The islands of São Tomé and Príncipe were discovered and claimed by Portugal in the 1470’s. Government structures were set up in 1485. Each island was governed as a separate entity until 1753, when they were united as a single colony. In 1951, the islands became an overseas province of Portugal. Autonomy was granted in 1974 and independence was granted on 12 July 1975.
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São Tomé
Portuguese Colony (1485-1522)
- 24 September 1485 – 3 February 1490 João da Paiva, Captain
- 3 February 1490 – 29 July 1493 João Pereira, Captain
- 29 July 1493 – 28 April 1499 Álvaro de Caminha, Captain
- 11 December 1499 - c.1510 Fernão de Melo, Captain
- c.1510 - c.1516 ....
- c.1516 - c.1517 Diogo de Alcáçova, Captain
- c.1517 – 1522 João de Melo, Captain
Portuguese Crown Colony (1522-1641)
- 1522 - 15.. Vasco Estevens, Captain
- 15.. – 1531 ....
- 1531 - c.1535 Henrique Pereira, Captain
- c.1535 – 1541 ....
- 1541 – 1545 Diogo Botelho Pereira, Captain
- 1546 - c.1554 Francisco de Barros de Paiva, Captain
- c.1558 - 15.. Pedro Botelho, Captain
- 15.. – 1560 ....
- 1560 – 1564 Cristóvão Dória de Sousa, Captain
- 1564 – 1569 Francisco de Gouveia, Captain
- 1569 – 1571 Francisco de Pavia Teles, Captain
- 1571 – 1575 Diogo Salema, Captain
- 1575 - c.1582 António Monteiro Maciel, Captain
- c.1582 - c.1584 ....
- c.1584 – 1587 Francisco Fernandes de Figueiredo, Captain (from 1586, Governor)
- 1587 – 1591 Miguel Teles de Moura, Governor
- 1591 – 1592 Duarte Peixoto da Silva, Governor
- 1592 – 1593 Francisco de Vila Nova, Acting Governor
- 1593 – 1597 Fernandes de Meneses, Governor
- 1597 - c.1598 Vasco de Carvalho, Governor
- c.1598 – 1601 João Barbosa da Cunha, Acting Governor
- 1601 – 1604 António Maciel Monteiro, Acting Governor
- 1604 - 160. Pedro de Andrade, Governor
- 160. – 1609 João Barbosa da Cunha, Acting Governor
- 1609 Fernando de Noronha, Governor
- 1609 – 1611 Constantino Távares, Governor
- 1611 João Barbosa da Cunha, Acting Governor
- 1611 Francisco Teles de Meneses, Governor
- 1611 – 1613 Luís Dias de Abreu, Governor
- 1613 – 1614 Feliciano Carvalho, Governor
- 1614 – 1616 Luís Dias de Abreu, Governor
- 1616 – 1620 Miguel Correi Baharem, Governor
- 1620 – 1621 Pedro da Cunha, Governor
- 1621 – 1623 Félix Pereira, Governor
- 1623 – 1627 Jerónimo de Melo Fernando, Governor
- 1627 – 1628 André Gonçalves Maracote, Governor
- 1628 – 1632 Lourenço Pires de Távora, Acting Governor
- 1632 Francisco Barreto de Meneses, Governor
- 1632 – 1636 Lourenço Pires de Távora, Acting Governor
- 1636 António de Carvalho, Governor
- 1636 – 1640 Lourenço Pires de Távora, Acting Governor
- 1640 Manuel Quaresma Carneiro, Governor
- 1640 – 1641 Miguel Pereira de Melo e Albuquerque, Acting Governor
Dutch Occupation
Portuguese Crown Colony (1648-1709)
- 1641 – 1642 Paulo da Ponte, Acting Governor
- 1642 - c.1650 Lourenço Pires de Távora, Governor
- c.1650 – 1656 ....
- 1656 - c.1657 Cristóvão de Barros do Rêgo, Governor
- c.1657 - c.1661 ....
