São Tomé and Príncipe gained independence from Portugal on 12 July 1975.Facts you may not know about São Tomé and Príncipe: São Tomé and Príncipe were uninhabited when they were discovered, about 1470, by the Portuguese. In the late 15th century the Portuguese sent out settlers (including many convicts and Jewish children who had been separated from their parents and expelled from Portugal) and brought enslaved African people to the islands to grow sugar.São Tomé and Príncipe is the second-smallest African country.Both of the islands are part of the Cameroon volcanic mountain line. They were created as a result of volcanic activity that is extinct.Almost 30% of Sao Tome and Principe’s territory is covered by rainforests. And unlike mainland Africa, there is no threat of large dangerous animals or poisonous snakes.São Tomé and Príncipe are home to a large number of birds. You will find the world’s smallest ibis and the largest sunbird there.Coca is the main crop of the island nation and it represents 95% of the country’s export. It was once the world’s largest producer of cocoa.Other export crops include copra, palm kernels, and coffee.The natural resources are hydropower and fish in São Tomé and Príncipe.The population consists mainly of Forros (from forro, Portuguese for “free man”), descendants of immigrant Europeans and enslaved Africans. Another group, the Angolares, descended from runaway enslaved Angolans who were shipwrecked on São Tomé about 1540.They have four national languages: Portuguese, Portuguese-based creoles Forro, Angolar and Principense.This small country has a homogeneous creole culture, profoundly marked by centuries of blending elements of the dominant Roman Catholic Portuguese culture with various African influences.The music and dance scene of the country is heavily influenced by the Portuguese and African cultures. Príncipeis the home to the dêxa beat while ússua and socopé rhythms of São Tomé are well-known.
Happy independence day São Tomé and Príncipe
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