Independence Day Recently Celebrated in São Tomé and Príncipe

People all across SÃO TOMÉ AND PRÍNCIPE celebrated their country's Independence Day on Sunday, July 12th just like a fellow island country, Kiribati. São Tomé & Príncipe achieved independence from Portugal in 1975. Happy belated Independence Day!

São Tomé & Príncipe is Known for...

●    Being a small but magnificently beautiful island country
●    Children playing in colonial-era plantation buildings and former hospitals
●    Locally-handcrafted chocolate
●    People barbecuing freshly caught fish on the São Tomé waterfront
●    Plenty of yellow taxis in the town of São Tomé
●    Possible oil prospects
●    Roads and railroad tracks leading into rainforests

Most items were listed in The Africa Book; the MLA citation is below. What are other "trademarks" of this African country? Feel free to share your thoughts with a comment!

Phillips et al. The Africa Book: A Journey through Every
          Country in the Continent. Lonely Planet, 2007.

— #AfricaWeek —

São Tomé & Príncipe Exports

According to National Geographic MapMaker (mapmaker.nationalgeographic.org), the following items are major exports of SÃO TOMÉ and PRÍNCIPE: bananas, beans, cinnamon, cocoa, coconuts, coffee, construction materials, copra, palm kernels, palm kernels, palm oil, papayas, pepper, poultry, seafood, textiles, and timber (small amounts). According to the International Monetary Fund (data.imf.org), countries and territories buying and importing most of those exports (February 2017 statistics) include the Netherlands (top importer), Italy, Belgium, Germany, Portugal, Angola, France, Russia, Pakistan, Namibia, Belize, Dominican Republic, and Peru.

Sao Tome and Principe Quiz

GeoFact of the Day Country Quiz

See if you can answer these SÃO TOMÉ and PRÍNCIPE-related quiz questions without the help of literary resources and the Internet. Answers are provided at the end...good luck!

1)      São Tomé and Príncipe does not possess which of the following islets (small islands)?
A — Bombom
B — Caravela
C — Caroço
D — Rôlas

2)      São Tomé island is about 280 kilometers and 175 miles west of which mainland country?
A — ANGOLA
B — BENIN
C — GABON
D — GHANA

3)      2006 was the first year of exploratory oil drilling in the Joint Development Zone (JDZ). Since the mid-2000s, São Tomé and Príncipe has been benefiting from companies' oil extraction in the Gulf of Guinea. This Joint Development Zone is shared between São Tomé and Príncipe and which other country?
A — CAMEROON
B — EQUATORIAL GUINEA
C — NIGERIA
D — REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

4)      True or false: There is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in São Tomé and Príncipe.
A — True
B — False

5)      Which is not a tourist attraction or activity on Príncipe island?
A — Marco do Equador (Landmark of the Equator)
B — Roca Belo Monte
C — Maikaira Adventure boat tour
D — Banana Beach

















ANSWERS
Question 1:
B . . . . . Caravela — this island is located in Guinea-Bissau

Question 2:
C . . . . . Gabon

Question 3:
C . . . . . Nigeria

Question 4:
B . . . . . False

Question 5:
A . . . . . Marco do Ecuador landmark

So, how did you do? Thanks for taking this quiz!

Sao Tome and Principe Endangered Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ for SÃO TOMÉ and PRÍNCIPE in West Africa lists 7 critically endangered species and 18 endangered species. Hawksbill Turtles, Monkfish, Principe Dropwing dragonflies, Principe Thrush birds, Sao Tome Ibises, Sao Tome Fiscal Shrike birds, and Sao Tome Grosbeak birds are critically endangered. Endangered species include the Green Turtle, Hyperolius thomensis frog, Ladyfish, Sao Tome Olive Pigeon, Sao Tome Collared Fruit Bat, Scalloped Hammerhead Shark, Spearnose Skate, Sao Tome Free-Tailed Bat, and Sao Tome Shrew.

Happy Halloween!

5 Smallest African Countries

Each of the five smallest countries in Africa are island countries and are less than 1,000 square miles in area. The smallest African country is SEYCHELLES, which is located north of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. The second smallest is SÃO TOMÉ AND PRÍNCIPE, an Atlantic Ocean island country located south of Nigeria and west of Gabon in Western Africa. The third smallest, MAURITIUS is found east of Madagascar and Réunion in the Indian Ocean. The fourth smallest is COMOROS, a Muslim country (98% of the people worship Islam) located in the Mozambique Channel between Mozambique and Madagascar. Lastly, the fifth smallest African country is CAPE VERDE, which you would find west of Northern Africa and countries like Mauritania and Senegal. Below are the area stats for the five smallest African countries & convenient links to their posts.

     1. SEYCHELLES - 176 sq. mi / 455 sq. km

     2. SÃO TOMÉ AND PRÍNCIPE - 371 sq. mi / 960 sq. km

     3. MAURITIUS - 788 sq. mi / 2,040 sq. km

     4. COMOROS - 838 sq. miles / 2,170 sq. km

     5. CAPE VERDE - 1556 sq. miles / 4,030 sq. km

Source for area stats: Hammond World Atlas. Sixth Edition. Hammond World Atlas Corporation, 2010.

São Tomé and Príncipe

SÃO TOMÉ and PRÍNCIPE (also written as Sao Tome and Principe) is an island county in Western Africa in the Atlantic Ocean. The predominantly Roman Catholic country is located west of Gabon, south of Nigeria, and in the Gulf of Guinea. Hence its straightforward name, there are two main islands named São Tomé (Saint Thomas) and Príncipe (Prince). Other islands include Caroço, Pedras Tinhosas Islands, and Rolas. The capital and most-populated city is São Tomé. Other communities include Alto Douro, Praia Grande, and Santa Catarina on Sao Tome and Esperança, Santo António, and Sundi on Principe. The currency is the São Tomé and Príncipe Dobra, and its ISO 4217 currency code is STD. Sao Tome and Principe's former currency was the Escudo, which was replaced by the Dobra in 1977.