- c.1661 - 166. Pedro da Silva, Governor
- 166. – 1669 ....
- 1669 – 1671 Paulo Ferreira de Noronha, Governor
- 1671 – 1673 Chamber Senate
- 1673 – 1677 Julião de Campos Barreto, Governor
- 1677 – 1680 Bernardim Freire de Andrade, Governor
- 1680 – 1683 Jacinto de Figueiredo e Abreu, Governor
- 1683 – 1686 João Álvares da Cunha, Acting Governor
- 1686 António Pereira de Brito Lemos, Governor
- 1686 – 1689 Bento de Sousa Lima, Governor
- 1689 – 1693 António Pereira de Lacerda, Governor
- 1693 – 1694 Antonio de Barredo, Governor
- 1695 – 1696 José Pereira Sodré, Governor
- 1696 – 1697 João da Costa Matos, Governor
- 1697 – 1702 Manuel António Pinheiro da Câmara, Governor
- 1702 – 1709 José Correia de Castro, Governor
- 1709 Vicente Dinís Pinheiro, Governor
French Occupation (1709-1715)
Portuguese Crown Colony (1715-1753)
- 1715 – 1716 Bartolomeu da Costa Ponte , Governor
- 1716 – 1717 Chamber Senate
- 1717 – 1720 António Furtado Mendonça , Governor
- 1720 – 1722 Junta
- 1722 – 1727 José Pinheiro da Câmara , Governor
- 1727 – 1734 Serafim Teixeira Sarmento , Governor
- 1734 – 1736 Lopo de Sousa Coutinho , Governor
- 1736 – 1741 José Caetano Soto Maior , Governor
- 1741 António Ferrão de Castelo Branco , Governor
- 1741 – 1744 Chamber Senate
- 1744 Francisco Luís da Conceição , Governor
- 1744 – 1745 Francisco de Alva Brandão, Acting Governor
- 1747 – 1748 Francisco Luís das Chagas , Governor
- 1748 – 1751 Chamber Senate
- 1751 António Rodrigues Neves , Governor
- 1751 – 1753 Chamber Senate
Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipe
Portuguese Crown Colony (1753-1951)
- 1753 – 1755 Chamber Senate
- 1755 Lopo de Sousa Coutinho, Governor
- 1755 – 1758 Chamber Senate
- 1758 – 1761 Luís Henrique da Mota e Mele, Governor
- 1761 – 1767 Chamber Senate
- 1767 – 1768 Lourenço Lôbo de Almeida Palha, Governor
- 1768 – 1770 Chamber Senate
- 1770 – 1778 Vincente Gomes Ferreira, Governor
- 1778 – 1782 João Manuel de Azambuja, Governor
- 1782 – 1788 Cristóvão Xavier de Sá, Governor
- 1788 – 1797 João Resende Tavares Leote, Governor
- 1797 Inácio Francisco de Nóbrega Sousa Coutinho, Governor
- 1797 Manuel Monteiro de Carvalho, Acting Governor
- 1797 – 1798 Varela Borca, Governor
- 1798 – 1799 Manuel Francisco Joaquim da Mota, Governor
- 1799 Francisco Rafael de Castelo de Vide, Governor
- 1799 – 1802 João Baptista de Silva, Governor
- 1802 – 1805 Gabriel António Franco de Castro, Governor
- 1805 – 1817 Luís Joaquim Lisboa, Governor
- 1817 – 1824 Felipe de Freitas, Governor
- 1824 – 1830 João Maria Xavier de Brito, Governor
- 1830 – 1834 Joaquim Bento da Fonseca, Governor
- 1834 – 1836 Provisional government
- 1836 – 1837 Fernando Correia Henriques de Noronha, Acting Governor
- 1837 – 1838 Leandro José da Costa, Governor
- 1838 – 1839 José Joaquim de Urbanski, Governor
- 1839 – 1843 Bernardo José de Sousa Soares de Andréa, Governor
- 5 February 1843 – 2 March 1843 Leandro José da Costa, Governor
- 2 March 1843 – 1 May 1846 José Maria Marquês, Governor
- 1 May 1846 – 30 September 1847 Chamber Senate
