LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Sao Tome and Principe
built 267 days ago
Of Sao Tome and Principe's total population, about 137,500 live on Sao Tome and 6,000 on Principe. All are descended from various ethnic groups that have migrated to the islands since 1485. Six groups are identifiable:
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The president of Sao Tome and Principe has named the head of an opposition party to be the island nation's new prime minister. The move should give the president control over the nation's energy sector. [more]
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![[Country Map]](http://retrieverimages.lycos.com/images/s/a/o/sao-tome-and-principe/i/005.jpg)
Since the constitutional reforms of 1990 and the elections of 1991, Sao Tome has made great strides toward developing its democratic institutions and further guaranteeing the civil and human rights of its citizens. Sao Tomeans have freely changed their government through peaceful and transparent elections. And while there have been disagreements and political conflicts within the branches of government and the National Assembly, the debates have been carried out and resolved in open, democratic, and legal fora, in accordance with the provisions of Sao Tomean law. A number of political parties actively participate in government and openly express their views. Freedom of the press is respected, and there are several independent newspapers in addition to the government bulletin. The government's respect for human rights is exemplary; the government does not engage in repressive measures against its citizens, and respect for individuals' rights to due process and protection from government abuses is widely honored.
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CLIMATE: Sao Tome and Principe has a tropical climate characterized by hot and humid conditions that are influenced and modified by the cold Benguela current as well as by altitude. The dry season is from June to September and the wet season from October to May. Average annual precipitation varies from 500 mm (197 inches) on the southwest mountain slopes to 1,000 mm (394 inches) on the northern lowlands. Average temperature ranges in Sao Tome are from 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit) to 31 degrees Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit) with the temperature of the interior's higher altitude around 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) .
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The Government of Sao Tome fully functions under a multiparty system. Presidential elections were held in July 2001. The candidate backed by the Independent Democratic Action Party, Fradique de Menezes, was elected in the first round and inaugurated on September 3. Parliamentary elections held in March 2002 led to a coalition government after no party gained a majority of seats. An attempted coup d'etat in July 2003 by a few members of the military and the Christian Democratic Front (mostly representative of former Sao Tomean volunteers from the apartheid-era Republic of South African Army) was reversed by international, including American, mediation without bloodshed. In September 2004, President de Menezes dismissed the Prime Minister and appointed a new cabinet, which was accepted by the majority party.
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Sao Tome and Principe are two small islands close to the coast of West Africa. They are very beautiful and hardly see tourists. That should be enough reason to go there, don't you think.
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Sao Tome and Principe