São Tomé and Príncipe (Concert of Europe)

São Tomé and Príncipe (Portuguese: São Tomé e Príncipe) is an insular province of, consisting of two major islands and a few surrounding smaller and mostly uninhabited islets, all of which are located in the Gulf of Guinea, off the coast of mainland. Portuguese settlement in the region began as early as the late 15th century: in time, the colony's economy began to revolve around two sectors, agriculture and slave trade, thanks to which it achieved a good degree of prosperity.

After the abolishment of slavery, agriculture and naval commerce became the islands' most important economic sectors, with coffee, sugar and cocoa, of which the colony is one of the world's largest producers, being the most important crops. The fertile soil of the islands is a product of their volcanic origin, which is also reflected in their characteristic mountainous and hilly terrain. Most of the population is of mixed race descent, but there is a large ethnically Portuguese community as well, and also many black Africans. Portuguese is the only official language, but several creole dialects are spoken as well.