Reuters AlertNet Lite - Sao Tome and Principe

PEOPLE

Language
Portuguese is the official language. Forro and Crioulo (a dialect with Portugese and African elements) are also spoken.
Source: New Internationalist World Guide

Population

2009	0.2 million	U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Population Division (2009)
2007	0.2 million	U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Population Division (2006)
2006	0.2 million	U.N. DESA (2006)
2005	0.2 million	U.N. DESA (2006)
2004	0.2 million	U.N. DESA (2006)
2003	0.1 million	U.N. DESA (2006)
2002	0.1 million	U.N. DESA (2006)
2001	0.1 million	U.N. DESA (2006)
2000	0.1 million	U.N. DESA (2006)

Future population estimates
0.3 million (2050)
Source: U.N. DESA (2009)

Ethnic groups
Most are Africans of Bantu origin. People were formerly classified according to waves of migration - descendants of the first enslaved workers brought to the islands and mixed with the Portuguese, descendants of Angolans, freed slaves, migrant workers from Mozambique, Angola and Cape Verde, and native Tongans. These classifications have begun to dissipate since independence in 1975.
Source: NI World Guide

Religion
About 81 percent Roman Catholic. The rest are mostly Protestant, predominantly Seventh Day Adventist and followers of an indigenous evangelical church.
Source: NI World Guide

Percentage urban population

2007	59.8 percent	U.N. DESA - World Urbanisation Prospects 2005
2006	58.9 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)
2005	58.0 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)
2004	57.1 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)
2003	56.2 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)
2002	55.3 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)
2001	54.4 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)
2000	53.4 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)

Year women granted right to vote
1975
Source: U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report
Where two figures are shown, the first refers to a partial recognition of the right to vote and the second to the year women received the right to vote on a universal and equal basis.

Net percentage of girls enrolled in primary education
98 (2007)
Source: UNESCO

Percentage of population under 15

2005	41.6 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004	39.8 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003	40.1 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002	40.2 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001	41.2 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000	No data available percent

USEFUL INFORMATION

Time zone
GMT

Climate description
The islands are volcanic with dense rainforests, a tropical climate and heavy rainfall from October to May.

Currency
Dobra

Telephone dialling code
(+) 239

Driving (left/right)
Right

STANDARD OF LIVING

Average life expectancy

2005	64.9 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004	63.2 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003	63.0 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002	69.9 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001	69.4 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000	65.1 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Life expectancy - male

2005	63.0 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004	62.1 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003	62.0 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002	66.9 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001	66.6 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000	No data available years

Life expectancy - female

2005	66.7 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004	64.2 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003	64.0 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002	72.7 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001	72.4 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000	No data available years

Infant mortality

2007	64 per 1,000 live births	U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2009
2006	63 per 1,000 live births	UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008
2005	75 per 1,000 live births	U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2007
2004	75 per 1,000 live births	UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006
2003	75 per 1,000 live births	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002	75 per 1,000 live births	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001	57 per 1,000 live births	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000	58 per 1,000 live births	UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Child mortality - deaths before the age of five

2007	99 per 1,000 live births	U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2009
2006	96 per 1,000 live births	UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008
2005	118 per 1,000 live births	UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2007
2004	118 per 1,000 live births	UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006

Births attended by skilled personnel

1997-2005	76 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
1996-2004	76 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
1995-2003	79 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
1995-2002	79 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
1995-2001	No data available percent
1995-2000	No data available percent

Maternal mortality
No data available per 100,000 live births

Human development index (HDI rank)

2005	123	UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004	127	UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003	126	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002	123	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001	122	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000	119	UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Percentage of children under weight for age (under age 5)

2000-2007	9 percent	U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2009
2000-2006	9 percent	UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008
1996-2005	13 percent	UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2007
1996-2004	13 percent	UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006
1995-2003	13 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
1995-2002	13 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
1995-2001	16 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
1995-2000	16 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Percentage of undernourished population

2003-2005	5 percent	U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 2008
2002-2004average	10 percent	U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 2006
2001-2003average	12 percent	FAO 2006
1999-2001average	No data available percent
1998-2000average	No data available percent

Food intake falls below the minimum requirement.

