Isle of Man (2004) | Sao Tome and Principe (2007) | |
Administrative divisions | none; there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 24 local authorities each with its own elections | 2 provinces; Principe, Sao Tome
note: Principe has had self government since 29 April 1995 |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 17.4% (male 6,669; female 6,357)
15-64 years: 65.4% (male 24,527; female 24,302) 65 years and over: 17.1% (male 5,128; female 7,672) (2004 est.) |
0-14 years: 47.3% (male 47,796/female 46,589)
15-64 years: 49% (male 47,386/female 50,412) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 3,383/female 4,013) (2007 est.) |
Agriculture - products | cereals, vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry | cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, copra, cinnamon, pepper, coffee, bananas, papayas, beans; poultry; fish |
Airports | 1 (2003 est.) | 2 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007) |
Area | total: 572 sq km
land: 572 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 1,001 sq km
land: 1,001 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC | more than five times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | Part of the Norwegian Kingdom of the Hebrides until the 13th century when it was ceded to Scotland, the isle came under the British crown in 1765. Current concerns include reviving the almost extinct Manx Gaelic language. | 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. While independence was achieved in 1975, democratic reforms were not instituted until the late 1980s. Although 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 promises to have a significant impact on the country's economy. |
Birth rate | 11.28 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 39.72 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $485 million
expenditures: $463 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY00/01 est.) |
revenues: $42.96 million
expenditures: $59.61 million (2006 est.) |
Capital | Douglas | 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 | temperate; cool summers and mild winters; overcast about one-third of the time | tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May) |
Coastline | 160 km | 209 km |
Constitution | unwritten; note - The Isle of Man Constitution Act, 1961, does not embody the unwritten Manx Constitution | approved March 1990, effective 10 September 1990 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Isle of Man |
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 |
Currency | British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Manx pound | - |
Death rate | 11.35 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 6.28 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | NA | $318 million (2002) |
Dependency status | British crown dependency | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (British crown dependency) | 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 (British crown dependency) | 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 | NA | $31.9 million in December 2000 under the HIPC program (2005) |
Economy - overview | Offshore banking, manufacturing, and tourism are key sectors of the economy. The government's policy of offering incentives to high-technology companies and financial institutions to locate on the island has paid off in expanding employment opportunities in high-income industries. As a result, agriculture and fishing, once the mainstays of the economy, have declined in their shares of GDP. Trade is mostly with the UK. The Isle of Man enjoys free access to EU markets. | 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, which helped 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 exceeded 4% in 2006, as a result of increases in public expenditures and oil-related capital investment. |
Electricity - consumption | - | 16.74 million kWh (2005) |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production | - | 18 million kWh (2005) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Irish Sea 0 m
highest point: Snaefell 621 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico de Sao Tome 2,024 m |
Environment - current issues | waste disposal (both household and industrial); transboundary air pollution | 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, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Manx (Norse-Celtic descent), Briton | 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 | Manx pounds per US dollar - 0.6125 (2003), 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999); the Manx pound is at par with the British pound | dobras per US dollar - 12,050 (2006), 9,900.4 (2005), NA 9,902.3 (2004), 9,347.6 (2003), 9,088.3 (2002) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Lord of Mann Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor Ian MACFADYEN (since 26 October 2002)
head of government: Chief Minister Donald GELLING (since 14 December 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch for a five-year term; the Chief Minister is elected by the Tynwald; election last held 14 December 2004 (next to be held NA December 2010) election results: Donald GELLING elected chief minister by the Tynwald; note - Richard CORKILL resigned 2 December 2004 |
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 | NA bbl/day |
Exports - commodities | tweeds, herring, processed shellfish, beef, lamb | cocoa 80%, copra, coffee, palm oil |
Exports - partners | UK (2000) | Netherlands 47.9%, Belgium 19%, Portugal 9.3% (2006) |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | calendar year |
Flag description | red with the Three Legs of Man emblem (Trinacria), in the center; the three legs are joined at the thigh and bent at the knee; in order to have the toes pointing clockwise on both sides of the flag, a two-sided emblem 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 | purchasing power parity - $1.6 billion (2001 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 1%
industry: 13% services: 86% (2000 est.) |
agriculture: 15%
industry: 13.7% services: 71.3% (2006 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $21,000 (2001 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | 13.5% | 4.4% (2006 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 54 15 N, 4 30 W | 1 00 N, 7 00 E |
Geography - note | one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the southwest, and is a bird sanctuary | the smallest country in Africa; the two main islands form part of a chain of extinct volcanoes and both are fairly mountainous |
Highways | total: 800 km
paved: 800 km unpaved: 0 km (1999) |
- |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | NA | NA bbl/day |
Imports - commodities | timber, fertilizers, fish | machinery and electrical equipment, food products, petroleum products |
Imports - partners | UK (2000) | Portugal 48.8%, France 19.7%, Belgium 5.1%, US 5.1% (2006) |
Independence | none (British crown dependency) | 12 July 1975 (from Portugal) |
Industrial production growth rate | 3.2% (FY96/97) | NA% |
