230 lines
18 KiB
Plaintext
230 lines
18 KiB
Plaintext
SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 960 km2; land area: 960 km2
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Comparative area: slightly less than 5.5 times the size of
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Washington, DC
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Land boundaries: none
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Coastline: 209 km
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Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines);
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Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
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Territorial sea: 12 nm
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Climate: tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May)
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Terrain: volcanic, mountainous
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Natural resources: fish
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Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops 20%; meadows and
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pastures 1%; forest and woodland 75%; other 3%
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Environment: deforestation; soil erosion
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Note: located south of Nigeria and west of Gabon near the Equator
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in the North Atlantic Ocean
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PEOPLE
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Population: 128,499 (July 1991), growth rate 3.0% (1991)
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Birth rate: 38 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 60 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male, 68 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 5.3 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Sao Tomean(s); adjective--Sao Tomean
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Ethnic divisions: mestico, angolares (descendents of Angolan
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slaves), forros (descendents of freed slaves), servicais (contract
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laborers from Angola, Mozambique, and Cape Verde), tongas (children of
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servicais born on the islands), and Europeans (primarily Portuguese)
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Religion: Roman Catholic, Evangelical Protestant, Seventh-Day
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Adventist
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Language: Portuguese (official)
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Literacy: 57% (male 73%, female 42%) age 15 and over can
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read and write (1981)
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Labor force: 21,096 (1981); most of population engaged in
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subsistence agriculture and fishing; labor shortages on plantations and
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of skilled workers; 56% of population of working age (1983)
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Organized labor: NA
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe
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Type: republic
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Capital: Sao Tome
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Administrative divisions: 2 districts (concelhos,
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singular--concelho); Principe, Sao Tome
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Independence: 12 July 1975 (from Portugal)
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Constitution: 5 November 1975, approved 15 December 1982
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Legal system: based on Portuguese law system and customary law; has
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not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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National holiday: Independence Day, 12 July (1975)
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Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers
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(cabinet)
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Legislative branch: unicameral People's National Assembly
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(Assembleia Popular Nacional)
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Judicial branch: Supreme Court
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Leaders:
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Chief of State--President Miguel TROVOADA (since 4 April 1991);
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Head of Government--Prime Minister Daniel Lima Dos Santos DAIO
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(since 21 January 1991)
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Political parties and leaders:
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Party for Democratic Convergence-Reflection Group (PCD-GR),
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Prime Minister Daniel Lima Dos Santos DAIO, secretary general;
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Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe (MLSTP),
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Carlos da GRACIA;
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Christian Democratic Front (FDC), Alphonse Dos SANTOS;
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Democratic Opposition Coalition (CODO), leader NA; other small parties
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Suffrage: universal at age 18
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Elections:
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President--last held 3 March 1991 (next to be held March
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1996);
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results--Miguel TROVOADA was elected without opposition in Sao Tome's
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first multiparty presidential election;
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National People's Assembly--last held 20 January 1991 (next to be
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held January 1996);
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results--PCD-GR 54.4%, MLSTP 30.5%, CODO 5.2%, FDC 1.5%, other 8.3%;
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seats--(55 total) PCD-GR 33, MLSTP 21, CODO 1; note--this was the first
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National Assembly multiparty election in Sao Tome
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Member of: ACP, AfDB, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD,
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ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
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UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
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Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Joaquim Rafael BRANCO;
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Chancery (temporary) at 801 Second Avenue, Suite 1504, New York, NY
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10017; telephone (212) 697-4211;
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US--Ambassador Keith L. WAUCHOPE in Gabon is accredited to Sao
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Tome and Principe on a nonresident basis and makes periodic visits to the
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islands
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Flag: three horizontal bands of green (top), yellow (double
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width), and green with two black five-pointed stars placed side by side
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in the center of the yellow band and a red isosceles triangle based on
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the hoist side; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
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ECONOMY
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Overview: The economy has remained dependent on cocoa since the
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country gained independence nearly 15 years ago. Since then, however,
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cocoa production has gradually deteriorated because of drought and
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mismanagement, so that by 1987 output had fallen to less than 50% of
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its former levels. As a result, a shortage of cocoa for export has
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created a serious balance-of-payments problem. Production of less
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important crops, such as coffee, copra, and palm kernels, has
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also declined. The value of imports generally exceeds that of
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exports by a ratio of 4 to 1. The emphasis on cocoa production at
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the expense of other food crops has meant that Sao Tome has to import
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90% of food needs. It also has to import all fuels and most manufactured
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goods. Over the years, Sao Tome has been unable to service its external
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debt, which amounts to roughly 80% of export earnings. Considerable
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potential exists for development of a tourist industry, and the
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government has taken steps to expand facilities in recent years. The
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government also implemented a Five-Year Plan covering 1986-90 to
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restructure the economy and reschedule external debt service payments in
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cooperation with the International Development Association and Western
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lenders.
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GDP: $46.0 million, per capita $400; real growth rate 1.5% (1989)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 36% (1989 est.)
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Unemployment rate: NA%
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Budget: revenues $10.2 million; expenditures $36.8 million,
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including capital expenditures of $22.5 million (1989)
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Exports: $5.9 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
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commodities--cocoa 85%, copra, coffee, palm oil;
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partners--FRG, GDR, Netherlands, China
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Imports: $26.8 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
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commodities--machinery and electrical equipment 54%, food
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products 23%, other 23%;
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partners--Portugal, GDR, Angola, China
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External debt: $129 million (1990 est.)
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Industrial production: growth rate 7.1% (1986)
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Electricity: 5,000 kW capacity; 12 million kWh produced,
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100 kWh per capita (1990)
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Industries: light construction, shirts, soap, beer, fisheries,
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shrimp processing
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Agriculture: dominant sector of economy, primary source of exports;
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cash crops--cocoa (85%), coconuts, palm kernels, coffee; food
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products--bananas, papaya, beans, poultry, fish; not self-sufficient in
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food grain and meat
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Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $8
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million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
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(1970-87), $59 million
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Currency: dobra (plural--dobras); 1 dobra (Db) = 100 centimos
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Exchange rates: dobras (Db) per US$1--122.48 (December 1988),
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72.827 (1987), 36.993 (1986), 41.195 (1985)
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Fiscal year: calendar year
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Highways: 300 km (two-thirds are paved); roads on Principe are
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mostly unpaved and in need of repair
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Ports: Sao Tome, Santo Antonio
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Civil air: 8 major transport aircraft
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Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways
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1,220-2,439 m
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Telecommunications: minimal system; 2,200 telephones; stations--1
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AM, 2 FM, no TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Branches: Army, Navy, National Police
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Manpower availability: males 15-49, 28,984; 15,287 fit for military
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service
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Defense expenditures: $NA, 1.6% of GDP (1980)
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