The island republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, located in the Gulf of Guinea, is, after the Seychelles, the smallest country in Africa, covering a total area of 1,001 square kilometers (386 square miles), with a population estimated at 137,599 in 2004, of which about 6,000 live on the smaller island of Príncipe. The mountainous islands of volcanic origin are covered by dense tropical vegetation. The Pico de São Tomé (2,024 meters; 6,640 feet) is the highest mountain.

The native Creole population is descended from African slaves and Portuguese settlers who colonized the uninhabited islands from the late fifteenth century. The plantation system dominated the local economy until the 1990s, when the large plantations were dissolved and the lands were distributed to former estate workers. Although cocoa has remained...