Discover Sao Tome and Principe: 14 Captivating Fun Facts to Spark Your Wanderlust!

1. Chocolate and Democracy

Who knew chocolate and freedom could go hand-in-hand? São Tomé and Príncipe, two tiny islands with a big history, seem to have mastered the cocoa-to-democracy trade: Once an uninhabited island duo discovered by Portuguese explorers in the 15th century, these sweet spots boomed into a hub for the Atlantic slave trade and sugar farming, eventually becoming the world's largest cocoa producer in the early 20th century. Navigating through social unrest and economic rollercoasters, the islands ultimately achieved peaceful independence in 1975, solidly planting themselves as one of Africa's most stable and democratic countries ever since.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

2. Cocoa Kingdom Rise and Fall

Once upon a cocoa bean, in a land o' chocolaty dreams, there thrived an island nation that cocoa connoisseurs would've killed to call home: São Tomé and Príncipe was the crowned king of cocoa production during the early 20th century, reigning supreme over the coffee and cocoa kingdoms, but alas, has since seen a downfall due to governmental mismanagement that left plantation estates crumbling.
Source => transcontinentaltimes.com

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=> Fun Facts about Africa

3. Obo Natural Park's Dating Scene

While the rainforest was busy swiping right on flower and bird species in a quest to find its perfect matches, it stumbled upon the real Garden of Eden: Obo Natural Park in Sao Tome and Principe, boasting over 700 species of plants and 230 types of birds: With half of these bird species being endemic and an incredible 100 species of orchids decorating its landscape, this natural wonderland is also a sanctuary for 14 unique, endemic creatures, curating an experience that'll have nature enthusiasts swiping right, too.
Source => transcontinentaltimes.com

4. Bird Social Club

Feathered friends, flock together: In the colorful bird social club of São Tomé and Príncipe, you'll find 21 endemic species like the cocktail-party-chic Sao Tome Olive-pigeon or the moody-owl-next-door, Sao Tome Scops-owl, making the islands a sizzling hot spot for both birdwatchers and whimsical winged creatures.
Source => lntreasures.com

5. Principense Creole's Hide'n'Seek

Principense Creole might be the coolest language only 200 people are speaking, but it ain't your regular Portuguese cousin, folks: This island-exclusive creole has sass galore, thanks to its Bantu and Kwa influences, and is oh-so-similar to the Forro tongue, but just between you and me, it's playing hide'n'seek with the younger Sao Tomeans who may never find it.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

6. Endemic Island Species

When life gives you islands, make endemism: São Tomé and Príncipe boasts a myriad of unique species that can only be found on its secluded shores, due to its isolation from mainland Africa.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

7. Cloud-Headed Pico de São Tomé

Imagine Pico de São Tomé as that one friend whose head is always lost in the clouds, peeking above the crowd, while leaving a trail of muddy footprints and floral fragrance wherever they go: This seemingly tall-tale character of an island is actually the highest point of São Tomé and Príncipe, reaching 2,024 meters (6,640 feet) above sea level. The hike to its peak is an adventure through slippery rain-soaked paths, cocoa-scented coffee plantations, and a fantasy-like forest adorned with orchids, lichens, and other enchanting epiphytes.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

8. Cinderella's Dobra Makeover

Once upon a time in a land far, far away, Cinderella traded her glass slippers and pumpkin carriage for some shiny coins and stacks of banknotes, because girl, she just got a raise—in the dobra, that is: São Tomé and Príncipe's official currency since 1977, the dobra (STD or locally, Db) comes in banknotes from Db 5,000 to Db 100,000 and coins from 100 to 2,000 dobras, and is even pegged at a fixed exchange rate to the Euro!
Source => investopedia.com

9. The Cocoa Baron

In a world where chocolate reigns supreme and Willy Wonka would've been green with envy, a man named João Maria de Sousa e Almeida was busy shaking hands with kings – quite literally, as a mulatto nobleman in the Portuguese colonies: The cocoa bean magnate started commercial cocoa production on São Tomé and Príncipe with Roça Água Izé plantation in the mid 19th century, eventually earning the prestigious title of First Baron of Água Izé in 1868. Although the once-grand hospital's staircase now crumbles, visitors can still tour the plantation, taste cocoa beans, and appreciate breathtaking views, all while pondering the sweet life of a cocoa baron.
Source => bradtguides.com

10. Seafood Tinder Swipes

São Tomé and Principe must have sent out a fishy Tinder profile, attracting artisanal fishers from Hong Kong to Hackney: Between 1955 and 2010, the number of fishers in the nation surged from 1127 to 2428, as over 80% of the population's animal protein comes from the sea. This seafood love affair has its hurdles, though, as data limitations and increased foreign fishing challenge the sustainable management of resources.
Source => researchgate.net

11. Plantations' Posh Comeback

For a nation that had a bit of a "bean there, done that" moment with cacao and coffee production, São Tomé and Príncipe sure knows how to bounce back in style: once a global powerhouse in these industries, their plantation estates called 'Rocas' now house ecotourism hotspots or transform into posh hotels, despite their stormy past marred by protests due to enslaved-like workforce conditions.
Source => transcontinentaltimes.com

12. Bittersweet Cocoa History

As the islands where "Cocoa Doesn't Grow on Trees" turns out to be an ironic expression: São Tomé and Príncipe was once the cocoa capital of the world, supplying major chocolate brands like Cadbury, Fry, and Rowntree in the late 1800s; however, their sweet success was marred by the bitter truth of using forced labor, including convicts and African contract workers, to harvest the precious cacao beans.
Source => focusongeography.org

13. Epic Solar Eclipse-amole

Holy Eclipse-amole, it's a solar bonanza: On November 3, 2013, São Tomé and Príncipe played peekaboo with the Sun during a hybrid eclipse, both total and annular, spanning continents and oceans from Africa all the way to the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
Source => timeanddate.com

14. Coffee-less Locals

"Espress-no way, Jose!": Despite coffee being São Tomé and Príncipe's cup of fortune, locals keep a lid on sipping the brew, leaving tourists to sample the java outpour. Coffee clinched a historical bean in the nation's economy, thanks to the blend of volcanic soil and an equatorial latte-tude perfect for sugar, coffee, and cocoa production. Claudio Corallo, king bean of the island, has bean there, done that to elevate the country's coffee and cocoa standards through meticulous cultivation and processing techniques.
Source => coffeeandfarmer.wordpress.com