Sao Tome and Principe (2003) | French Guiana (2001) | |
Administrative divisions | 2 provinces; Principe, Sao Tome
note: Principe has had self-government since 29 April 1995 |
none (overseas department of France) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 47.7% (male 42,480; female 41,411)
15-64 years: 48.3% (male 41,043; female 43,986) 65 years and over: 4% (male 3,197; female 3,766) (2003 est.) |
0-14 years:
30.47% (male 27,669; female 26,428) 15-64 years: 64.05% (male 61,457; female 52,266) 65 years and over: 5.48% (male 4,937; female 4,805) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, copra, cinnamon, pepper, coffee, bananas, papayas, beans; poultry; fish | rice, manioc (tapioca), sugar, cocoa, vegetables, bananas; cattle, pigs, poultry |
Airports | 2 (2002) | 11 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) |
total:
4 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total:
7 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 5 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: 1,001 sq km
land: 1,001 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total:
91,000 sq km land: 89,150 sq km water: 1,850 sq km |
Area - comparative | more than five times the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than Indiana |
Background | 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. | First settled by the French in 1604, French Guiana was the site of notorious penal settlements until 1951. The European Space Agency launches its communication satellites from Kourou. |
Birth rate | 41.87 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 22.02 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $58 million
expenditures: $114 million, including capital expenditures of $54 million (1993 est.) |
revenues:
$225 million expenditures: $390 million, including capital expenditures of $105 million (1996) |
Capital | Sao Tome | Cayenne |
Climate | tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May) | tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation |
Coastline | 209 km | 378 km |
Constitution | approved March 1990; effective 10 September 1990 | 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) |
Country name | 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 |
conventional long form:
Department of Guiana conventional short form: French Guiana local long form: none local short form: Guyane |
Currency | dobra (STD) | French franc (FRF); euro (EUR) |
Death rate | 7.11 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 4.77 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $253.8 million (2000) | $1.2 billion (1988) |
Dependency status | - | overseas department of France |
Diplomatic representation from the US | 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 | none (overseas department of France) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | Sao Tome and Principe does not have an embassy in the US, but does have a Permanent Mission to the UN, headed by First Secretary Domingos Augusto FERREIRA, located at 400 Park Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10022, telephone [1] (212) 317-0580 | none (overseas department of France) |
Disputes - international | none | Suriname claims area between Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa) |
Economic aid - recipient | $200 million in December 2000 under the HIPC program | $NA |
Economy - overview | This small poor island economy has become increasingly dependent on cocoa since independence 28 years ago. Cocoa production has substantially declined in recent years because of drought and mismanagement, but strengthening prices brighten prospects for 2003. Sao Tome has to import all fuels, most manufactured goods, consumer goods, and a substantial amount of food. Over the years, it has been unable to service its external debt and has had to depend 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. Sao Tome's success in implementing structural reforms has been rewarded by international donors, who pledged increased assistance in 2001. 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 that substantial petroleum discoveries are forthcoming in its territorial waters in the oil-rich waters of the Gulf of Guinea; production could begin as early as 2004. | The economy is tied closely to that of France through subsidies and imports. Besides the French space center at Kourou, fishing and forestry are the most important economic activities. The large reserves of tropical hardwoods, not fully exploited, support an expanding sawmill industry which provides sawn logs for export. Cultivation of crops is limited to the coastal area, where the population is largely concentrated; rice and manioc are the major crops. French Guiana is heavily dependent on imports of food and energy. Unemployment is a serious problem, particularly among younger workers. |
Electricity - consumption | 15.81 million kWh (2001) | 409.2 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 17 million kWh (2001) | 440 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 41.2%
hydro: 58.8% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico de Sao Tome 2,024 m |
lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Bellevue de l'Inini 851 m |
Environment - current issues | deforestation; soil erosion and exhaustion | NA |
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) | black or mulatto 66%, white 12%, East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian 12%, other 10% |
Exchange rates | dobras per US dollar - NA (2002), 8,842.11 (2001), 7,978.17 (2000), 7,118.96 (1999), 6,883.24 (1998) | Euros per US dollar - 1.0659 (January 2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996) |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Fradique DE MENEZES (since 3 September 2001)
head of government: Prime Minister Maria das NEVES (since 7 October 2002) 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; election last held 29 July 2001 (next to be held NA July 2006); prime minister chosen by the National Assembly and approved by the president election results: Fradique DE MENEZES elected president in Sao Tome's third multiparty presidential election; percent of vote - NA% |
chief of state:
President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Dominique VIAN (since NA January 1997) head of government: President of the General Council Andre LECANTE (since NA March 1998); President of the Regional Council Antoine KARAM (since 22 March 1992) cabinet: NA elections: French president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; presidents of the General and Regional Councils are appointed by the members of those councils |
Exports | NA (2001) | $155 million (f.o.b., 1997) |
Exports - commodities | cocoa 80%, copra, coffee, palm oil | shrimp, timber, gold, rum, rosewood essence, clothing |
Exports - partners | Netherlands 30.1%, Poland 11.8%, Canada 9.7%, Germany 7.5%, Philippines 7.5%, Spain 7.5%, Belgium 6.5%, France 4.3%, Portugal 4.3% (2002) | France 62%, Switzerland 7%, US 2% (1997) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | 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 | the flag of France is used |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $200 million (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $1 billion (1998 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 25%
industry: 10% services: 65% (1999 est.) |
agriculture:
NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,200 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $6,000 (1998 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 4% (2002 est.) | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 1 00 N, 7 00 E | 4 00 N, 53 00 W |
Geography - note | the smallest country in Africa; the two main islands form part of a chain of extinct volcanoes and both are fairly mountainous | mostly an unsettled wilderness |
