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| Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe República Democrática de São Tomé e Príncipe | |
|---|---|
 Flag
 Coat of arms
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| Capital and largest city | São Tomé |
| Government | Unitary semi-presidential republic |
• President | Carlos Vila Nova |
• Prime Minister | Patrice Trovoada |
| Area | |
• Total | 964 km² |
| Population | |
• 2023 estimate | 220,372 |
São Tomé and Príncipe, officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is an island liberal democracy off the coast of West Africa and in the Gulf of Guinea. The nation is comprised of two archipelagos with the two main islands - São Tomé and Príncipe.
History
Colonization
The islands were uninhabited until the arrival of the Portuguese colonialists in 1470. In the 16th Century, São Tomé was used as a base by the Spanish and Portuguese, to transport slaves from Africa to the Caribbean in the Transatlantic slave trade.[1]
In the 1950s, the Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe (MLSTP) was formed by São Toméans to achieve independence.
In November 1974, Portugal's new regime's representatives met with the MLSTP in Algiers and worked out an agreement for the transfer of sovereignty.
July of 1975, the country became independent.
References
- ↑ David Keys (2018-08-22). "Details of Horrific First Voyages in Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Revealed" Black Agenda Report.