This entry provides the long-term average water availability for a country measured in cubic meters per year of precipitation, recharged ground water, and surface inflows from surrounding countries.  Total renewable water resources provides the water total available to a country but does not include water resource totals that have been reserved for upstream or downstream countries through international agreements.  Note that these values are averages and do not accurately reflect the total available in any given year.  Annual available resources can vary greatly due to short-term and long-term climatic and weather variations.This entry provides the long-term average water availability for a country measured in cubic meters per year of precipitation, recharged ground water, and surface inflows from surrounding countries.  Total renewable water resources provides the water total available to a country but does not include water resource totals that have been reserved for upstream or downstream countries through international agreements.  Note that these values are averages and do not accurately reflect the total available in any given year.  Annual available resources can vary greatly due to short-term and long-term climatic and weather variations.

Topic: Afghanistan65.33 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Albania30.2 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Algeria11.667 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Andorra315.6 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Angola148.4 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Antigua and Barbuda52 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Argentina876.24 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Armenia7.769 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Australia492 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Austria77.7 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Azerbaijan34.675 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Bahamas, The700 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Bahrain116 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Bangladesh1,227,032,000,000 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Barbados80 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Belarus57.9 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Belgium18.3 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Belize21.734 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Benin26.39 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Bhutan78 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Bolivia574 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Bosnia and Herzegovina37.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Botswana12.24 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Brazil8.647 trillion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Brunei8.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Bulgaria21.3 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Burkina Faso13.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Burma1,167,800,000,000 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Burundi12.536 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Cabo Verde300 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Cambodia476.1 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Cameroon283.15 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Canada2.902 trillion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Central African Republic141 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Chad45.7 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Chile923.06 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: China2,840,220,000,000 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Colombia2.36 trillion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Comoros1.2 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Congo, Democratic Republic of the1.283 trillion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Congo, Republic of the832 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Cook Islands0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Costa Rica113 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Cote d'Ivoire84.14 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Croatia105.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Cuba38.12 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: CuracaoNA

Topic: Cyprus780 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Czechia13.15 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Denmark6 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Djibouti300 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Dominica200 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Dominican Republic23.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Ecuador442.4 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Egypt57.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: El Salvador26.27 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Equatorial Guinea26 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Eritrea7.315 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Estonia12.806 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Eswatini4.51 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Ethiopia122 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: European Union2,057.76 cubic meters (2011)

Topic: Faroe Islands0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Fiji28.55 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Finland110 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: France211 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Gabon166 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Gambia, The8 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Gaza Strip837 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

note: data represent combined total from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Topic: Georgia63.33 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Germany154 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Ghana56.2 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Greece68.4 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Grenada200 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Guatemala127.91 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Guinea226 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Guinea-Bissau31.4 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Guyana271 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Haiti14.022 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Holy See (Vatican City)0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Honduras92.164 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Hungary104 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Iceland170 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: India1,910,900,000,000 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Indonesia2,018,700,000,000 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Iran137.045 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Iraq89.86 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Ireland52 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Israel1.78 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Italy191.3 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Jamaica10.823 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Japan430 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Jordan937 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Kazakhstan108.41 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Kenya30.7 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Kiribati0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Korea, North77.15 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Korea, South69.7 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Kuwait20 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Kyrgyzstan23.618 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Laos333.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Latvia34.94 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Lebanon4.503 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Lesotho3.022 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Liberia232 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Libya700 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Liechtenstein0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Lithuania24.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Luxembourg3.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Madagascar337 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Malawi17.28 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Malaysia580 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Maldives30 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Mali120 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Malta50.5 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Marshall Islands0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Mauritania11.4 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Mauritius2.751 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Mexico461.888 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Micronesia, Federated States of0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Moldova12.27 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Mongolia34.8 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Morocco29 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

note:  data does not include former Western Sahara

Topic: Mozambique217.1 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Namibia39.91 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Nauru10 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Nepal210.2 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Netherlands91 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: New Zealand327 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Nicaragua164.52 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Niger34.05 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Nigeria286.2 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Niue0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: North Macedonia6.4 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Norway393 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Oman1.4 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Pakistan246.8 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Palau0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Panama139.304 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Papua New Guinea801 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Paraguay387.77 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Peru1,879,800,000,000 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Philippines479 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Poland60.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Portugal77.4 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Puerto Rico7.1 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Qatar58 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Romania212.01 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Russia4,525,445,000,000 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Rwanda13.3 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Saint Kitts and Nevis24 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Saint Lucia300 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines100 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Samoa0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Sao Tome and Principe2.18 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Saudi Arabia2.4 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Senegal38.97 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Serbia162.2 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) (note - includes Kosovo)

Topic: Seychelles0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Sierra Leone160 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Singapore600 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Slovakia50.1 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Slovenia31.87 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Solomon Islands44.7 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Somalia14.7 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: South Africa51.35 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: South Sudan49.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Spain111.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Sri Lanka52.8 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Sudan37.8 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Suriname99 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Sweden174 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Switzerland53.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Syria16.802 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Taiwan67 cubic meters (2011)

Topic: Tajikistan21.91 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Tanzania96.27 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Thailand438.61 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Timor-Leste8.215 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Togo14.7 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Tokelau0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Tonga0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Trinidad and Tobago3.84 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Tunisia4.615 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Turkey (Turkiye)211.6 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Turkmenistan24.765 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Tuvalu0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Uganda60.1 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Ukraine175.28 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: United Arab Emirates150 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: United Kingdom147 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: United States3.069 trillion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Uruguay172.2 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Uzbekistan48.87 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Vanuatu10 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Venezuela1.325 trillion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Vietnam884.12 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: West Bank837 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

note: data represent combined total from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Topic: World53,789.29 cubic meters (2011)

Topic: Yemen2.1 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Zambia104.8 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Zimbabwe20 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)