Population with access to improved water

2006	86 percent	UNICEF and WHO 2008
2004	79 percent	UNICEF and World Health Organisation (WHO) 2006
2002	79 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2000	No data available percent

Population with access to improved sanitation

2006	24 percent	UNICEF and WHO 2008
2004	25 percent	UNICEF and WHO 2006
2002	24 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005

Literacy - average

2004	No data available percent
2003	No data available percent
2002	83.1 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001	83.1 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000	83.1 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Literacy - male
No data available percent

Literacy - female
No data available percent

Landlines telephones

2008	49 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2007	49 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2006	49 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2005	47 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2004	47 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2003	47 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2002	44 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2001	38 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2000	33 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009

Cellular telephone subscribers

2008	306 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2007	191 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2006	119 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2005	78 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2004	52 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2003	33 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2002	14 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2001	No data available per 1,000 people
2000	No data available per 1,000 people

Internet users

2008	155 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2007	146 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2006	137 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2005	134 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2004	131 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2003	100 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2002	75 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2001	63 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2000	47 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009

Transparency International corruption ranking (Scale: 1 = least corrupt, >175 = most corrupt)

2008	121 (joint)	Transparency International 2008
2007	118 (joint)	Transparency International 2007
2006	Not ranked

Signatory of International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment for the crime of Genocide
No (1948)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

Signatory of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
Signed but not yet ratified (1984)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

Signatory of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Yes (1989)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

ECONOMY & AID

Percentage of population living on less than US$1 a day
No data available percent

GNI per capita, Atlas method

2007	870 current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2006	800 current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2005	760 current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2004	No data available current US$
2003	No data available current US$
2002	No data available current US$
2001	No data available current US$
2000	current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008

The purpose of the Atlas conversion factor is to reduce the impact of exchange rate fluctuations in a cross-country comparison of national incomes. The Atlas conversion factor for any year is the average of a country's exchange rate (or alternative conversion factor) for that year and its exchange rates for the two preceding years.

GDP

2007	0.1 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2006	0.1 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2005	0.1 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2004	0.1 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2003	0.1 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2002	0.1 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2001	0.1 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2000	No data available current US$ billions

Annual GDP growth

2006	7.0 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2005	5.4 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2004	4.8 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2003	6.8 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2002	11.6 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2001	percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2000	percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008

Annual inflation

2007	20.3 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2006	19.9 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2005	7.6 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2004	8.3 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2003	5.4 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2002	9.3 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2001	No data available percent
2000	No data available percent

Share of income or consumption (poorest 10 percent)
No data available

Share of income or consumption (richest 10 percent)
No data available

HEALTH

Physicians

2000-2004	49 per 100,000 people	UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
1990-2004	49 per 100,000 people	UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
1990-2003	47 per 100,000 people	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
1990-2002	47 per 100,000 people	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003

Percentage HIV+ (adults aged 15-49)
No data available percent

Malaria
Risk from P.falciparum throughout the year in the whole country. Resistance to chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine reported.
Source: WHO

TB cases

2007	101 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2006	103 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2005	105 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2004	106 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2003	108 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2002	110 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2001	112 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2000	114 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009

CONFLICT & MIGRATION

Number of refugees originating here

2008	35	UNHCR
2007	33	UNHCR
2006	32	Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
2005	24	UNHCR
2004	39	UNHCR
2003	No data available
2002	No data available
2001	No data available
2000	No data available

Number of refugees residing here
No data available

Number of internally displaced people\Estimate

	No data available

No data available

Landmine casualties per year

2004	0	Landmine Monitor Report 2005
2003	0	Landmine Monitor Report 2004

Casualty figures may include both civilians and military personnel injured or killed by landmines and unexploded ordnance.
Signatory to landmine convention?
Yes (1998)
Source: Landmine Monitor Report

Percentage of GDP spent on military
No data available percent

Percentage of GDP spent on education
No data available percent

Percentage of GDP spent on health

2004	9.9 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2003-2004	7.2 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2002	9.7 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2001	1.5 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2000	1.6 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003