Ashmore and Cartier Islands (2001) | Sao Tome and Principe (2006) | |
Administrative divisions | - | 2 provinces; Principe, Sao Tome
note: Principe has had self-government since 29 April 1995 |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years: 47.5% (male 46,478/female 45,302)
15-64 years: 48.8% (male 45,631/female 48,661) 65 years and over: 3.8% (male 3,368/female 3,973) (2006 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, copra, cinnamon, pepper, coffee, bananas, papayas, beans; poultry; fish |
Airports | - | 2 (2006) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006) |
Area | total:
5 sq km land: 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and Cartier Island |
total: 1,001 sq km
land: 1,001 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | more than five times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | These uninhabited islands came under Australian authority in 1931; formal administration began two years later. Ashmore Reef supports a rich and diverse avian and marine habitat; in 1983 it became a National Nature Reserve. Recent geological explorations have indicated promising petroleum formations. | Discovered and claimed by Portugal in the late 15th century, the islands' sugar-based economy gave way to coffee and cocoa in the 19th century - all grown with plantation slave labor, a form of which lingered into the 20th century. Although independence was achieved in 1975, democratic reforms were not instituted until the late 1980s. Though the first free elections were held in 1991, the political environment has been one of continued instability with frequent changes in leadership and coup attempts in 1995 and 2003. The recent discovery of oil in the Gulf of Guinea is likely to have a significant impact on the country's economy. |
Birth rate | - | 40.25 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Budget | - | revenues: $26.39 million
expenditures: $59.48 million; including capital expenditures of $54 million (2004 est.) |
Capital | - | name: Sao Tome
geographic coordinates: 0 12 N, 6 39 E time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | tropical | tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May) |
Coastline | 74.1 km | 209 km |
Constitution | - | approved March 1990, effective 10 September 1990 |
Country name | conventional long form:
Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands conventional short form: Ashmore and Cartier Islands |
conventional long form: Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe
conventional short form: Sao Tome and Principe local long form: Republica Democratica de Sao Tome e Principe local short form: Sao Tome e Principe |
Death rate | - | 6.47 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $318 million (2002) |
Dependency status | territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of the Environment, Sport, and Territories | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of Australia) | the US does not have an embassy in Sao Tome and Principe; the Ambassador to Gabon is accredited to Sao Tome and Principe on a nonresident basis and makes periodic visits to the islands |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of Australia) | chief of mission: First Secretary Domingos Augusto FERREIRA
chancery: 400 Park Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10022 telephone: [1] (212) 317-0580 FAX: [1] (212) 935-7348 consulate(s): Atlanta |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $200 million in December 2000 under the HIPC program |
Economy - overview | no economic activity | This small, poor island economy has become increasingly dependent on cocoa since independence in 1975. Cocoa production has substantially declined in recent years because of drought and mismanagement, but strengthening prices helped boost export earnings in 2003. Sao Tome has to import all fuels, most manufactured goods, consumer goods, and a substantial amount of food. Over the years, it has had difficulty servicing its external debt and has relied heavily on concessional aid and debt rescheduling. Sao Tome benefited from $200 million in debt relief in December 2000 under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) program, and is expected to benefit from an additional round of HIPC debt relief in early 2006, to help bring down the country's $300 million debt burden. In August 2005, Sao Tome signed on to a new 3-year IMF Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) program worth $4.3 million. Considerable potential exists for development of a tourist industry, and the government has taken steps to expand facilities in recent years. The government also has attempted to reduce price controls and subsidies. Sao Tome is optimistic about the development of petroleum resources in its territorial waters in the oil-rich Gulf of Guinea, which are being jointly developed in a 60-40 split with Nigeria. The first production licenses were sold in 2004, though a dispute over licensing with Nigeria delayed Sao Tome's receipt of more than $20 million in signing bonuses for almost a year. Real GDP growth reached 6% in 2004, and also probably in 2005, as a result of increases in public expenditures and oil-related capital investment. |
Electricity - consumption | - | 13.95 million kWh (2003) |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2003) |
Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (2003) |
Electricity - production | - | 15 million kWh (2003) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 3 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico de Sao Tome 2,024 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | deforestation; soil erosion and exhaustion |
Environment - international agreements | - | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | - | mestico, angolares (descendants of Angolan slaves), forros (descendants of freed slaves), servicais (contract laborers from Angola, Mozambique, and Cape Verde), tongas (children of servicais born on the islands), Europeans (primarily Portuguese) |
Exchange rates | - | dobras per US dollar - 9,900.4 (2005), (2004), 9,347.6 (2003), 9,088.3 (2002), 8,842.1 (2001) |
Executive branch | - | chief of state: President Fradique DE MENEZES (since 3 September 2001)
head of government: Prime Minister Tome Soares da VERA CRUZ (since 21 April 2006) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the proposal of the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 30 July 2006 (next to be held July 2011); prime minister chosen by the National Assembly and approved by the president election results: Fradique DE MENEZES elected president; percent of vote - Fradique DE MENEZES 60%, Patrice TROVOADA 38.5% |