US State Dept Travel Advisory: The US Department of State currently recommends US citizens DO NOT TRAVEL to South Sudan due to crime, kidnapping, and armed conflict. Consult its website via the link below for updates to travel advisories and statements on safety, security, local laws and special circumstances in this country.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html
Passport/Visa Requirements: US citizens should make sure their passport will not expire for at least 6 months after they enter the country even if they do not intend to stay that long. They should also make sure they have at least 2 blank pages in their passport for any entry stamp and or visa that will be required. A visa is required. US citizens will need to get in touch with the country’s embassy or nearest consulate to obtain a visa prior to visiting the country.
US Embassy/Consulate: [211] 912-105-188; US Embassy in Juba, Kololo Road, adjacent to the European Union’s compound, Juba, South Sudan; ACSJuba@state.gov;

https://ss.usembassy.gov/
Telephone Code: 211
Local Emergency Phone: Ambulance: 997; Fire: 998; Police: 999
Vaccinations: Yellow fever vaccine, at least 10 days before arrival, is required for travelers originating from or transiting through WHO-designated yellow fever countries. See WHO recommendations. On 21 March 2022, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Africa; South Sudan is currently considered a high risk to travelers for polio; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine.

http://www.who.int/
Climate: Hot with seasonal rainfall influenced by the annual shift of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone; rainfall heaviest in upland areas of the south and diminishes to the north
Currency (Code): South Sudanese pounds (SSP)
Electricity/Voltage/Plug Type(s): 230 V / 50 Hz / plug types(s): C, D

Major Languages: English, Arabic (includes Juba and Sudanese variants), regional languages include Dinka, Nuer, Bari, Zande, Shilluk
Major Religions: Animist, Christian, Muslim
Time Difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Potable Water: Opt for bottled water
International Driving Permit: Suggested
Road Driving Side: Right
Tourist Destinations: Boma National Park; Wau; Southern National Park; Kidepo Game Reserve; Bandingilo National Park
Major Sports: Soccer, basketball, track and field
Cultural Practices: It is considered rude to not remove one's shoes before entering a household.
Tipping Guidelines: Tipping is not customary.
Souvenirs: Ebony-wood-carved animal tribal items, grass woven baskets, leather items, gold jewelry, spices
Traditional Cuisine: Ful Medames — a vegetarian dish typically made with fava beans and served with toppings such as tomatoes, greens, feta, red onions, hard-boiled eggs, or shata (hot sauce)Please visit the following links to find further information about your desired destination.

World Health Organization (WHO) - To learn what vaccines and health precautions to take while visiting your destination.

US State Dept Travel Information - Overall information about foreign travel for US citizens.

To obtain an international driving permit (IDP). Only two organizations in the US issue IDPs:
American Automobile Association (AAA) and American Automobile Touring Alliance (AATA)

How to get help in an emergency?
Contact the nearest US embassy or consulate, or call one of these numbers:
from the US or Canada - 1-888-407-4747 or from Overseas - +1 202-501-4444

Page last updated: Monday, June 20, 2022


Topic: A Brief History of Basic Intelligence and The World FactbookThe Intelligence Cycle is the process by which information is acquired, converted into intelligence, and made available to policymakers. Information is raw data from any source, data that may be fragmentary, contradictory, unreliable, ambiguous, deceptive, or wrong. Intelligence is information that has been collected, integrated, evaluated, analyzed, and interpreted. Finished intelligence is the final product of the Intelligence Cycle ready to be delivered to the policymaker.The three types of finished intelligence are: basic, current, and estimative. Basic intelligence provides the fundamental and factual reference material on a country or issue. Current intelligence reports on new developments. Estimative intelligence judges probable outcomes. The three are mutually supportive: basic intelligence is the foundation on which the other two are constructed; current intelligence continually updates the inventory of knowledge; and estimative intelligence revises overall interpretations of country and issue prospects for guidance of basic and current intelligence. The World Factbook, The President’s Daily Brief, and the National Intelligence Estimates are examples of the three types of finished intelligence.The United States has carried on foreign intelligence activities since the days of George Washington but only since World War II have they been coordinated on a government-wide basis. Three programs have highlighted the development of coordinated basic intelligence since that time: (1) the Joint Army Navy Intelligence Studies (JANIS), (2) the National Intelligence Survey (NIS), and (3) The World Factbook.During World War II, intelligence consumers realized that the production of basic intelligence by different components of the US Government resulted in a great duplication of effort and conflicting information. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 brought home to leaders in Congress and the executive branch the need for integrating departmental reports to national policymakers. Detailed and coordinated information was needed not only on such major powers as Germany and Japan, but also on places of little previous interest. In the Pacific Theater, for example, the Navy and Marines had to launch amphibious operations against many islands about which information was unconfirmed or nonexistent. Intelligence authorities resolved that the United States should never again be caught unprepared.In 1943, Gen. George B. Strong (G-2), Adm. H. C. Train (Office of Naval Intelligence – ONI), and Gen. William J. Donovan (Director of the Office of Strategic Services – OSS) decided that a joint effort should be initiated. A steering committee was appointed on 27 April 1943 that recommended the formation of a Joint Intelligence Study Publishing Board to assemble, edit, coordinate, and publish the Joint Army Navy Intelligence Studies (JANIS). JANIS was the first interdepartmental basic intelligence program to fulfill the needs of the US Government for an authoritative and coordinated appraisal of strategic basic intelligence. Between April 1943 and July 1947, the board published 34 JANIS studies. JANIS performed well in the war effort, and numerous letters of commendation were received, including a statement from Adm. Forrest Sherman, Chief of Staff, Pacific Ocean Areas, which said, “JANIS has become the indispensable reference work for the shore-based planners.”The need for more comprehensive basic intelligence in the postwar world was well expressed in 1946 by George S. Pettee, a noted author on national security. He wrote in The Future of American Secret Intelligence (Infantry Journal Press, 1946, page 46) that world leadership in peace requires even more elaborate intelligence than in war. “The conduct of peace involves all countries, all human activities – not just the enemy and his war production.”The Central Intelligence Agency was established on 26 July 1947 and officially began operating on 18 September 1947. Effective 1 October 1947, the Director of Central Intelligence assumed operational responsibility for JANIS. On 13 January 1948, the National Security Council issued Intelligence Directive (NSCID) No. 3, which authorized the National Intelligence Survey (NIS) program as a peacetime replacement for the wartime JANIS program. Before adequate NIS country sections could be produced, government agencies had to develop more comprehensive gazetteers and better maps. The US Board on Geographic Names (BGN) compiled the names; the Department of the Interior produced the gazetteers; and CIA produced the maps.The Hoover Commission’s Clark Committee, set up in 1954 to study the structure and administration of the CIA, reported to Congress in 1955 that: “The National Intelligence Survey is an invaluable publication which provides the essential elements of basic intelligence on all areas of the world. There will always be a continuing requirement for keeping the Survey up-to-date.” The Factbook was created as an annual summary and update to the encyclopedic NIS studies. The first classified Factbook was published in August 1962, and the first unclassified version was published in June 1971. The NIS program was terminated in 1973 except for the Factbook, map, and gazetteer components. The 1975 Factbook was the first to be made available to the public with sales through the US Government Printing Office (GPO). The Factbook was first made available on the Internet in June 1997. The year 2022 marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the Central Intelligence Agency and the 79th year of continuous basic intelligence support to the US Government by The World Factbook and its two predecessor programs.