Highways | total: 320 km
paved: 218 km unpaved: 102 km (1999 est.) |
total:
1,817 km paved: 817 km unpaved: 1,000 km (1998) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption; minor transshipment point to Europe |
Imports | NA (2001) | $625 million (c.i.f., 1997) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and electrical equipment, food products, petroleum products | food (grains, processed meat), machinery and transport equipment, fuels and chemicals |
Imports - partners | Portugal 51.4%, Germany 10.1%, UK 7.6%, Belgium 6.3% (2002) | France 52%, US 14%, Trinidad and Tobago 6% (1997) |
Independence | 12 July 1975 (from Portugal) | none (overseas department of France) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | NA% |
Industries | light construction, textiles, soap, beer; fish processing; timber | construction, shrimp processing, forestry products, rum, gold mining |
Infant mortality rate | total: 46.04 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 48.07 deaths/1,000 live births female: 43.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
13.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 9% (2002 est.) | 2.5% (1992) |
International organization participation | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer) | FZ, WCL, WFTU |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2002) | 2 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 100 sq km (1998 est.) | 20 sq km (1993 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the National Assembly) | Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel (highest local court based in Martinique with jurisdiction over Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana) |
Labor force | NA | 58,800 (1997) |
Labor force - by occupation | population mainly engaged in subsistence agriculture and fishing
note: shortages of skilled workers |
services, government, and commerce 60.6%, industry 21.2%, agriculture 18.2% (1980) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total:
1,183 km border countries: Brazil 673 km, Suriname 510 km |
Land use | arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 41% other: 57% (1998 est.) |
arable land:
0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 90% other: 10% (1996 est.) |
Languages | Portuguese (official) | French |
Legal system | based on Portuguese legal system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | French legal system |
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 3 March 2002 (next to be held NA March 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - MLSTP 39.6%, Force for Change Democratic Movement 39.4%, Ue-Kedadji coalition 16.2%; seats by party - MLSTP 24, Force for Change Democratic Movement 23, Ue-Kedadji coalition 8 |
unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and a unicameral Regional Council or Conseil Regional (31 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: General Council - last held NA March 2000 (next to be held NA 2006); Regional Council - last held 15 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; Regional Council - percent of vote by party - PS 28.28%, various left parties 22.56%, RPR 15.91%, independents 8.6%, Walwari Committee 6%; seats by party - PS 11, various left parties 9, RPR 6, independents 3, Walwari Committee 2 note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 27 September 1998 (next to be held NA September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; 2 seats were elected to the French National Assembly on 25 May - 1 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR 1, PSG 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 66.28 years
male: 64.79 years female: 67.82 years (2003 est.) |
total population:
76.3 years male: 72.97 years female: 79.79 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 79.3% male: 85% female: 62% (1991 est.) |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 83% male: 84% female: 82% (1982 est.) |
Location | Western Africa, islands in the Gulf of Guinea, straddling the Equator, west of Gabon | Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname |
Map references | Africa | South America |
Maritime claims | measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
exclusive economic zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | total: 24 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 78,595 GRT/99,873 DWT
ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 15, chemical tanker 1, livestock carrier 1, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 2 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Egypt 1, Greece 1, Kenya 1, Portugal 1, Syria 1, Turkey 1 (2002 est.) |
none (2000 est.) |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of France |
Military branches | Army, Navy, Security Police | French Forces, Gendarmerie |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $400,000 (FY01) | $NA |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 0.8% (FY01) | NA% |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 36,905 (2003 est.) | males age 15-49:
49,495 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 19,443 (2003 est.) | males age 15-49:
32,052 (2001 est.) |
National holiday | Independence Day, 12 July (1975) | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) |
Nationality | noun: Sao Tomean(s)
adjective: Sao Tomean |
noun:
French Guianese (singular and plural) adjective: French Guianese |
Natural hazards | NA | high frequency of heavy showers and severe thunderstorms; flooding |
Natural resources | fish, hydropower | bauxite, timber, gold (widely scattered), cinnabar, kaolin, fish |
Net migration rate | -2.93 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 10.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Democratic Renovation Party [Armindo GRACA]; Force for Change Democratic Movement [leader NA]; 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 [leader NA]; other small parties | Guianese Socialist Party or PSG [Antoine KARAM]; Guyana Democratic Forces or FDG [Georges OTHILY]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [Roland HO-WEN-SZE]; Socialist Party or PS [Pierre RIBARDIERE] (may be a subset of PSG); Walwari Committee [Christine TAUBIRA-DELANON] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 175,883 (July 2003 est.) | 177,562 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 3.18% (2003 est.) | 2.74% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Santo Antonio, Sao Tome | Cayenne, Degrad des Cannes, Saint-Laurent du Maroni |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2002) | AM 2, FM 14 (including 6 repeaters), shortwave 6 (including 5 repeaters) (1998) |
Radios | - | 104,000 (1997) |
Railways | 0 km | 0 km (1995) |
Religions | Christian 80% (Roman Catholic, Evangelical Protestant, Seventh-Day Adventist) | Roman Catholic |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.18 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female total population: 1.13 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: adequate facilities
domestic: minimal system international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
general assessment:
NA domestic: fair open wire and microwave radio relay system international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 4,600 (2000) | 47,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 6,942 (1997) | NA |
Television broadcast stations | 2 (2002) | 3 (plus eight low-power repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | volcanic, mountainous | low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains |
Total fertility rate | 5.88 children born/woman (2003 est.) | 3.17 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NA% | 21.4% (1998) |
Waterways | none | 3,300 km navigable by native craft
note: 460 km navigable by small oceangoing vessels and coastal and river steamers |