarters at the Temple of Solomon in São Paulo, Brazil. The church was founded in ...

Assemblies of God The Assemblies of God (AG), officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 144 autonomous self-governing national groupings of churches that together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination."Assemblies of God". ...

Gallery

File:Forte de Sao Sebastiao (20026107129).jpg,

São Sebastião Museum São Sebastião Museum is a museum, housed in a 16th-century fortress in the city of São Tomé, São Tomé and Príncipe. It lies in the northeastern part of the city centre, at the southeastern end of Ana Chaves Bay. It contains religious art ...

. File:2012SaoTome-8_(8042889363).jpg, São Tomé City File:Sao_Tome_6_(16248990145).jpg, Downtown São Tomé File:Sao Tome MiniPleco Minimart (16061556230).jpg, São Tomé City File:São Tome DSC 8023 (32725545662).jpg,

Supreme Court of São Tomé and Príncipe Supreme may refer to: Entertainment * Supreme (character), a comic book superhero * ''Supreme'' (film), a 2016 Telugu film * Supreme (producer), hip-hop record producer * "Supreme" (song), a 2000 song by Robbie Williams * The Supremes, Motown-e ...

File:Sao_Tome_Pier_Jumping_2_(16248251742).jpg, Kids pier jumping File:Sao_Tome_Banco_Internacional_de_Sao_Tome_e_Principe_(16247128161).jpg, Old seat of

Banco Internacional de São Tomé e Príncipe Banco Internacional de São Tomé e Príncipe (BISTP) is the largest and oldest commercial bank in São Tomé and Príncipe. It consists of a head office and 14 branches. Its name translates to International Bank of São Tomé and Príncipe. His ...

File:São_Tome_DSC_8001_(32064480143).jpg, Downtown São Tomé File:São Tome DSC 8130 (32725666342).jpg,

File:Sao Tome 35 (16062842099).jpg, São Tomé, STP File:São_Tome_DSC_8084_(32755448031).jpg, Baía Ana Chaves, São Tomé File:Palais présidentiel à São Tomé (6).jpg, Presidential Palace of São Tomé and Príncipe File:Casa da Cultura à São Tomé (4).jpg, ''Casa da Cultura de São Tomé''

Notable people

José Vianna da Motta José Vianna da Motta (modern spelling as 'Viana da Mota') (22 April 18681 June 1948) was a Portuguese pianist, teacher, and composer. He was one of the last pupils of Franz Liszt. The José Vianna da Motta Music Competition was founded in 1957 ...

(1868–1948) Portuguese pianist, teacher and composer *

Alfredo Azancot Alfredo Azancot (born 1 February 1872, dead 1937) was a Portuguese architect, born on São Tomé Island and educated at the École des ponts ParisTech. He emigrated to Chile, and designed many buildings in Viña del Mar, including Brunet Castle, ...

(1872-??) Portuguese architect who emigrated to Chile *

Almada Negreiros José Sobral de Almada Negreiros (7 April 1893 – 15 June 1970) was a Portuguese artist. He was born in the colony of Portuguese São Tomé and Príncipe, the son of a Portuguese father, António Lobo de Almada Negreiros, and a Santomean mothe ...

(1893–1970) Portuguese artist, created literature and painting, and developed ballet choreographies *

Francisco José Tenreiro Francisco José Tenreiro (20 January 1921 – 1963) was a São Toméan geographer and poet who lived during the colonial era. He was taught at the Overseas Political and Social Sciences Institute, now known as the Instituto Superior de Ciência ...

(1921–1963) geographer, poet and writer of the colonial era * Alda Neves da Graça do Espírito Santo (1926–2010) poet working in Portuguese, who also served in the Santomean government after independence *

Guadalupe de Ceita João Guadalupe Viegas de Ceita (born 4 February 1929) is a Santomean writer and a doctor, one of the national heroes. He was one of co-founders and ideologist of the Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe (MLSTP), a project for ...

(born 1929) writer and a doctor and national hero *

Miguel Trovoada Miguel dos Anjos da Cunha Lisboa Trovoada (born December 27, 1936) was the prime minister from 1975 to 1979 and second president of São Tomé and Príncipe 1991 to 2001. On 16 July 2014, he was appointed the Special Representative of the United ...

(born 1936) was Prime Minister 1975–1979 and President 1991–2001 of São Tomé and Príncipe *

Fradique de Menezes Fradique Bandeira Melo de Menezes (born March 21, 1942) is a São Toméan politician who was the third president of São Tomé and Príncipe from 2001 to 2011. Early life Menezes was born on the then Portuguese colony of São Tomé in 1942, the s ...

(born 1942) President of São Tomé and Príncipe from 2003 to 2011 *

Olinda Beja Olinda Beja (born December 8, 1946) is a São Tomé and Príncipe poet, writer and narrator. Later she immigrated to Portugal and moved to Viseu and later became a Portuguese citizen. Biography She was born in Guadalupe, São Tomé e Príncipe, ...

(born 1946) poet, writer and narrator, emigrated to Portugal and moved to

Viseu Viseu () is a city and municipality in the Centro Region of Portugal and the capital of the district of the same name, with a population of 100,000 inhabitants, and center of the Viseu Dão Lafões intermunipical community, with 267,633 inhabita ...