Topic: The Evolution of The World FactbookNational Basic Intelligence Factbook produced semiannually until 1980. Country entries include sections on Land, Water, People, Government, Economy, Communications, and Defense Forces.1981: Publication becomes an annual product and is renamed The World Factbook. A total of 165 nations are covered on 225 pages.1983: Appendices (Conversion Factors, International Organizations) first introduced.1984: Appendices expanded; now include: A. The United Nations, B. Selected United Nations Organizations, C. Selected International Organizations, D. Country Membership in Selected Organizations, E. Conversion Factors.1987: A new Geography section replaces the former separate Land and Water sections. UN Organizations and Selected International Organizations appendices merged into a new International Organizations appendix. First multi-color-cover Factbook.1988: More than 40 new geographic entities added to provide complete world coverage without overlap or omission. Among the new entities are Antarctica, oceans (Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, Pacific), and the World. The front-of-the-book explanatory introduction expanded and retitled to Notes, Definitions, and Abbreviations. Two new Appendices added: Weights and Measures (in place of Conversion Factors) and a Cross-Reference List of Geographic Names. Factbook size reaches 300 pages.1989: Economy section completely revised and now includes an “Overview” briefly describing a country’s economy. New entries added under People, Government, and Communications.1990: The Government section revised and considerably expanded with new entries.1991: A new International Organizations and Groups appendix added. Factbook size reaches 405 pages.1992: Twenty new successor state entries replace those of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. New countries are respectively: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan; and Bosnia and Hercegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovenia. Number of nations in the Factbook rises to 188.1993: Czechoslovakia’s split necessitates new Czech Republic and Slovakia entries. New Eritrea entry added after it secedes from Ethiopia. Substantial enhancements made to Geography section.1994: Two new appendices address Selected International Environmental Agreements. The gross domestic product (GDP) of most developing countries changed to a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis rather than an exchange rate basis. Factbook size up to 512 pages.1995: The GDP of all countries now presented on a PPP basis. New appendix lists estimates of GDP on an exchange rate basis. Communications category split; “Railroads,” “Highways,” “Inland waterways,” “Pipelines,” “Merchant marine,” and “Airports” entries now make up a new Transportation category. The World Factbook is first produced on CD-ROM.1996: Maps accompanying each entry now present more detail. Flags also introduced for nearly all entities. Various new entries appear under Geography and Communications. Factbook abbreviations consolidated into a new Appendix A. Two new appendices present a Cross-Reference List of Country Data Codes and a Cross-Reference List of Hydrogeographic Data Codes. Geographic coordinates added to Appendix H, Cross-Reference List of Geographic Names. Factbook size expands by 95 pages in one year to reach 652.1997: The World Factbook introduced onto the Internet. A special printed edition prepared for the CIA’s 50th anniversary. A schema or Guide to Country Profiles introduced. New color maps and flags now accompany each country profile. Category headings distinguished by shaded backgrounds. Number of categories expanded to nine with the addition of an Introduction (for only a few countries) and Transnational Issues (which includes “Disputes-international” and “Illicit drugs”).1998: The Introduction category with two entries, “Current issues” and “Historical perspective,” expanded to more countries. Last year for the production of CD-ROM versions of the Factbook.1999: “Historical perspective” and “Current issues” entries in the Introduction category combined into a new “Background” statement. Several new Economy entries introduced. A new physical map of the world added to the back-of-the-book reference maps.2000: A new “country profile” added on the Southern Ocean. The Background statements dramatically expanded to over 200 countries and possessions. A number of new Communications entries added.2001: Background entries completed for all 267 entities in the Factbook. Several new HIV/AIDS entries introduced under the People category. Revision begun on individual country maps to include elevation extremes and a partial geographic grid. Weights and Measures appendix deleted.2002: New entry on “Distribution of Family income – Gini index” added. Revision of individual country maps continued (process ongoing).2003: In the Economy category, petroleum entries added for “oil production,” “consumption,” “exports,” “imports,” and “proved reserves,” as well as “natural gas proved reserves.”2004: Bi-weekly updates launched on The World Factbook website. Additional petroleum entries included for “natural gas production,” “consumption,” “exports,” and “imports.” In the Transportation category, under “Merchant marine,” subfields added for foreign-owned vessels and those registered in other countries. Descriptions of the many forms of government mentioned in the Factbook incorporated into the Definitions and Notes.2005: In the People category, a “Major infectious diseases” field added for countries deemed to pose a higher risk for travelers. In the Economy category, entries included for “Current account balance,” “Investment,” “Public debt,” and “Reserves of foreign exchange and gold.” The Transnational issues category expanded to include “Refugees and internally displaced persons.” Size of the printed Factbook reaches 702 pages.2006: In the Economy category, national GDP figures now presented at Official Exchange Rates (OER) in addition to GDP at purchasing power parity (PPP). Entries in the Transportation section reordered; “Highways” changed to “Roadways,” and “Ports and harbors” to “Ports and terminals.”2007: In the Government category, the “Capital” entry significantly expanded with up to four subfields, including new information having to do with time. The subfields consist of the name of the capital itself, its geographic coordinates, the time difference at the capital from coordinated universal time (UTC), and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note is added to highlight those countries with multiple time zones. A “Trafficking in persons” entry added to the Transnational issues category. A new appendix, Weights and Measures, (re)introduced to the online version of the Factbook.2008: In the Geography category, two fields focus on the increasingly vital resource of water: “Total renewable water resources” and “Freshwater withdrawal.” In the Economy category, three fields added for: “Stock of direct foreign investment – at home,” “Stock of direct foreign investment – abroad,” and “Market value of publicly traded shares.” Concise descriptions of all major religions included in the Definitions and Notes. Responsibility for printing of The World Factbook turned over to the Government Printing Office.2009: The online Factbook site completely redesigned with many new features. In the People category, two new fields provide information on education in terms of opportunity and resources: “School Life Expectancy” and “Education expenditures.” Additionally, the “Urbanization” entry expanded to include all countries. In the Economy category, five fields added: “Central bank discount rate,” “Commercial bank prime lending rate,” “Stock of narrow money,” “Stock of broad money,” and “Stock of domestic credit.”2010: Weekly updates inaugurated on the The World Factbook website. The dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles results in two new listings: Curacao and Sint Maarten. In the Communications category, a “Broadcast media” field replaces the former “Radio broadcast stations” and “TV broadcast stations” entries. In the Geography section, under “Natural hazards,” a Volcanism subfield added for countries with historically active volcanoes. In the Government category, a new “National anthems” field introduced. Concise descriptions of all major Legal systems incorporated into the Definitions and Notes. In order to facilitate comparisons over time, dozens of the entries in the Economy category expanded to include two (and in some cases three) years’ worth of data.2011: The People section expanded to People and Society, incorporating ten new fields. The Economy category added “Taxes and other revenues” and “Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-),” while the Government section introduced “International law organization participation” and “National symbols.” A new African nation, South Sudan, brings the total number of countries in The World Factbook to 195.2012: A new Energy category introduced with 23 energy-related fields. Several distinctive features added to The World Factbook website: 1) playable audio files in the Government section for the National Anthems entry, 2) online graphics in the form of a Population Pyramid feature in the People and Society category’s Age Structure field, and 3) a Users Guide enabling visitors to navigate the Factbook more easily and efficiently. A new and distinctive Map of the World Oceans highlights an expanded array of regional and country maps. Size of the printed Factbook’s 50th anniversary edition reaches 847 pages.2013: In the People and Society section five fields introduced: “Demographic profile,” “Mother’s mean age at first birth,” “Contraceptive prevalence rate,” “Dependency ratios,” and “Child labor – children ages 5-14.” In the Transnational Issues category, a new stateless persons subfield embedded under the “Refugees and internally displaced persons” entry. In the Economy section two fields added: “GDP – composition by end use” and “Gross national saving.” In the Government category the “Judicial branch” entry revised and expanded to include three new subfields: highest court(s), judge selection and term of office, and subordinate courts.2014: In the Transportation category, the “Ports and terminals” field substantially expanded with subfields for major seaport(s), river port(s), lake port(s), oil/gas terminal(s), LNG terminal(s), dry bulk cargo port(s), container port(s), and cruise/ferry port(s). In the Geography section, the “Land boundaries entry” revised for all countries, including the total country border length as well as the border lengths for all neighboring countries.2015: In the Government category, the first part of the “Legislative branch” field thoroughly revised, expanded, and updated for all countries under a new description heading. This subentry includes the legislative structure, the formal name(s), the number of legislative seats, the types of voting constituencies and voting systems, and the member term of office. In the Geography category, the “Land use” entry expanded to include agricultural land, forest land, and other uses. Area Comparison Maps introduced online for about half of the world’s countries. These graphics show the size of a country in relation to a part of the United States. (More maps to follow as they become available.)2016: In the Government section for all countries, a new “Citizenship” field added to describe policies related to the acquisition of citizenship and to the recognition of dual citizenship. Also, under the “Country name” entry, etymologies (historical origins) added to explain how countries acquired their names. In the Energy section, an “Electricity access” field introduced with subfields summarizing total access to electricity within an country, as well as for urban and rural populations. In the Transportation category, an expansive “National air transport system” field presents info on the number of registered air carriers, number of operating aircraft, annual passenger traffic, and annual freight traffic.2017: In the Government category, the “Constitution” entry revised and expanded with new subfields for history and amendments. Information on piracy moved from the Transportation category to a new “Maritime threats” field in the Military and Security category. In the Transportation section, the “Merchant marine” entry revised to not only include the total number of ships, but also the major types: bulk carrier, container ship, general cargo, oil tanker, and other. A new “Population distribution” field added to both the Geography and People and Society categories. 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Topic: Photos of Sao Tome and Principe

