History of São Tomé and Príncipe

Portuguese São Tomé and Príncipe, 1470–1975 Draft, not yet reviewed

Portuguese São Tomé and Príncipe was a colony of the Portuguese Empire from the discovery of the islands in 1470 until 1975, when independence was granted by Portugal. The Portuguese explorers João de Santarém and Pêro Escobar discovered the islands around 1470, which they found uninhabited. It was only in 1493 when King John II of Portugal nominated Álvaro Caminha as captain-major of São Tomé Island that the first successful settlement was established. By the middle of the 16th century, São Tomé was generating enormous wealth for Portugal as it became the world's largest producer of sugar.

Seat of power: São Tomé

São Tomé and Príncipe, 1975 to today Draft, not yet reviewed

São Tomé and Príncipe is an island country in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. São Tomé and Príncipe achieved independence on 12 July 1975, choosing as the first president the MLSTP Secretary General Manuel Pinto da Costa. In 1990, São Tomé became one of the first African countries to undergo democratic reform, and changes to the constitution led to elections in 1991 that were non-violent, free, and transparent. In July 2003, the army seized power for one week, complaining of corruption and that forthcoming oil revenues would not be divided fairly.

Seat of power: São Tomé

Rulers

• Manuel Pinto da Costa, President of São Tomé and Príncipe, 1975–1991
• Miguel Trovoada, President of São Tomé and Príncipe, 1991–2001
• Leonel Mário d'Alva, President of São Tomé and Príncipe, 1991–1991
• Manuel Quintas de Almeida, President of São Tomé and Príncipe, 1995–1995
• Fradique de Menezes, President of São Tomé and Príncipe, 2001–2011
• Fernando Pereira, President of São Tomé and Príncipe, 2003–2003
• Manuel Pinto da Costa, President of São Tomé and Príncipe, 2011–2016
• Evaristo Carvalho, President of São Tomé and Príncipe, 2016–2021
• Carlos Vila Nova, President of São Tomé and Príncipe, 2021 to today