São Tomé and Príncipe: Capital, Flag and Fun Facts

About São Tomé and Príncipe

São Tomé and Príncipe is a tiny island country in the Gulf of Guinea, off the west coast of Central Africa. Its two main volcanic islands are covered in rainforest and cocoa plantations. The equator passes just south of São Tomé Island.

About São Tomé

São Tomé is on the northeast coast of São Tomé Island, facing Ana Chaves Bay. It is a small, relaxed city known for its colourful Portuguese colonial buildings and its cathedral.

Fun facts about São Tomé and Príncipe

1. São Tomé and Príncipe is Africa's second-smallest country, after Seychelles.
2. The equator passes through Ilhéu das Rolas, a small islet just off the southern tip of São Tomé Island.
3. Pico Cão Grande is a needle-shaped volcanic peak that rises dramatically above the rainforest of southern São Tomé.
4. In the early 1900s, São Tomé and Príncipe was the world's largest producer of cocoa, used to make chocolate.
5. In 2025, UNESCO made the whole country a biosphere reserve, the first entire nation to receive this status.
6. The islands are home to many birds found nowhere else, including the world's smallest ibis.