Topic: Introduction
Background: Portugal discovered and colonized the uninhabited islands in the late 15th century, setting up a sugar-based economy that gave way to coffee and cocoa in the 19th century - all grown with African plantation slave labor, a form of which lingered into the 20th century. While independence was achieved in 1975, democratic reforms were not instituted until the late 1980s. The country held its first free elections in 1991, but frequent internal wrangling between the various political parties precipitated repeated changes in leadership and four failed, non-violent coup attempts in 1995, 1998, 2003, and 2009. In 2012, three opposition parties combined in a no confidence vote to bring down the majority government of former Prime Minister Patrice TROVOADA, but in 2014, legislative elections returned him to the office. President Evaristo CARVALHO, of the same political party as Prime Minister TROVOADA, was elected in September 2016, marking a rare instance in which the positions of president and prime minister were held by the same party. Prime Minister TROVOADA resigned at the end of 2018 and was replaced by Jorge BOM JESUS. Carlos Vila NOVA was elected president in early September 2021 and was inaugurated 2 October 2021. New oil discoveries in the Gulf of Guinea may attract increased attention to the small island nation.Portugal discovered and colonized the uninhabited islands in the late 15th century, setting up a sugar-based economy that gave way to coffee and cocoa in the 19th century - all grown with African plantation slave labor, a form of which lingered into the 20th century. While independence was achieved in 1975, democratic reforms were not instituted until the late 1980s. The country held its first free elections in 1991, but frequent internal wrangling between the various political parties precipitated repeated changes in leadership and four failed, non-violent coup attempts in 1995, 1998, 2003, and 2009. In 2012, three opposition parties combined in a no confidence vote to bring down the majority government of former Prime Minister Patrice TROVOADA, but in 2014, legislative elections returned him to the office. President Evaristo CARVALHO, of the same political party as Prime Minister TROVOADA, was elected in September 2016, marking a rare instance in which the positions of president and prime minister were held by the same party. Prime Minister TROVOADA resigned at the end of 2018 and was replaced by Jorge BOM JESUS. Carlos Vila NOVA was elected president in early September 2021 and was inaugurated 2 October 2021. New oil discoveries in the Gulf of Guinea may attract increased attention to the small island nation.Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.

