90 % of export income today still comes from cocoa monocultures. State plantations take up 80 % of agricultural land. In addition, copra, palm nuts and coffee are exported. 70 % of the food requirement has to be imported. Industry is restricted to the processing of agricultural products.
The government is aiming to restrict the risks associated with this unbalanced economic arrangement by introducing relevant measures. The aim of all political parties is to organize the islands' infrastructure in such a way that will facilitate sensible development for tourism. Only in this way can an economically imperative and ecologically sensible additional source of income be developed. This is necessary because due to the monocultures and the lack of other opportunities to expand foreign trade through export, there is a comparatively high rate of unemployment. The government wants this to be lowered dramatically, particularly through the creation of jobs in the area of tourism.
By increasing tourism, the service sector can be expanded significantly. The most important trading partners are the EC states (60 % Portugal) and Angola.
History
The islands were visited (1471) by Pedro Escobar and João Gomes, the Portuguese explorers, and in 1483 the São Tomé settlement was founded. They were proclaimed a colony of Portugal in 1522. The Dutch held the islands from 1641 to 1740, when they were recovered by the Portuguese. Until the establishment of a slave-based plantation economy in the 18th cent., the islands were used mainly as supply stations on the shipping routes to Brazil and India.
São Tomé and Principe became an overseas province of Portugal in 1951 and received local autonomy in 1973. Following the 1974 military coup in Portugal, the new government recognized the islands' right to independence, granting it on July 12, 1975. Manuel Pinto da Costa, leader of the Gabon-based Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Principe (MLSTP), became the country's first president, and his party the sole legal one. The first years were marked by economic hardship caused by the departure of both the Portuguese and a large number of foreign workers. A severe drought and depressed cocoa prices hurt the economy during the 1980s.
A new constitution adopted in 1990 officially ended one-party rule. In 1991, the MLSTP lost the legislative elections and Miguel Trovoada, running unopposed as an independent candidate, won the country's first free presidential election. Principe was granted local autonomy in 1994. A military coup in 1995 ended peacefully when the president was restored to office and parliament granted the rebel soldiers amnesty.
In July, 1996, Trovoada, this time running against former president Pinto da Costa, was reelected. The MLSTP, which had dominated parliament since 1994, won a majority of seats in the 1998 legislative elections. Inflation, unemployment, and the inability of the government to pay workers resulted in a series of strikes and demonstrations in the 1990s. Fradique de Menezes, the candidate of the opposition Independent Democratic Action party, was elected president in 2001; his main opponent was Pinto da Costa. In the parliamentary elections the following year, however, the MLSTP won a slim plurality of the seats. In July, 2003, members of the military, complaining of social and economic decline, ousted President Menezes, but an agreement was negotiated that resulted in his return to office.
Postal History
The islands of St. Thomas and Prince are situated in the Gulf of Guinea. They were discovered by Portuguese navigators during the age of exploration. The islands are of volcanic origin with mountains which are high for this part of Africa.
The Colonia de Sao Tome e Principe included a small enclave on the African coast, in what is now Dahomey, called Sao Joao de Baptista da Ajuda. This was eventually taken over by Dahomey.
In the mid-1960's, there were eleven postal stations: Angolares, Caixao Grande, Guadalupe, Madalena, Neves, Ribeira Afonso, Santana, Santo Amaro, Sao Tome, and Trindade on S. Tome and Santo Antonioon the Ilha do Principe.
The Post Office in Sao Tome shared space with the Courthouse. An early picture from a post card is shown.
The existence of a railroad is not well known, but a post card shows the station and an engine with one freight car and two passenger cars. It appears that the upcountry terminal was Trindade, but this is not certain. A straight line triNDADe cancel is known. It is possible that there was also a railroad on Principe as at least one post card exists showing train tracks, but no train cars.
The enclave of Sao Joao de Baptista da Ajuda is somewhat of a mystery location. A few cancels exist from this location, as well as some military markings for the Fort. A 1957 cover sent from the RESIDENCIA DE S. JOAO BAPTISTA D'AJUDA in Ouidah, Dahomey is shown. Shortly thereafter, the residency was burned and Portugal abandoned the enclave.
As for fiscal/revenue stamps, S. Tome used standard key types and/or common design types for the African Colonies. During World War II, African Colonial fiscals were overprinted for local use as supplies of the more common values ran out.
Article written by and photos/illustrated postcards provided courtesy of Mr Hal Reyonolds, PPS member (USA)