The country is made up of two main islands, S o Tom and Principe, and several small islets. Tom , unspoilt rainforest in Principe, and cool fresh climates in the mountains. The islands are of volcanic origin with fertile soil and rich vegetation. Unique to the country are a number of species of flowers, birds and butterflies. Rainy season is from September to May and the dry season is from June to August.
Cocoa production dominates the islands' agriculture.
Lungwa Santom is the main national dialect and several regional dialects are spoken. Today the population can be divided between Angolares , reportedly descending from the survivors of a slave ship shipwrecked in the 1540s , Forros or Filhos da Terra , descendants of the first Portuguese settlers and freed slaves, Sevi ais , contract labourers from Cape Verde, Angola, and Mozambique, and Tongas descendants of Servi ais.