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Sao Tome and Principe Government

What is the capital of Sao Tome and Principe?

Country Name Sao Tome and Principe
Full Country Name Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe
Local - Long Republica Democratica de Sao Tome e Principe
Local - Short Sao Tome e Principe
Etymology- history of name Sao Tome was named after Saint THOMAS the Apostle by the Portuguese who discovered the island on 21 December 1470 (or 1471), the saint's feast day; Principe is a shortening of the original Portuguese name of "Ilha do Principe" (Isle of the Prince) referring to the Prince of Portugal to whom duties on the island's sugar crop were paid
Government Type semi-presidential republic
Capital Name Sao Tome
Capital - geographic coordinate 0 20 N, 6 44 E
Capital Time Difference UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Independence 12 July 1975 (from Portugal)
National Holiday Independence Day, 12 July (1975)
Constitution history: approved 5 November 1975

amendments: proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly; the Assembly can propose to the president of the republic that an amendment be submitted to a referendum; revised several times, last in 2006

Sao Tome and Principe Capital City Map

Source: Google Maps

Sao Tome and Principe Government and Politics

Who is the president of Sao Tome and Principe?

Executive Branch: chief of state: President Carlos Manuel VILA NOVA (since 2 October 2021)

head of government: Prime Minister Patrice TROVOADA (since 11 November 2022)

cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, appointed by the president

elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 18 July 2021 with a runoff on 5 September 2021 (next to be held in 2026); prime minister chosen by the National Assembly and approved by the president

election results:

2021: Carlos Manuel VILA NOVA elected president in the second round; percent of vote in the first round - Carlos Manuel VILA NOVA (IDA) 39.5%; Guilherme POSSER DA COSTA (MLSTP-PSD) 20.8%; Delfim NEVES (PCD-GR) 16.9%; Abel BOM JESUS (independent) 3.6%; Maria DAS NEVES (independent) 3.3%; other 15.9%; percent of the vote in second round - Carlos Manuel VILA NOVA 57.5%, Guilherme POSSER DA COSTA 42.5%

2016: Evaristo CARVALHO elected president; percent of vote - Evaristo CARVALHO (ADI) 49.8%, Manuel Pinto DA COSTA (independent) 24.8%, Maria DAS NEVES (MLSTP-PSD) 24.1%; note - first round results for CARVALHO were revised downward from just over 50%, prompting the 7 August runoff; however, on 1 August 2016 DA COSTA withdrew from the runoff, citing voting irregularities, and Evaristo CARVALHO was declared the winner
Citizenship Criteria: citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Sao Tome and Principe

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Legal System: mixed legal system of civil law based on the Portuguese model and customary law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Legislative Branch: description: unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (55 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed party-list proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms)

elections: last held on 25 September 2022 (next to be held 30 September 2026)

election results: percent of vote by party - ADI 46.81%, MLSTP/PSD 32.70%, MCI-PS -PUN 6.56%, BASTA Movement- 8.8%, other 5.14%; seats by party - ADI 30, MLSTP-PSD 18, MCI-PS -PUN 5, BASTA Movement 2; composition - men 47, women 8, percent of women 14.5%
Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal Justica (consists of 5 judges); Constitutional Court or Tribunal Constitucional (consists of 5 judges, 3 of whom are from the Supreme Court)

judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the National Assembly; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges nominated by the president of the republic and elected by the National Assembly for 5-year terms

subordinate courts: Court of First Instance; Audit Court
Regions or States: 6 districts (distritos, singular - distrito), 1 autonomous region* (regiao autonoma); Agua Grande, Cantagalo, Caue, Lemba, Lobata, Me-Zochi, Principe*
Political Parties and Leaders: Union of Democrats for Citizenship and Development and Force for Democratic Change Movement or MDFM–UDD [Carlos Filomeno Agostinho DAS NEVES]

Independent Democratic Action or ADI [Patrice TROVADA]

Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe-Social Democratic Party or MLSTP-PSD [Jorge Lopes Bom JESUS]

Party for Democratic Convergence-Reflection Group or PCD-GR [Leonel Mario D'ALVA]

Movement of Independent Citizens of São Tomé and Príncipe [António Monteiro]

other small parties
International Law Organization Participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
International Organization Participation: ACP, AfDB, AOSIS, AU, CD, CEMAC, CPLP, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic Representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant)

chancery: 122 East 42nd Street, Suite 1604

New York, NY 101168

telephone: [1] (212) 317-0533

FAX: [1] (212) 317-0580

email address and website:

stp1@attglobal.net

Sao Tome and Principe Permanent Mission to the United Nations
Diplomatic Representation from US: embassy: the US does not have an embassy in Sao Tome and Principe; the US Ambassador to Angola is accredited to Sao Tome and Principe

mailing address: 2290 Sao Tome Place, Washington DC 20521-2290
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