Sao Tome and Principe (STP) is one of the world’s smallest and poorest countries. Located in the Gulf of Guinea, with a population of 140,000 and a gross domestic product of about $60m (£34m), STP has for a long time struggled to provide even basic living conditions for its population.
Before acceding to independence in 1975, and while it was still a Portuguese colony, there were periods in which STP’s products were highly valued in the international markets. The cycles of sugar (in the 16th century) as well as cocoa and coffee (both in the 19th century) are particular examples, but all have long since run their course.
