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Flag of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe
Coat of Arms of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe
Location of São Tomé and Príncipe

São Tomé and Príncipe (English pronunciation IPA: [saʊ̯ tʰəˈmeɪ̯ ənd ˈpʰɹɪnsɪpɪ], Portuguese pronunciation IPA: [sɐ̃ũ tu'mɛ i 'pɾı̃sɨpɨ]), officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is an island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Africa. It consists of two islands: São Tomé and Príncipe, located about 140 kilometres apart and about 250 and 225 kilometres respectively, off of the northwestern coast of Gabon. Both islands are part of an extinct volcanic mountain range. São Tomé, the sizable southern island, is situated just north of the equator. It was named after Saint Thomas by Portuguese explorers who discovered the island on his feast day.

São Tomé and Príncipe is the second smallest African country in terms of population, larger only than Seychelles. It is the smallest country in the world that is not a former UK dependency, a former US trusteeship, or a European microstate. It is also the smallest Portuguese-speaking country. (Read more...)