Topic: Geography
Location: Central Africa, islands in the Gulf of Guinea, just north of the Equator, west of Gabon
Geographic coordinates: 1 00 N, 7 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 964 sq km

land: 964 sq km

water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: more than five times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: total: 0 km
Coastline: 209 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May)
Terrain: volcanic, mountainous
Elevation: highest point: Pico de Sao Tome 2,024 m

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Natural resources: fish, hydropower
Land use: agricultural land: 50.7% (2018 est.)

arable land: 9.1% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 40.6% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 1% (2018 est.)

forest: 28.1% (2018 est.)

other: 21.2% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land: 100 sq km (2012)
Population distribution: Sao Tome, the capital city, has roughly a quarter of the nation's population; Santo Antonio is the largest town on Principe; the northern areas of both islands have the highest population densities as shown in this population distribution map
Natural hazards: flooding
Geography - note: the second-smallest African country (after the Seychelles); the two main islands form part of a chain of extinct volcanoes and both are mountainous
Map description: Sao Tome and Principe map showing the islands that make up this country in the Gulf of Guinea.Sao Tome and Principe map showing the islands that make up this country in the Gulf of Guinea.

Topic: People and Society
Population: 217,164 (2022 est.)
Nationality: noun: Sao Tomean(s)

adjective: Sao Tomean
Ethnic groups: Mestico, Angolares (descendants of Angolan slaves), Forros (descendants of freed slaves), Servicais (contract laborers from Angola, Mozambique, and Cabo Verde), Tongas (children of servicais born on the islands), Europeans (primarily Portuguese), Asians (mostly Chinese)
Languages: Portuguese 98.4% (official), Forro 36.2%, Cabo Verdian 8.5%, French 6.8%, Angolar 6.6%, English 4.9%, Lunguie 1%, other (including sign language) 2.4%; note - shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census; other Portuguese-based Creoles are also spoken (2012 est.)
Religions: Catholic 55.7%, Adventist 4.1%, Assembly of God 3.4%, New Apostolic 2.9%, Mana 2.3%, Universal Kingdom of God 2%, Jehovah's Witness 1.2%, other 6.2%, none 21.2%, unspecified 1% (2012 est.)
Demographic profile: Sao Tome and Principe’s youthful age structure – more than 60% of the population is under the age of 25 – and high fertility rate ensure future population growth. Although Sao Tome has a net negative international migration rate, emigration is not a sufficient safety valve to reduce already high levels of unemployment and poverty. While literacy and primary school attendance have improved in recent years, Sao Tome still struggles to improve its educational quality and to increase its secondary school completion rate. Despite some improvements in education and access to healthcare, Sao Tome and Principe has much to do to decrease its high poverty rate, create jobs, and increase its economic growth.The population of Sao Tome and Principe descends primarily from the islands’ colonial Portuguese settlers, who first arrived in the late 15th century, and the much larger number of African slaves brought in for sugar production and the slave trade. For about 100 years after the abolition of slavery in 1876, the population was further shaped by the widespread use of imported unskilled contract laborers from Portugal’s other African colonies, who worked on coffee and cocoa plantations. In the first decades after abolition, most workers were brought from Angola under a system similar to slavery. While Angolan laborers were technically free, they were forced or coerced into long contracts that were automatically renewed and extended to their children. Other contract workers from Mozambique and famine-stricken Cape Verde first arrived in the early 20th century under short-term contracts and had the option of repatriation, although some chose to remain in Sao Tome and Principe.Today’s Sao Tomean population consists of mesticos (creole descendants of the European immigrants and African slaves that first inhabited the islands), forros (descendants of freed African slaves), angolares (descendants of runaway African slaves that formed a community in the south of Sao Tome Island and today are fishermen), servicais (contract laborers from Angola, Mozambique, and Cape Verde), tongas (locally born children of contract laborers), and lesser numbers of Europeans and Asians.Sao Tome and Principe’s youthful age structure – more than 60% of the population is under the age of 25 – and high fertility rate ensure future population growth. Although Sao Tome has a net negative international migration rate, emigration is not a sufficient safety valve to reduce already high levels of unemployment and poverty. While literacy and primary school attendance have improved in recent years, Sao Tome still struggles to improve its educational quality and to increase its secondary school completion rate. Despite some improvements in education and access to healthcare, Sao Tome and Principe has much to do to decrease its high poverty rate, create jobs, and increase its economic growth.The population of Sao Tome and Principe descends primarily from the islands’ colonial Portuguese settlers, who first arrived in the late 15th century, and the much larger number of African slaves brought in for sugar production and the slave trade. For about 100 years after the abolition of slavery in 1876, the population was further shaped by the widespread use of imported unskilled contract laborers from Portugal’s other African colonies, who worked on coffee and cocoa plantations. In the first decades after abolition, most workers were brought from Angola under a system similar to slavery. While Angolan laborers were technically free, they were forced or coerced into long contracts that were automatically renewed and extended to their children. Other contract workers from Mozambique and famine-stricken Cape Verde first arrived in the early 20th century under short-term contracts and had the option of repatriation, although some chose to remain in Sao Tome and Principe.Today’s Sao Tomean population consists of mesticos (creole descendants of the European immigrants and African slaves that first inhabited the islands), forros (descendants of freed African slaves), angolares (descendants of runaway African slaves that formed a community in the south of Sao Tome Island and today are fishermen), servicais (contract laborers from Angola, Mozambique, and Cape Verde), tongas (locally born children of contract laborers), and lesser numbers of Europeans and Asians.
Age structure: 0-14 years: 39.77% (male 42,690/female 41,277)