Industries | financial services, light manufacturing, tourism | light construction, textiles, soap, beer, fish processing, timber |
Infant mortality rate | total: 6.05 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 7.08 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
total: 40.54 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 42.42 deaths/1,000 live births female: 38.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.6% (March 2003 est.) | 23.1% (2006 est.) |
International organization participation | UPU | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, CPLP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ITU, ITUC, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1998 est.) | 100 sq km (2003) |
Judicial branch | High Court of Justice (justices are appointed by the Lord Chancellor of England on the nomination of the lieutenant governor) | Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the National Assembly) |
Labor force | 36,610 (1998) | 35,050 (1991) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture, forestry and fishing 3%, manufacturing 11%, construction 10%, transport and communication 8%, wholesale and retail distribution 11%, professional and scientific services 18%, public administration 6%, banking and finance 18%, tourism 2%, entertainment and catering 3%, miscellaneous services 10% | note: population mainly engaged in subsistence agriculture and fishing; shortages of skilled workers |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 9%
permanent crops: 0% other: 91% (permanent pastures, forests, mountain, and heathland) (2002) |
arable land: 8.33%
permanent crops: 48.96% other: 42.71% (2005) |
Languages | English, Manx Gaelic | Portuguese (official) |
Legal system | English common law and Manx statute | based on Portuguese legal system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | bicameral Tynwald consists of the Legislative Council (an 11-member body composed of the President of Tynwald, the Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man, a nonvoting attorney general, and 8 others named by the House of Keys) and the House of Keys (24 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Keys - last held 22 November 2001 (next to be held NA November 2006) election results: House of Keys - percent of vote by party - Man Labor Party 17.3%, Alliance for Progressive Government 14.6%; seats by party - Man Labor Party 2, Alliance for Progressive Government 3, independents 19 |
unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (55 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 26 March 2006 (next to be held in March 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - MDFM-PCD 37.2%, MLSTP 28.9%, ADI 20.0%, NR 4.7%, others 9.2%; seats by party - MDFM-PCD 23, MLSTP 19, ADI 12, NR 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 78.16 years
male: 74.8 years female: 81.7 years (2004 est.) |
total population: 67.64 years
male: 66.03 years female: 69.3 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | definition: NA
total population: NA male: NA female: NA |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 84.9% male: 92.2% female: 77.9% (2001 census) |
Location | Western Europe, island in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland | Western Africa, islands in the Gulf of Guinea, straddling the Equator, west of Gabon |
Map references | Europe | Africa |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm |
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | total: 226 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,055,436 GRT/9,972,459 DWT
by type: bulk 25, cargo 40, chemical tanker 25, combination bulk 2, container 19, liquefied gas 31, multi-functional large load carrier 1, petroleum tanker 59, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 17, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 5 foreign-owned: Australia 3, Cyprus 4, Denmark 30, Estonia 3, France 1, Germany 57, Greece 8, Hong Kong 11, Iceland 1, Italy 6, Monaco 4, Netherlands 2, New Zealand 1, Norway 10, Singapore 2, Sweden 3, United Kingdom 80, United States 1 registered in other countries: 9 (2004 est.) |
total: 7 ships (1000 GRT or over) 20,455 GRT/27,871 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 6 foreign-owned: 2 (Egypt 1, Greece 1) (2007) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | 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, working conditions, and alleged nepotism in the promotion of officers have been problems in the past, as reflected in the 1995 and 2003 coups; these issues are being addressed with foreign assistance aimed at improving 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, Navy, Presidential Guard (2007) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 0.8% (2006) |
National holiday | Tynwald Day, 5 July | Independence Day, 12 July (1975) |
Nationality | noun: Manxman (men), Manxwoman (women)
adjective: Manx |
noun: Sao Tomean(s)
adjective: Sao Tomean |
Natural hazards | NA | NA |
Natural resources | none | fish, hydropower |
Net migration rate | 5.36 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | -2.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Man Labor Party [leader NA]; Alliance for Progressive Government [leader NA]; Man Nationalist Party [leader NA]
note: most members sit as independents |
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]; New Way Movement or NR; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Aldo BANDEIRA]; Ue-Kedadji coalition; other small parties |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | NA |
Population | 74,655 (July 2004 est.) | 199,579 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | 54% (2004 est.) |
Population growth rate | 0.53% (2004 est.) | 3.13% (2007 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Castletown, Douglas, Peel, Ramsey | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2001) |
Railways | total: 61 km (35 km electrified) (2003) | - |
Religions | Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society of Friends | Catholic 70.3%, Evangelical 3.4%, New Apostolic 2%, Adventist 1.8%, other 3.1%, none 19.4% (2001 census) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.026 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.843 male(s)/female total population: 0.976 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system international: fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, satellite earth station, submarine cable |
general assessment: adequate facilities
domestic: minimal system international: country code - 239; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 51,000 (1999) | 7,100 (2005) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | NA | 12,000 (2005) |
Television broadcast stations | 0 (receives broadcasts from the UK and satellite) (1999) | 2 (2001) |
Terrain | hills in north and south bisected by central valley | volcanic, mountainous |
Total fertility rate | 1.65 children born/woman (2004 est.) | 5.53 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 0.7% (March 2003) | NA% |