- 30 September 1847 – 20 November 1847 Carlos Augusto de Morais e Almeida, Governor
- 20 November 1847 – 20 July 1848 Chamber Senate
- 20 July 1848 – 30 June 1849 José Caetano René Vimont Pessôa, Governor
- 12 December 1849 – 9 March 1851 Leandro José da Costa, Governor
- 9 March 1851 – 20 March 1853 José Maria Marquês, Governor
- 20 March 1853 – 28 July 1855 Francisco José da Pina Rolo, Governor
- 28 July 1855 – 21 March 1857 Adriano Maria Passaláqua, Governor
- 21 March 1857 – 15 January 1858 Chamber Senate
- 15 January 1858 – 29 May 1858 Francisco António Correia, Governor
- 29 May 1858 – 1859 Chamber Senate
- 1859 – 21 November 1860 Luis José Pereira e Horta, Governor
- 21 November 1860 – 8 July 1862 José Pedro de Melo, Governor
- 8 July 1862 – 17 November 1862 Chamber Senate
- 17 November 1862 – 30 March 1863 José Eduardo da Costa Moura, Governor
- 30 March 1863 – 8 January 1864 João Baptista Brunachy, Governor
- 8 January 1864 – 2 August 1865 Estanislau Xavier de Assunção e Almeida, Governor
- 2 August 1865 – 30 July 1867 João Baptista Brunachy, Governor
- 30 July 1867 – 30 September 1867 António Joaquim da Fonseca, Governor
- 30 September 1867 – 30 May 1869 Estanislau Xavier de Assunção e Almeida, Governor
- 30 May 1869 – 7 October 1872 Pedro Carlos de Aguiar Craveiro Lopes, Governor
- 7 October 1872 – July 1873 João Clímaco de Carvalho, Governor
- 28 October 1873 – 1 November 1876 Gregório José Ribeiro, Governor
- 1 November 1876 – 28 September 1879 Estanislau Xavier de Assunção e Almeida, Governor
- 28 September 1879 – 28 November 1879 Francisco Joaquim Ferreira do Amaral, Governor
- 28 November 1879 – 3 January 1880 Custódio Miguel de Borja, Acting Governor, Governor
- 3 January 1880 – 30 December 1881 Vinente Pinheiro Lôbo Machado de Melo e Almada, Governor
- 30 December 1881 – 26 January 1882 Augusto Maria Leão, Acting Governor
- 26 January 1882– 24 May 1884 Francisco Teixeira da Silva, Governor
- 24 May 1884 – 25 August 1886 Custódio Miguel de Borja, Governor
- 25 August 1886 – 9 March 1890 Augusto César Rodrigues Sarmento, Governor
- 9 March 1890 – 26 June 1891 Firmino José da Costa, Governor
- 26 June 1891 – 8 December 1894 Francisco Eugénio Pereira de Miranda, Governor
- 8 December 1894 – 8 April 1895 Jaime Lobo Brito Godins, Acting Governor
- 8 April 1895 – 5 April 1897 Cipriano Leite Pereira Jardim, Governor
- 5 April 1897 – 5 April 1899 Joaquim da Graça Correia e Lança, Governor
- 5 April 1899 – 3 January 1901 Amâncio de Alpoim Cerqueira Borges Cabral, Governor
- 3 January 1901 – 8 May 1901 Francisco Maria Peixoto Vieira, Acting Governor
- 8 May 1901 – 8 October 1902 Joaquim Xavier de Brito, Governor
- 8 October 1902 – 7 June 1903 João Abel Antunes Mesquita Guimarães, Governor
- 7 June 1903 – 14 December 1903 João Gregório Duarte Ferreira, Acting Governor
- 14 December 1903 – 13 April 1907 Francisco de Paula Cid, Governor
- 13 April 1907 – 24 June 1907 Vitor Augusto Chaves Lemos e Melo, Acting Governor
- 24 June 1907 – 24 October 1908 Pedro Berquó, Governor