15-24 years: 21.59% (male 23,088/female 22,487)

25-54 years: 31.61% (male 32,900/female 33,834)

55-64 years: 4.17% (male 4,095/female 4,700)

65 years and over: 2.87% (2020 est.) (male 2,631/female 3,420)
Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio: 81

youth dependency ratio: 75.6

elderly dependency ratio: 5.4

potential support ratio: 18.4 (2020 est.)
Median age: total: 19.3 years

male: 18.9 years

female: 19.7 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.48% (2022 est.)
Birth rate: 28.19 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Death rate: 6.2 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Net migration rate: -7.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Population distribution: Sao Tome, the capital city, has roughly a quarter of the nation's population; Santo Antonio is the largest town on Principe; the northern areas of both islands have the highest population densities as shown in this population distribution map
Urbanization: urban population: 75.8% of total population (2022)

rate of urbanization: 2.96% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population: 80,000 SAO TOME (capital) (2018)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.97 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.88 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female

total population: 1 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth: 19.4 years (2008/09 est.)

note: median age at first birth among women 25-29
Maternal mortality ratio: 130 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 44.38 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 47.82 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 40.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 67.06 years

male: 65.44 years

female: 68.72 years (2022 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.56 children born/woman (2022 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate: 49.7% (2019)
Drinking water source: improved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 94% of population

total: 98.5% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 6% of population

total: 1.5% of population (2020 est.)
Current Health Expenditure: 5.5% (2019)
Physicians density: 0.49 physicians/1,000 population (2019)
Hospital bed density: 2.9 beds/1,000 population (2011)
Sanitation facility access: improved: urban: 57.1% of population

rural: 42.8% of population

total: 53.4% of population

unimproved: urban: 42.9% of population

rural: 57.2% of population

total: 46.6% of population (2020 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.3% (2020 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: (2020) <1,000
HIV/AIDS - deaths: (2020) <100
Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever

water contact diseases: schistosomiasis
Obesity - adult prevalence rate: 12.4% (2016)
Tobacco use: total: 5.7% (2020 est.)

male: 10.1% (2020 est.)

female: 1.3% (2020 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 5.4% (2019)
Child marriage: women married by age 15: 5.4%

women married by age 18: 28%

men married by age 18: 3.1% (2019 est.)
Education expenditures: 5.9% of GDP (2019 est.)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 92.8%

male: 96.2%

female: 89.5% (2018)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total: 12 years

male: 12 years

female: 13 years (2015)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24: total: 20.8%

male: NA

female: (2012 est.) NA

Topic: Environment
Environment - current issues: deforestation and illegal logging; soil erosion and exhaustion; inadequate sewage treatment in cities; biodiversity preservation
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban
Air pollutants: particulate matter emissions: 25.66 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 0.12 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 0.04 megatons (2020 est.)
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May)
Land use: agricultural land: 50.7% (2018 est.)

arable land: 9.1% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 40.6% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 1% (2018 est.)

forest: 28.1% (2018 est.)

other: 21.2% (2018 est.)
Urbanization: urban population: 75.8% of total population (2022)

rate of urbanization: 2.96% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Revenue from forest resources: forest revenues: 1.9% of GDP (2018 est.)
Revenue from coal: coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever

water contact diseases: schistosomiasis
Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually: 25,587 tons (2014 est.)
Total water withdrawal: municipal: 14.7 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial: 600,000 cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural: 25.6 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 2.18 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Government
Country name: conventional long form: Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe

conventional short form: Sao Tome and Principe

local long form: Republica Democratica de Sao Tome e Principe

local short form: Sao Tome e Principe

etymology: Sao Tome was named after Saint THOMAS the Apostle by the Portuguese who discovered the island on 21 December 1470 (or 1471), the saint's feast day; Principe is a shortening of the original Portuguese name of "Ilha do Principe" (Isle of the Prince) referring to the Prince of Portugal to whom duties on the island's sugar crop were paid
Government type: semi-presidential republic
Capital: name: Sao Tome

geographic coordinates: 0 20 N, 6 44 E

time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: named after Saint Thomas the Apostle
Administrative divisions: 6 districts (distritos, singular - distrito), 1 autonomous region* (regiao autonoma); Agua Grande, Cantagalo, Caue, Lemba, Lobata, Me-Zochi, Principe*
Independence: 12 July 1975 (from Portugal)
National holiday: Independence Day, 12 July (1975)
Constitution: history: approved 5 November 1975

amendments: proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly; the Assembly can propose to the president of the republic that an amendment be submitted to a referendum; revised several times, last in 2006
Legal system: mixed legal system of civil law based on the Portuguese model and customary law
International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Citizenship: citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Sao Tome and Principe

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Carlos Manuel VILA NOVA (since 2 October 2021)

head of government: Prime Minister Jorge BOM JESUS (since 3 December 2018)

cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, appointed by the president

elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 18 July 2021 and runoff on 5 September 2021 (next to be held in 2026); prime minister chosen by the National Assembly and approved by the president

election results:
2021: Carlos Manuel VILA NOVA elected president in the second round; percent of vote in the first round - Carlos Manuel VILA NOVA (IDA) 39.5%; Guilherme POSSER DA COSTA (MLSTP-PSD) 20.8%; Delfim NEVES (PCD-GR) 16.9%; Abel BOM JESUS (independent) 3.6%; Maria DAS NEVES (independent) 3.3%; other 15.9%; percent of the vote in the second round - Carlos Manuel VILA NOVA (IDA) 57.5%, Guilherme POSSER DA COSTA (MLSTP-PSD) 42.5%; note - VILA NOVA is scheduled to take office 29 September 2021

