September 6: São Tomé and Príncipe

Today is Armed forces day in São Tomé and Príncipe, a national holiday in that country.

1. The Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe is a Portuguese-speaking island nation off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. It consists of two archipelagos around two main islands: São Tomé and Príncipe.
2. São Tomé is about 6 times larger than Príncipe. The population of São Tomé is estimated at around 157,500 while just 6,000 people live on Principe.
3. Both the capital and highest mountain are on São Tomé. The capital is São Tomé, which is Portuguese for "Saint Thomas". The mountain is Pico de São Tomé at 2,024 metres.
4. When Portuguese navigators João de Santarém and Pedro Escobar, the first Europeans to discover the islands, arrived, the islands were uninhabited. They were colonised by Portugal and became a centre for production of sugar, Coffee and Cocoa, which at the time were grown on plantations and production depended heavily on slave labour. Hence the people who live there now are descended from the colonists and African slaves. The country became independent, peacefully, in 1975.
5. Príncipe was initially named Santo Antão (Saint Anthony), changing its name in 1502 to Ilha do Príncipe (Prince's Island), in reference to the Prince of Portugal to whom duties on the island's sugar crop were paid.
6. São Tomé and Príncipe is the second-smallest African country after Seychelles, and the smallest Portuguese-speaking country.
7. São Tomé was the world’s largest producer of cocoa in 1908. Cocoa is still an important crop, accounting for 95% of the country's agricultural exports.
8. The currency of São Tomé and Príncipe is the dobra, which is linked to the euro.
9. The islands are home to the world's smallest species of ibis, the largest species of sunbird and several giant species of Begonia.
10. The Flag of São Tomé and Príncipe consists of a Red triangle at the hoist, with three horizontal green, Yellow and Green bands. There are two five-pointed Black stars at the centre which represent the two main islands. The green represents the plentiful vegetation; the yellow stands for the tropical Sun and cocoa, a key agricultural crop for the nation and red stands for the "struggle for independence" and equality.