- 24 October 1908 – 13 March 1909 Vitor Augusto Chaves Lemos e Mel, Acting Governor
- 13 March 1909 – 13 June 1910 José Augusto Vieira da Fonseca, Governor
- 13 June 1910 – 7 August 1910 Jaime Daniel Leote do Rego, Governor
- 7 August 1910 – 11 November 1910 Fernando Augusto de Carvalho, Governor
- 12 November 1910 – 28 November 1910 Carlos de Mendonça Pimentel e Melo, Acting Governor
- 28 November 1910 – 14 June 1911 António Pinto Miranda Guedes, Governor
- 14 June 1911 – 24 December 1911 Jaime Daniel Leote do Rego, Governor
- 24 December 1911 - 13 May 1913 Mariano Martins, Governor
- 13 May 1913 - 31 May 1915 Pedro do Amaral Boto Machado, Governor
- 31 May 1915 –6 June 1915 José Dionisio Carneiro de Sousa e Faroo, Governor
- 6 June 1915 – 28 July 1918 Rafael dos Santos Oliveira, Acting Governor
- 28 July 1918 – 11 June 1919 João Gregório Duarte Ferreira, Governor
- 11 June 1919 – 25 September 1920 Avelino Augusto de Oliveira Leite, Governor
- 25 September 1920 – 22 October 1920 José Augusto de Coceição Alves Vélez, Acting Governor
- 22 October 1920 – 2 July 1921 Eduardo Nogueira de Lemos, Acting Governor
- 2 July 1921 – 23 January 1924 António José Pereira, Governor
- 23 January 1924 – 8 July 1926 Eugénio de Barros Soares Branco, Governor
- 8 July 1926 - 31 August 1928 José Duarte Junqueira Rato, Governor
- 31 August 1928 – 30 January 1929 Sebastião José Barbosa, Acting Governor
- 30 January 1929 – 31 August 1929 Francisco Penteado, Governor
- 31 August 1929 – 17 December 1933 Luís Augusto Vieira Fernandes, Governor
- 17 December 1933 – 8 May 1941 Ricardo Vaz Monteiro, Governor
- 8 May 1941 – 5 April 1945 Amadeu Gomes de Figueiredo, Governor
- 5 April 1945 – July 1948 Carlos de Sousa Gorgulho, Governor
- July 1948 – 8 October 1950 Afonso Manuel Machado de Sousa, Acting Governor
- 8 October 1950 – 11 June 1951 Mario José Cabral Oliveira Castro, Acting Governor
Overseas Province of Portugal (1951-1974)
- 11 June 1951 – 28 June 1952 Mario José Cabral Oliveira Castro, Acting Governor
- 28 June 1952 – 18 April 1953 Guilherme António Amaral Abranches Pinto, Acting Governor
- 18 April 1953 – 19 May 1953 Fernando Augusto Rodrigues, Acting Governor
- 19 May 1953 – July 1953 Afonso Manuel Machado de Sousa, Acting Governor
- July 1953 – August 1954 Francisco António Pires Barata, Governor
- August 1954 – 15 June 1955 Luís da Câmara Leme Faria, Acting Governor
- 15 June 1955 – 5 December 1956 José Machado, Acting Governor
- 5 December 1956 – 13 October 1957 Octavio Ferreira Gonçalves, Acting Governor
- 13 October 1957 – August 1963 Manuel Marques de Abrantes Amaral, Governor
- August 1963 – 30 October 1963 Alberto Monteiro de Sousa Campos, Acting Governor
- 30 October 1963 – 1972 António Jorge da Silva Sebastião, Governor
- 1973 – 1974 João Cecilio Gonçalves, Governor
- 29 July 1974 – 18 December 1974 António Elísio Capelo Pires Veloso, Governor
Autonomous Province of Portugal (1974-1975)
18 December 1974 – 12 July 1975 António Elísio Capelo Pires Veloso, High Commissioner