2016: Evaristo CARVALHO elected president; percent of vote - Evaristo CARVALHO (ADI) 49.8%, Manuel Pinto DA COSTA (independent) 24.8%, Maria DAS NEVES (MLSTP-PSD) 24.1%; note - first round results for CARVALHO were revised downward from just over 50%, prompting the 7 August runoff; however, on 1 August 2016 DA COSTA withdrew from the runoff, citing voting irregularities, and CARVALHO was declared the winner
Legislative branch: description: unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (55 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed party-list proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms)

elections: last held on 7 October 2018 (next to be held in October 2022)

election results: percent of vote by party - ADI 41.8%, MLSTP/PSD 40.3%, PCD-GR 9.5%, MCISTP 2.1%, other 6.3%; seats by party - ADI 25, MLSTP-PSD 23, PCD-MDFM-UDD 5, MCISTP 2; composition - men 42, women 13, percent of women 23.6%
Judicial branch: highest courts: Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal Justica (consists of 5 judges); Constitutional Court or Tribunal Constitucional (consists of 5 judges, 3 of whom are from the Supreme Court)

judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the National Assembly; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges nominated by the president and elected by the National Assembly for 5-year terms

subordinate courts: Court of First Instance; Audit Court
Political parties and leaders: Force for Democratic Change Movement or MDFM [Fradique Bandeira Melo DE MENEZES]
Independent Democratic Action or ADI [vacant]
Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe-Social Democratic Party or MLSTP-PSD [Aurelio MARTINS]
Party for Democratic Convergence-Reflection Group or PCD-GR [Leonel Mario D'ALVA]
other small parties
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, AOSIS, AU, CD, CEMAC, CPLP, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos Filomeno Azevedo Agostinho das NEVES (since 3 December 2013)

chancery: 675 Third Avenue, Suite 1807, New York, NY 10017

telephone: [1] (212) 651-8116

FAX: [1] (212) 651-8117

email address and website:
rdstppmun@gmail.com
Diplomatic representation from the US: embassy: the US does not have an embassy in Sao Tome and Principe; the US Ambassador to Gabon is accredited to Sao Tome and Principe

mailing address: 2290 Sao Tome Place, Washington DC  20521-2290
Flag description: three horizontal bands of green (top), yellow (double width), and green with two black five-pointed stars placed side by side in the center of the yellow band and a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; green stands for the country's rich vegetation, red recalls the struggle for independence, and yellow represents cocoa, one of the country's main agricultural products; the two stars symbolize the two main islands

note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia
National symbol(s): palm tree; national colors: green, yellow, red, black
National anthem: name: "Independencia total" (Total Independence)

lyrics/music: Alda Neves DA GRACA do Espirito Santo/Manuel dos Santos Barreto de Sousa e ALMEIDA

note: adopted 1975

Topic: Economy
Economic overview: The economy of São Tomé and Príncipe is small, based mainly on agricultural production, and, since independence in 1975, increasingly dependent on the export of cocoa beans. Cocoa production has substantially declined in recent years because of drought and mismanagement. Sao Tome depends heavily on imports of food, fuels, most manufactured goods, and consumer goods, and changes in commodity prices affect the country’s inflation rate. Maintaining control of inflation, fiscal discipline, and increasing flows of foreign direct investment into the nascent oil sector are major economic problems facing the country. In recent years the government has attempted to reduce price controls and subsidies. In 2017, several business-related laws were enacted that aim to improve the business climate.   São Tomé and Príncipe has had difficulty servicing its external debt and has relied heavily on concessional aid and debt rescheduling. In April 2011, the country completed a Threshold Country Program with The Millennium Challenge Corporation to help increase tax revenues, reform customs, and improve the business environment. In 2016, Sao Tome and Portugal signed a five-year cooperation agreement worth approximately $64 million, some of which will be provided as loans. In 2017, China and São Tomé signed a mutual cooperation agreement in areas such as infrastructure, health, and agriculture worth approximately $146 million over five years.   Considerable potential exists for development of tourism, and the government has taken steps to expand tourist facilities in recent years. Potential also exists for the development of petroleum resources in São Tomé and Príncipe's territorial waters in the oil-rich Gulf of Guinea, some of which are being jointly developed in a 60-40 split with Nigeria, but production is at least several years off.   Volatile aid and investment inflows have limited growth, and poverty remains high. Restricteded capacity at the main port increases the periodic risk of shortages of consumer goods. Contract enforcement in the country’s judicial system is difficult. The IMF in late 2016 expressed concern about vulnerabilities in the country’s banking sector, although the country plans some austerity measures in line with IMF recommendations under their three year extended credit facility. Deforestation, coastal erosion, poor waste management, and misuse of natural resources also are challenging issues.The economy of São Tomé and Príncipe is small, based mainly on agricultural production, and, since independence in 1975, increasingly dependent on the export of cocoa beans. Cocoa production has substantially declined in recent years because of drought and mismanagement. Sao Tome depends heavily on imports of food, fuels, most manufactured goods, and consumer goods, and changes in commodity prices affect the country’s inflation rate. Maintaining control of inflation, fiscal discipline, and increasing flows of foreign direct investment into the nascent oil sector are major economic problems facing the country. In recent years the government has attempted to reduce price controls and subsidies. In 2017, several business-related laws were enacted that aim to improve the business climate. São Tomé and Príncipe has had difficulty servicing its external debt and has relied heavily on concessional aid and debt rescheduling. In April 2011, the country completed a Threshold Country Program with The Millennium Challenge Corporation to help increase tax revenues, reform customs, and improve the business environment. In 2016, Sao Tome and Portugal signed a five-year cooperation agreement worth approximately $64 million, some of which will be provided as loans. In 2017, China and São Tomé signed a mutual cooperation agreement in areas such as infrastructure, health, and agriculture worth approximately $146 million over five years. Considerable potential exists for development of tourism, and the government has taken steps to expand tourist facilities in recent years. Potential also exists for the development of petroleum resources in São Tomé and Príncipe's territorial waters in the oil-rich Gulf of Guinea, some of which are being jointly developed in a 60-40 split with Nigeria, but production is at least several years off. Volatile aid and investment inflows have limited growth, and poverty remains high. Restricteded capacity at the main port increases the periodic risk of shortages of consumer goods. Contract enforcement in the country’s judicial system is difficult. The IMF in late 2016 expressed concern about vulnerabilities in the country’s banking sector, although the country plans some austerity measures in line with IMF recommendations under their three year extended credit facility. Deforestation, coastal erosion, poor waste management, and misuse of natural resources also are challenging issues.
Real GDP (purchasing power parity): $890 million (2020 est.)

