 Map of São Tomé and Príncipe with Príncipe island near the right top corner | |
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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Gulf of Guinea |
| Coordinates | 1°37′N7°24′E / 1.617°N 7.400°E /1.617; 7.400 |
| Archipelago | Cameroon line |
| Area | 136 km2 (53 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 947 m (3107 ft) |
| Highest point | Pico de Príncipe |
| Administration | |
| Districts | 1 (Pagué) |
| Capital city | Santo António |
| Demographics | |
| Demonym | Príncipean or Principean |
| Population | 8,420 (2018) |
| Pop. density | 59.3/km2 (153.6/sq mi)[1] |
| Additional information | |
| Area code | 00239-19x-xxxx? |
Príncipe (/ˈprɪnsɪpə,-peɪ/;[2]Portuguese:[ˈpɾĩsɨpɨ]) is the smaller, northern major island of thecountry ofSão Tomé and Príncipe lying off the west coast of Africa in theGulf of Guinea.[3] It has an area of 142 square kilometres (55 sq mi) (including offshore islets) and a population of 7,324 at the 2012 Census;[4] the latest official estimate (at May 2018) was 8,420.[1] The island is a heavily eroded volcano speculated to be over three million years old, surrounded by smaller islands includingIlheu Bom Bom,Ilhéu Caroço,Tinhosa Grande andTinhosa Pequena. Part of theCameroon Line archipelago, Príncipe rises in the south to 947 metres atPico do Príncipe.[5] The island is the main constituent of theAutonomous Region of Príncipe, established in 1995, and of the coterminousdistrict ofPagué.
The island was uninhabited when discovered by the Portuguese on 17 January 1471 and was first named after Saint Anthony ("Ilha de Santo Antão"). Later the island was renamed Príncipe ("Prince's [Island]") by KingJohn II of Portugal in honour of his sonAfonso, Hereditary Prince of Portugal (1475–1491). The first settlement, the townSanto António, was founded in 1502.[6] Subsequently, the north and centre of the island were made intoplantations byPortuguese colonists abusingslave labor. These concentrated initially on producingsugar and after 1822 oncocoa, becoming the world's greatest cocoa producer.[7] Since independence, these exploitative plantations have largely reverted to forest.
The island's fortress namedFortaleza de Santo António da Ponta da Mina on a point inside Baía de Santo António (Santo António Bay) was built in 1695.[6] In 1706, the city and the fortress were destroyed by the French.[6] From 1753 until 1852, Santo António was the colonialcapital ofPortuguese São Tomé and Príncipe.[8]
Príncipe was the site whereEinstein'stheory of relativity was experimentally corroborated byArthur Stanley Eddington and his team during the totalsolar eclipse of May 29, 1919; photographs of the eclipse revealed evidence of the bending ofstarlight, in accordance with Einstein's predictions (seeEddington experiment).
On April 29, 1995, theAutonomous Region of Príncipe was established, corresponding with the existingPagué District.[9]
Príncipe has one town,Santo António, and anairport (IATA code: PCP,ICAO: FPPR). Some other smaller settlements areSundy andPorto Real.
Portuguese is the official and main language of the island.Portuguese creoles are also spoken:Principense or Lunguyê and, in some scale,Forro are also spoken.
In 1771, Príncipe had a population of 5,850: 111 whites, 165 free mulattoes, 6 mulatto slaves, 900 free blacks, and 4,668 black slaves. In 1875, the year when slavery was officially abolished in the archipelago, Príncipe's population had dropped to only 1,946, of whom 45 were Europeans, 1,521 were free natives, and 380 were freemen.
In 2018, Príncipe had a population of 8,420 people.
In 2006, theParque Natural Obô do Príncipe was established, covering the mountainous, densely forested and uninhabited southern part of the island of Príncipe.[10] There are numerous endemic species of fauna on Príncipe, including birds such as thePrincipe scops owl, thePríncipe kingfisher,Príncipe seedeater,Principe starling,Príncipe sunbird,Dohrn's thrush-babbler and thePríncipe weaver. ThePríncipe white-eye also occurs onSão Tomé. Geckos include thePríncipe gecko, frogs include thepalm forest tree frog and thePríncipe puddle frog. Marine fauna includesMuricopsis principensis, a mollusc and theWest African mud turtle.
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UNESCO established theIsland of Príncipe Biosphere Reserve in 2012 under theMan and the Biosphere Programme. The reserve encompasses the entire emerged area of the island of Príncipe, and its islets Bom Bom, Boné do Jóquei, Mosteiros, Santana, and Pedra da Galei, and the Tinhosas islands.[11] The biosphere was extended in 2025 toSão Tomé, making São Tomé and Príncipe the first country to be designated as such in its entirety.[12]
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Resources from Wikiversity
Wikimedia Atlas of São Tomé and Príncipe
Sao Tome and Principe travel guide from Wikivoyage| Communities | ||
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