Exports | - | NA bbl/day |
Exports - commodities | - | cocoa 80%, copra, coffee, palm oil |
Exports - partners | - | Netherlands 61.1%, Belgium 9.2%, Turkey 5.5%, South Korea 4% (2005) |
Fiscal year | - | calendar year |
Flag description | the flag of Australia is used | three horizontal bands of green (top), yellow (double width), and green with two black five-pointed stars placed side by side in the center of the yellow band and a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: 16.7%
industry: 14.8% services: 68.4% (2005 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | 6% (2004 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 12 14 S, 123 05 E | 1 00 N, 7 00 E |
Geography - note | Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in August 1983 | the smallest country in Africa; the two main islands form part of a chain of extinct volcanoes and both are fairly mountainous |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | - | NA bbl/day |
Imports - commodities | - | machinery and electrical equipment, food products, petroleum products |
Imports - partners | - | UK 94.2%, Portugal 2.7%, US 1% (2005) |
Independence | - | 12 July 1975 (from Portugal) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | NA% |
Industries | - | light construction, textiles, soap, beer, fish processing, timber |
Infant mortality rate | - | total: 41.83 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 43.74 deaths/1,000 live births female: 39.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 15.2% (2005 est.) |
International organization participation | - | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ITU, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer) |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1993) | 100 sq km (2003) |
Judicial branch | - | Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the National Assembly) |
Labor force | - | 35,050 |
Labor force - by occupation | - | note: population mainly engaged in subsistence agriculture and fishing; shortages of skilled workers |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land:
0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100% (all grass and sand) |
arable land: 8.33%
permanent crops: 48.96% other: 42.71% (2005) |
Languages | - | Portuguese (official) |
Legal system | the laws of the Northern Territory of Australia, where applicable, apply | based on Portuguese legal system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | - | unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (55 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 26 March 2006 (next to be held March 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - MDFM-PCD 37.2%, MLSTP 28.9%, ADI 20.0%, NR 4.7%, other 9.2%; seats by party - MDFM-PCD 23, MLSTP 19, ADI 12, NR 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: 67.31 years
male: 65.73 years female: 68.95 years (2006 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 79.3% male: 85% female: 62% (1991 est.) |
Location | Southeastern Asia, islands in the Indian Ocean, northwest of Australia | Western Africa, islands in the Gulf of Guinea, straddling the Equator, west of Gabon |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Africa |
Maritime claims | contiguous zone:
12 NM continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 3 NM |
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | - | total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 21,527 GRT/29,823 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 7 foreign-owned: 3 (Egypt 1, Greece 1, Lebanon 1) (2006) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Australia; periodic visits by the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force | Sao Tome and Principe's army is a tiny force with almost no resources at its disposal and would be wholly ineffective operating unilaterally; infantry equipment is considered simple to operate and maintain but may require refurbishment or replacement after 25 years in tropical climates; poor pay and conditions have been a problem in the past, as has alleged nepotism in the promotion of officers, as reflected in the 1995 and 2003 coups; these issues are being addressed with foreign assistance as initial steps towards the improvement of the army and its focus on realistic security concerns; command is exercised from the president, through the Minister of Defense, to the Chief of the Armed Forces staff (2005) |
Military branches | - | Armed Forces of Sao Tome and Principe (FASTP): Army, Coast Guard, Presidential Guard (2004) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $581,729 (2005 est.) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 0.8% (2005 est.) |
National holiday | - | Independence Day, 12 July (1975) |
Nationality | - | noun: Sao Tomean(s)
adjective: Sao Tomean |
Natural hazards | surrounded by shoals and reefs that can pose maritime hazards | NA |
Natural resources | fish | fish, hydropower |
Net migration rate | - | -2.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | - | Democratic Renovation Party [Armindo GRACA]; Force for Change Democratic Movement or MDFM; Independent Democratic Action or ADI [Carlos NEVES]; Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe-Social Democratic Party or MLSTP-PSD [Manuel Pinto Da COSTA]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Aldo BANDEIRA]; Ue-Kedadji coalition; other small parties |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: there are only seasonal caretakers (July 2001 est.) |
193,413 (July 2006 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | 54% (2004 est.) |
Population growth rate | - | 3.15% (2006 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none; offshore anchorage only | - |
Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2002) |
Religions | - | Catholic 70.3%, Evangelical 3.4%, New Apostolic 2%, Adventist 1.8%, other 3.1%, none 19.4% (2001 census) |
Sex ratio | - | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | - | general assessment: adequate facilities
domestic: minimal system international: country code - 239; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | 7,000 (2004) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 12,000 (2005) |
Television broadcast stations | - | 2 (2002) |
Terrain | low with sand and coral | volcanic, mountainous |
Total fertility rate | - | 5.62 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | NA% |
Waterways | none | - |