São Tomé

São Tomé is the capital and largest city of the Central African island country of São Tomé and Príncipe. Its name is Portuguese for "Saint Thomas". Founded in the 15th century, it is one of Africa's oldest colonial cities.
History
Álvaro Caminha founded the colony of São Tomé in 1493. The Portuguese came to São Tomé in search of land to grow sugarcane. The island was uninhabited before the arrival of the Portuguese sometime around 1470. São Tomé, situated about north of the equator, had a climate wet enough to grow sugarcane in wild abundance. In 1497, 2,000 Jewish children, eight years old and under, were taken from the Iberian peninsula, to receive catholic education, following the national policy of conversion to Catholicism. The nearby African Kingdom of Kongo eventually became a source of slave labor as well. The island of São Tomé was the main center of sugar production in the sixteenth century; it was overtaken by Brazil by 1600.
São Tomé is centred on a sixteenth-century cathedral, that was largely rebuilt in the 19th century. Another early building is Fort São Sebastião, built in 1566 and now the São Tomé National Museum. On July 9, 1595, a slave revolt led by Rei Amador took control of the capital; they were subjugated in 1596. In 1599, the Dutch took the city as well as the islands for two days; they re-occupied it in 1641 for a year. The city served as the capital of the Portuguese colony of São Tomé and Príncipe and, from São Tomé and Príncipe's independence in 1975, as capital of the sovereign nation.
Geography
Important as a port, São Tomé is located on Ana Chaves Bay in the northeast of São Tomé Island, and Ilhéu das Cabras lies nearby offshore. São Tomé is located northeast of Trindade, southeast of Guadalupe and northwest of Santana. It is linked to these towns by a highway which encircles the entire island of São Tomé. It is linked to Cape Verde by a weekly ferry.
Features of the town include the Presidential Palace, the cathedral, and a cinema. The city is also home to schools, and middle schools, high schools, one polytechnic, two markets, three radio stations, the public television station TVSP, several clinics and hospitals, the country's main airport - São Tomé International Airport (with direct regular scheduled flights to Angola, Gabon, Ghana and Portugal as well as occasional domestic flights to Príncipe), and many squares (praças). São Tomé also serves as the centre of the island's road and bus networks The town is well known for the tchiloli playing.
Population history
Transport
São Tomé is served by São Tomé International Airport with regular flights to Europe and other African Countries.
Climate
São Tomé features a tropical wet and dry climate (Köppen As), although it is not far above a semi-arid climate (BSh) due to the influence of the cold Benguela Current, which makes even the wettest months drier than would be expected for such a low latitude but at the same time makes the city very cloudy and foggy even during the almost rainless dry season mid-year. The city has a relatively lengthy wet season from October through May and a short dry season. São Tomé sees on average just under of rainfall per year. Temperatures in the city are relatively constant, with average high temperatures usually around and average low temperatures around .
Education
University of São Tomé and Príncipe, formed in 2016
National Lyceum
Patrice Lumumba Preparatory School
National Library of São Tomé and Príncipe
The following Portuguese international schools are in the city:
Escola Portuguesa de S. Tomé
Instituto Diocesano de Formação João Paulo II
Escola Bambino
Escola Internacional de S. Tomé e Príncipe
Health
The main hospital of the country is Hospital Ayres de Menezes.
Sports
Sports clubs based in the city include Sporting Praia Cruz and Vitória FC based in the neighborhood of Riboque. All clubs play at Estádio Nacional 12 de Julho.
Places of worship
Among the places of worship, they are predominantly Christian churches and temples : Roman Catholic Diocese of São Tomé and Príncipe (Catholic Church), Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, Assemblies of God.
Gallery
Notable people
José Vianna da Motta (1868–1948) Portuguese pianist, teacher and composer
Alfredo Azancot (1872-??) Portuguese architect who emigrated to Chile
Almada Negreiros (1893–1970) Portuguese artist, created literature and painting, and developed ballet choreographies
Francisco José Tenreiro (1921–1963) geographer, poet and writer of the colonial era
Alda Neves da Graça do Espírito Santo (1926–2010) poet working in Portuguese, who also served in the Santomean government after independence
Guadalupe de Ceita (born 1929) writer and a doctor and national hero
Miguel Trovoada (born 1936) was Prime Minister 1975–1979 and President 1991–2001 of São Tomé and Príncipe
Fradique de Menezes (born 1942) President of São Tomé and Príncipe from 2003 to 2011
Olinda Beja (born 1946) poet, writer and narrator, emigrated to Portugal and moved to Viseu
Tomé Vera Cruz (born 1956) Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe from April 2006 to February 2008
Conceição Lima (born 1961) poet from the town of Santana
Patrice Trovoada (born 1962) politician, Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe 2008 to June 2008, 2010 to December 2012 and since November 2014
Aurélio Martins (born 1966) journalist, businessman and politician
Sports
Nuno Espírito Santo (born 1974) retired Portuguese footballer, Portuguese association football manager
Naide Gomes (born 1979) former heptathlete and long jumper, competed in 100 metres hurdles at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Lasset Costa, (born 1986) footballer
Yazaldes Nascimento (born 1986) Portuguese athlete, runs the 100 metres, competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics
Alcino Silva (born 1990) sprint canoer, competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing
Harramiz (born 1990) professional footballer who plays in Portugal
Zé (born 1991) footballer
Buly Da Conceição Triste (born 1991) sprint canoeist, competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Faduley (born 1992) footballer in Portugal
Charles Monteiro (born 1994) footballer who plays in Portugal
Gilson Costa (born 1996) Portuguese professional footballer
Romário Leitão (born 1997) long distance runner, competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the men's 5000 metres
Gedson Fernandes (born 1999) Portuguese professional footballer
International relations
São Tomé is twinned with:
Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Luanda, Angola
Libreville, Gabon
Accra, Ghana
Lisbon, Portugal
References
External links
www.saotome.st - Facts about the country, how to get there, where to stay, what to do, images etc.
Capitals in Africa
Populated places in Água Grande District
1485 establishments
15th-century establishments in Africa
Former Portuguese colonies
Populated places established in the 1480s
Pleistocene shield volcanoes