$860 million (2019 est.)

$840 million (2018 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real GDP growth rate: 3.9% (2017 est.)

4.2% (2016 est.)

3.8% (2015 est.)
Real GDP per capita: $4,100 (2020 est.)

$4,000 (2019 est.)

$4,000 (2018 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP (official exchange rate): $0 (2018 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.8% (2018 est.)

5.6% (2017 est.)

5.7% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 11.8% (2017 est.)

industry: 14.8% (2017 est.)

services: 73.4% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption: 81.4% (2017 est.)

government consumption: 17.6% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 33.4% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.)

exports of goods and services: 7.9% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services: -40.4% (2017 est.)
Agricultural products: plantains, oil palm fruit, coconuts, taro, bananas, fruit, cocoa, yams, cassava, maize
Industries: light construction, textiles, soap, beer, fish processing, timber
Industrial production growth rate: 5% (2017 est.)
Labor force: 72,600 (2017 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 26.1%

industry: 21.4%

services: 52.5% (2014 est.)
Unemployment rate: 12.2% (2017 est.)

12.6% (2016 est.)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24: total: 20.8%

male: NA

female: (2012 est.) NA
Population below poverty line: 66.7% (2017 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: 56.3 (2017 est.)

32.1 (2000 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA

highest 10%: NA
Budget: revenues: 103 million (2017 est.)

expenditures: 112.4 million (2017 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): -2.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Public debt: 88.4% of GDP (2017 est.)

93.1% of GDP (2016 est.)
Taxes and other revenues: 26.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Current account balance: -$32 million (2017 est.)

-$23 million (2016 est.)
Exports: $50 million (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$70 million (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$100 million (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Exports - partners: Singapore 30%, Switzerland 24%, France 11%, Poland 7%, Belgium 7%, United States 5% (2019)
Exports - commodities: gas turbines, cocoa beans, aircraft parts, iron products, chocolate (2019)
Imports: $160 million (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$190 million (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$200 million (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Imports - partners: Portugal 41%, Angola 17%, China 8% (2019 )
Imports - commodities: refined petroleum, cars, rice, flavored water, postage stamps (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $58.95 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$61.5 million (31 December 2016 est.)
Debt - external: $292.9 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$308.5 million (31 December 2016 est.)
Exchange rates: dobras (STD) per US dollar -

22,689 (2017 est.)

21,797 (2016 est.)

22,149 (2015 est.)

22,091 (2014 est.)

18,466 (2013 est.)

Topic: Energy
Electricity access: electrification - total population: 71% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 87% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 25% (2019)
Electricity: installed generating capacity: 28,000 kW (2020 est.)

consumption: 78 million kWh (2019 est.)

exports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)

imports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses: 11.9 million kWh (2019 est.)
Electricity generation sources: fossil fuels: 89.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity: 10.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Coal: production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum: total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption: 1,200 bbl/day (2019 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 barrels/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 barrels/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports: 1,027 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Natural gas: production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 173,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids: 173,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Energy consumption per capita: 11.636 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Topic: Communications
Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions: 2,790 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2020 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions: 174,203 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 79 (2020 est.)
Telecommunication systems: general assessment: local telephone network of adequate quality with most lines connected to digital switches; mobile cellular superior choice to landland; dial-up quality low; broadband expensive (2018)

domestic: fixed-line roughly 1 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 79 telephones per 100 persons (2020)

international: country code - 239; landing points for the Ultramar GE and ACE submarine cables from South Africa to over 20 West African countries and Europe; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services
Broadcast media: 1 government-owned TV station; 1 government-owned radio station; 3 independent local radio stations authorized in 2005 with 2 operating at the end of 2006; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available
Internet country code: .st
Internet users: total: 72,323 (2020 est.)

percent of population: 33% (2020 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total: 2,512 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2020 est.)

Topic: Transportation
National air transport system: number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: S9
Airports: total: 2 (2021)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 2

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2021)
Roadways: total: 1,300 km (2018)

paved: 230 km (2018)

unpaved: 1,070 km (2018)
Merchant marine: total: 22

by type: general cargo 13, oil tanker 2, other 7 (2021)
Ports and terminals: major seaport(s): Sao Tome

Topic: Military and Security
Military and security forces: Armed Forces of Sao Tome and Principe (Forcas Armadas de Sao Tome e Principe, FASTP): Army, Coast Guard of Sao Tome e Principe (Guarda Costeira de Sao Tome e Principe, GCSTP), Presidential Guard, National Guard (2022)
Military expenditures: Not available
Military and security service personnel strengths: the FASTP has approximately 500 personnel (2022)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions: the FASTP is lightly and poorly armed (2021)
Military service age and obligation: 18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory military service; 17 is the legal minimum age for voluntary service (2021)
Military - note: the FASTP is one of the smallest militaries in Africa and consists of only a few companies of ground troops and a few small patrol boats; as of 2021, it did not have an air forcethe FASTP is one of the smallest militaries in Africa and consists of only a few companies of ground troops and a few small patrol boats; as of 2021, it did not have an air force
Maritime threats: the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the Niger Delta and Gulf of Guinea remain a very high risk for piracy and armed robbery of ships; in 2021, there were 34 reported incidents of piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea region; although a significant decrease from the total number of 81 incidents in 2020, it included the one hijacking and three of five ships fired upon worldwide; while boarding and attempted boarding to steal valuables from ships and crews are the most common types of incidents, almost a third of all incidents involve a hijacking and/or kidnapping; in 2021, 57 crew members were kidnapped in seven separate incidents in the Gulf of Guinea, representing 100% of kidnappings worldwide; Nigerian pirates in particular are well armed and very aggressive, operating as far as 200 nm offshore; the Maritime Administration of the US Department of Transportation has issued a Maritime Advisory (2022-001 - Gulf of Guinea-Piracy/Armed Robbery/Kidnapping for Ransom) effective 4 January 2022, which states in part, "Piracy, armed robbery, and kidnapping for ransom continue to serve as significant threats to US-flagged vessels transiting or operating in the Gulf of Guinea"

Topic: Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none identifiednone identified