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Updates: 

Thanks to Sorin Cosoveanu, I have added the 2012 census data.

Country overview: 

Short name	SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE
ISO code	ST
FIPS code	TP
Language	Portuguese (pt)
Time zone	+0
Capital	São Tomé

 

São Tomé and Príncipe was a Portuguese colony at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1951 it was made an overseas province of Portugal. It became independent on 1975-07-12.

Other names of country: 

1. Danish: São Tomé og Príncipe, Den demokratiske republik Sao Tomé og Principe (formal)
2. Dutch: Sint Tome en Principe, São Tomé en Principe, Democratische Republiek Sao Tomé en Principe (formal)
3. English: Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe (formal)
4. Finnish: São Tomé ja Príncipe
5. French: Sao Tomé-et-Principe m
6. German: São Tomé und Príncipe n
7. Icelandic: Saó Tóme og Prinsípe
8. Italian: São Tomé e Príncipe
9. Norwegian: Den demokratiske republikk São Tomé og Príncipe (formal) (Bokmål), Den demokratiske republikken São Tomé og Príncipe (formal) (Nynorsk), São Tomé og Príncipe
10. Portuguese: São Tomé e Príncipe, República f Democrática de São Tomé e Príncipe (formal)
11. Russian: Демократическая Республика Сан-Томе и Принсипи (formal)
12. Spanish: Santo Tomé y Príncipe
13. Swedish: São Tomé och Príncipe
14. Turkish: Sao Tome ve Principe Demokratik Cumhuriyeti (formal)

Origin of name: 

São Tomé after Saint Thomas

Primary subdivisions: 

Sao Tome and Principe is divided into two regiões (regions).

Region	HASC	ISO	FIPS	Population	Area(km.²)	Area(mi.²)	Capital
Príncipe	ST.PR	P	TP01	7,542	142	55	Santo António
São Tomé	ST.ST	S	TP02	179,814	859	332	São Tomé
2 municipalities				187,356	1,001	387
HASC: Hierarchical administrative subdivision codes. ISO: Codes from ISO 3166-2. FIPS: Codes from FIPS PUB 10-4. Population: 2012-05-13 census (source [9])

Further subdivisions:

See the Districts of São Tomé and Príncipe page.

The municipalities are further subdivided into distritos (districts). Príncipe is coextensive with its district, but São Tomé has six districts.

Territorial extent: 

1. Príncipe consists of the islands of Príncipe, Caroço, Bombom, and the Pedras Tinhosas.
2. São Tomé consists of São Tomé and Rôlas islands.

Change history: 

1995-04-29: Príncipe became an autonomous region. Previously the two islands had been concelhos (municipalities).

Population history:

Region	1950-12-15	1960-12-15	1970-09-30	1981-08-15	1991-08-04	2001-08-25	2012-05-13
Príncipe	4,332	4,574	4,599	5,255	5,639	5,966	7,542
São Tomé	55,827	59,102	60,032	91,356	114,507	131,633	179,814
Total	60,159	63,676	73,631	96,611	120,146	137,599	187,356

 

Sources: 1950 [4], 1960 [6], 1970 [7], 1981 [5], 1991 [8], 2001 [3], 2012 [9]. The 1970 numbers don't add up, and the most likely correction is 69,032.

Sources: 

1. [1] São Tomé e Príncipe em Números - 2006 , Instituto Nacional de Estatística (retrieved 2011-04-07).
2. [2] United Nations House  website had population estimates for 1997 (retrieved 2001-04-10).
3. [3] Turner, Barry, ed. The Statesman's Yearbook, 2008 edition. Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke, Hants., 2007.
4. [4] Demographic Yearbook , 7th Ed. Statistical Office of the United Nations, New York, 1955 (retrieved 2011-08-20).
5. [5] Encyclopædia Britannica, 15th Edition, Chicago, 1984.
6. [6] The Encyclopædia Britannica World Atlas, 1964 edition.
7. [7] Paxton, John, ed. The Statesman's Yearbook, 1977-78 edition. St. Martin's Press, New York, 1977.
8. [8] Hunter, Brian, ed. The Statesman's Yearbook, 1997-98 edition. St. Martin's Press, New York, 1997.
9. [9] "São Tomé e Príncipe tem 187.356 habitantes ," Téla Nón news site (retrieved 2012-11-10).