Geography of São Tomé and Príncipe

São Tomé and Príncipe is a small island country composed of an archipelago located in the Gulf of Guinea of the equatorial Atlantic Ocean. The nation's main islands are São Tomé Island and Príncipe Island, for which the country is named. These are located about Template:Convert, respectively, off the northwest coast of Gabon in Central Africa.

São Tomé and Príncipe constitute one of Africa's smallest countries, with Template:Convert of coastline. Both are part of an extinct volcanic mountain range, which also includes the island of Bioko in Equatorial Guinea to the northeast and Mount Cameroon on the mainland coast further northeast. São Tomé is Template:Convert long and Template:Convert wide and the more mountainous of the two islands. Its peaks reach Template:Convert - Pico de São Tomé. Principe is about Template:Convert long and Template:Convert wide, making it the smaller of the two. Its peaks reach Template:Convert - Pico de Príncipe. This makes the total land area of the country Template:Convert, about five times the size of Washington, D.C. Both islands are crossed by swift streams radiating down the mountains through lush forest and cropland to the sea. Both islands at a distance of Template:Convert. The equator lies immediately south of São Tomé Island, passing through an islet Ilhéu das Rolas.

The Pico Cão Grande (Great Dog Peak) is a landmark volcanic plug peak, located at Template:Coord in southern São Tomé. It rises dramatically over Template:Convert above the surrounding terrain and the summit is Template:Convert above sea level.

Climate

File:São Tomé - Resort Pestana Equador.jpg

Beach scenery on São Tomé.

At sea level, the climate is tropical—hot and humid with average yearly temperatures of about Template:Convert and little daily variation. At the interior's higher altitudes, the average yearly temperature is Template:Convert, and nights are generally cool. Annual rainfall varies from Template:Convert on the southwestern slopes to Template:Convert in the northern lowlands. The rainy season runs from October to May.

Climate change

Between 1950 and 2010, São Tomé and Príncipe experienced an increase of 1.5 °C in average annual temperature due to climate change.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The country is considered highly vulnerable to its impacts. Climate change is projected to lead to an increased number of warm days and nights, hotter temperatures and increased precipitation.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite journal</ref> Sea level rise and saltwater intrusion will be major issues for the islands<ref name=":0" /> and climate change will have major impacts on agriculture in the country.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The government began developing a National Adaptation Plan in 2022 to implement climate adaptation efforts, with support from the United Nations Environment Programme.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Wildlife

File:Sao Tome Ponta Figo Hike Waterfall 3 (15629173183).jpg

Waterfalls near Ponta Figo, São Tomé and Príncipe

The two islands are oceanic islands which have always been separate from mainland Central Africa and so there is a relatively low diversity of species, restricted to those that have managed to cross the sea to the islands. However the level of endemism is high with many species occurring nowhere else in the world.

Statistics

Maritime claims:

• Measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
• Exclusive economic zone: Template:Convert
• Territorial sea: Template:Convert

Climate

Tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May)

Terrain

Volcanic, mountainous

Elevation extremes

• Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean Template:Convert

Natural resources

Fish, hydropower:

Environment—current issues

Deforestation; soil erosion and exhaustion

Environment—international agreements

• Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Ship Pollution
• Signed, but not ratified: None of the selected agreements

Extreme points

File:São Tomé - Pico Cão Grande.jpg

Pico Cão Grande.

This is a list of the extreme points of São Tomé and Príncipe, the points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location.

• Northernmost point - unnamed headland on Ilhéu Bom Bom
• Easternmost point - Ponta Capitão, Príncipe
• Southernmost point - unnamed headland on Ilhéu das Rolas
• Westernmost point - Ponta Azeitona

See also

• São Tomé and Príncipe