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São Tomé is the capital and largest city of the
Central Africa Central Africa (French language, French: ''Afrique centrale''; Spanish language, Spanish: ''África central''; Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''África Central'') is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries accordin ...
n island country of
São Tomé and Príncipe São Tomé and Príncipe, officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is an island country in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. It consists of two archipelagos around the two main isla ...
. Its name is Portuguese for " Saint Thomas". Founded in the
15th century The 15th century was the century which spans the Julian calendar dates from 1 January 1401 (represented by the Roman numerals MCDI) to 31 December 1500 (MD). In Europe, the 15th century includes parts of the Late Middle Ages, the Early Re ...
, it is one of Africa's oldest colonial cities.


History

Álvaro Caminha founded the colony of São Tomé in 1493. The Portuguese came to São Tomé in search of land to grow
sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of 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 stout, jointed, fib ...
. The island was uninhabited before the arrival of the Portuguese sometime around 1470. São Tomé, situated about north of the
equator The equator is the circle of latitude that divides Earth into the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Southern Hemisphere, Southern Hemispheres of Earth, hemispheres. It is an imaginary line located at 0 degrees latitude, about in circumferen ...
, had a climate wet enough to grow sugarcane in wild abundance. In 1497, 2,000 Jewish children, eight years old and under, were kidnapped from the Iberian peninsula, and forcefully converted to receive catholic education, following the national policy of conversion to Catholicism. The nearby African
Kingdom of Kongo The Kingdom of Kongo ( or ''Wene wa Kongo;'' ) was a kingdom in Central Africa. It was located in present-day northern Angola, the western portion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, southern Gabon and the Republic of the Congo. At its gre ...
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 (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...
, 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 took control of the capital; they were subjugated in 1596. In 1599, the Dutch 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 of São Tomé and Príncipe, districts. It is located ...
, and Ilhéu das Cabras 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 * Sailboat designs by W. D. Schock Corp ** Santana 20 ** Santan ...
. It is linked to these towns by a highway which encircles almost the entire island of São Tomé. It is linked to
Cape Verde Cape Verde or Cabo Verde, officially the Republic of Cabo Verde, is an island country and archipelagic state of West Africa in the central Atlantic Ocean, consisting of ten volcanic islands with a combined land area of about . These islands ...
by a weekly ferry. Features of the town include the Presidential Palace, the
cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...
, and a cinema. The city is also home to schools, and middle schools, high schools, one polytechnic, two markets, three
radio stations Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting 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 lan ...
, the public television station ''TVSP'', several clinics and hospitals, the country's main airport - São Tomé International Airport (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 Cens ...
), 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 São Tomé International Airport with regular flights to Europe and other African countries.


Climate

São Tomé features a tropical wet and dry climate (
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''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 se ...
(''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 or monsoon season) is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. Generally, the season lasts at least one month. The term ''green season'' is also sometimes used a ...
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 t ...
. 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, formed in 2016 * National Lyceum * Patrice Lumumba Preparatory School * National Library of São Tomé and Príncipe 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 and Vitória FC based in the neighborhood of Riboque. All clubs play at Estádio Nacional 12 de Julho.


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 File:Sao Tome 10 (16247155721).jpg, Our Lady of Conception Church, São Tomé Among the places of worship, they are predominantly
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
churches and temples : Roman Catholic Diocese of São Tomé and Príncipe (
Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
), Universal Church of the Kingdom of God,
Assemblies of God The World Assemblies of God Fellowship (WAGF), commonly known as the Assemblies of God (AG), is a global cooperative body or communion of over 170 Pentecostal denominations that was established on August 15, 1989. The WAGF was created to provi ...
.


Gallery

File:Forte de Sao Sebastiao (20026107129).jpg, São Sebastião Museum. 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 In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
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 File:São_Tome_DSC_8001_(32064480143).jpg, Downtown São Tomé File:São Tome DSC 8130 (32725666342).jpg, Estádio Nacional 12 de Julho 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 File:Casa da Cultura à São Tomé (4).jpg, ''Casa da Cultura de São Tomé''


Notable people

* José Vianna da Motta (1868–1948) Portuguese pianist, teacher and composer * Alfredo Azancot (1872-??) Portuguese architect who emigrated to Chile * Almada Negreiros (1893–1970) Portuguese artist, created literature and painting, and developed ballet choreographies * Francisco José Tenreiro (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 (born 1929) writer and a doctor and national hero * Miguel Trovoada (born 1936) was Prime Minister 1975–1979 and President 1991–2001 of São Tomé and Príncipe * Fradique de Menezes (born 1942) President of São Tomé and Príncipe from 2003 to 2011 * Olinda Beja (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 Viseu District, district of the same name, with a population of 100,105 inhabitants in the entire municipality, and center of the Viseu Dão Lafões Interm ...
* Tomé Vera Cruz (born 1956) Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe from April 2006 to February 2008 * Conceição Lima (born 1961) poet from the town of Santana * Patrice Trovoada (born 1962) politician, Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe 2008 to June 2008, 2010 to December 2012 and since November 2014 * Aurélio Martins (born 1966) journalist, businessman and politician


Sports

* Nuno Espírito Santo (born 1974) retired Portuguese footballer, Portuguese association football manager * Naide Gomes (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, officially branded as Sydney 2000, and also known as the Games of the New Millennium, were an international multi-sport event held from 15 September to 1 October ...
* 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 (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (), and officially branded as Athens 2004 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 13 to 29 August 2004 in Athens, Greece. The Games saw 10,625 athletes ...
* Alcino Silva (born 1990) sprint canoer, competed in the
2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes fro ...
in Beijing * Harramiz (born 1990) professional footballer who plays in Portugal * (born 1991) footballer * Buly Da Conceição Triste (born 1991) sprint canoeist, competed at the
2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Rio 2016, were an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with preliminary events i ...
* Faduley (born 1992) footballer in Portugal * Charles Monteiro (born 1994) footballer who plays in Portugal * Gilson Costa (born 1996) Portuguese professional footballer * Romário Leitão (born 1997) long distance runner, competed at the
2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Rio 2016, were an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with preliminary events i ...
in the men's 5000 metres * Gedson Fernandes (born 1999) Portuguese professional footballer


International relations

São Tomé is twinned with: * Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines *
Luanda Luanda ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Angola, largest city of Angola. It is Angola's primary port, and its major industrial, cultural and urban centre. Located on Angola's northern Atlantic coast, Luanda is Ang ...
,
Angola Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...
* Libreville,
Gabon Gabon ( ; ), officially the Gabonese Republic (), is a country on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, on the equator, bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, the Republic of the Congo to the east and south, and ...
*
Accra Accra (; or ''Gaga''; ; Ewe: Gɛ; ) 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, , had a population of ...
,
Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...
*
Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...
, 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