Tomé Vera Cruz Tomé Soares da Vera Cruz (born 23 July 1956) was the 14th prime minister of São Tomé and Príncipe from April 2006 to February 2008. He is also Secretary-General of the Force for Change Democratic Movement-Liberal Party (MDFM-PL). In addition t ...

(born 1956) Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe from April 2006 to February 2008 *

Conceição Lima Maria da Conceição de Deus Lima (born December 8, 1961 in Santana), also known as Conceição Lima, is a Santomean poet. Biography Lima is from the town of Santana in São Tomé, one of two islands in the small nation of São Tomé and Príncip ...

(born 1961) poet from the town of Santana *

Patrice Trovoada Patrice Émery Trovoada (born 18 March 1962) is a São Toméan politician who is the 15th prime minister of São Tomé and Príncipe since November 2022. He previously served as Prime Minister from February 2008 to June 2008, from August 2010 to ...

(born 1962) politician, Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe 2008 to June 2008, 2010 to December 2012 and since November 2014 *

Aurélio Martins Aurélio Pires Quaresma Martins (born November 24, 1966) is a São Toméan journalist, businessman and politician, who until May 2018 was leader of the Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe/Social Democratic Party (MLSTP/PSD). J ...

(born 1966) journalist, businessman and politician

Sports

Nuno Espírito Santo Nuno Herlander Simões Espírito Santo (born 25 January 1974), often referred to as simply Nuno, is a Portuguese football manager and former footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is currently the manager of Saudi Professional League club Al- ...

(born 1974) retired Portuguese footballer, Portuguese association football manager *

Naide Gomes Enezaide do Rosário da Vera Cruz Gomes OIH (born 20 November 1979) is a former Portuguese heptathlete and long jumper. She also competed in 100 metres hurdles at the 2000 Summer Olympics. At club level, she represented Sporting CP. Biography N ...

(born 1979) former heptathlete and long jumper, competed in 100 metres hurdles at the

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from 1 ...

* Lasset Costa, (born 1986) footballer * Yazaldes Nascimento (born 1986) Portuguese athlete, runs the 100 metres, competed in the

2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...

Alcino Silva Alcino Gomes da Silva, often known as Alcino Silva (born September 30, 1990), is a canoe racing, sprint canoer from São Tomé and Príncipe who competed in the late 2000s. Silva represented his country at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, where ...

(born 1990) sprint canoer, competed in the

2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Na ...

in Beijing *

Harramiz Harramiz Quieta Ferreira Soares (born 3 August 1990), known simply as Harramiz, is a Santoméan professional footballer who plays as a winger or forward for Portuguese Liga 3 club Alverca and the São Tomé and Príncipe national team. He ...

(born 1990) professional footballer who plays in Portugal * Zé (born 1991) footballer * Buly Da Conceição Triste (born 1991) sprint canoeist, competed at the

2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and also known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 20 ...

* Faduley (born 1992) footballer in Portugal *

Charles Monteiro Charles Pereira Mendes Monteiro (born 25 May 1994) is a São Tomé and Príncipe, São Toméan Association football, footballer who plays for Portuguese club :pt:União Desportiva Vilafranquense, Vilafranquense as a Defender (association football) ...

(born 1994) footballer who plays in Portugal *

Gilson Costa Gilson Sequeira da Costa (born 24 September 1996) is a professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Midfielder#Defensive midfielder, defensive midfielder for Liga 1 (Indonesia), Liga 1 club Persebaya Surabaya. Born in São Tomé ...

(born 1996) Portuguese professional footballer * Romário Leitão (born 1997) long distance runner, competed at the

in the men's 5000 metres * Gedson Fernandes (born 1999) Portuguese professional footballer

International relations

São Tomé is twinned with: *

Kingstown Kingstown is the capital, chief port, and main commercial centre of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. With a population of 12,909 (2012), Kingstown is the most populous settlement in the country. It is the island's agricultural industry centre ...

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint Vincent and the Grenadines () is an island country in the Caribbean. It is located in the southeast Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, which lie in the West Indies at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea wh ...

Luanda Luanda () is the capital and largest city in Angola. It is Angola's primary port, and its major industrial, cultural and urban centre. Located on Angola's northern Atlantic coast, Luanda is Angola's administrative centre, its chief seaport ...

Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

Libreville Libreville is the capital and largest city of Gabon. Occupying in the northwestern province of Estuaire, Libreville is a port on the Komo River, near the Gulf of Guinea. As of the 2013 census, its population was 703,904. The area has been inh ...

Gabon Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north ...

Accra Accra (; tw, Nkran; dag, Ankara; gaa, Ga or ''Gaga'') is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , ...

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...

, Portugal

References

External links

*
www.saotome.st
- Facts about the country, how to get there, where to stay, what to do, images etc. {{DEFAULTSORT:Sao Tome Capitals in Africa Populated places in Água Grande District 1485 establishments 15th-century establishments in Africa Former Portuguese colonies Populated places established in the 1480s Pleistocene shield volcanoes