Why it's the capital
The Portuguese founded the town in the 15th century on islands where nobody lived before. It was the capital of the Portuguese colony and stayed the capital when São Tomé and Príncipe became independent in 1975.
São Tomé
Capital of São Tomé and PríncipeSão Tomé lies on Ana Chaves Bay in the northeast of São Tomé Island, the larger and more southern of the two main islands of São Tomé and Príncipe, in the Gulf of Guinea.
Fun facts
- Its name is Portuguese for 'Saint Thomas'. The Portuguese reached the islands on 21 December, St Thomas's Day.
- Fort São Sebastião was built in 1566 and holds the São Tomé National Museum.
- In 1595 a slave revolt led by Rei Amador took control of the city until it was put down the next year.
Finding it on the globe
Look in the Gulf of Guinea, west of Gabon. The city is only about 40 km north of the equator, which passes just south of São Tomé Island. Tap the island's northeast coast.
Easy to mix up
The city, its island and the country all share the name São Tomé. Aim for the city on the island's northeast coast, not the middle of the island.
Sources: Wikipedia: São Tomé, Wikipedia: São Tomé and Príncipe, Wikipedia: Príncipe