ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a brief historical background and a description of major events in Sao Tome and Principe. It also provides basic political, economic, and social data arranged in the following categories: polity, economy, population, purchasing power parities, life expectancy, ethnic groups, capital, political rights, civil liberties, and status. The chapter discusses the progress and decline of political rights and civil liberties in Sao Tome and Principe. Political tension was high in Sao Tome and Principe following the election of incumbent party candidate Fradique de Menezes as president in July 2001, his subsequent dissolution of the cabinet, and a call for early legislative elections in 2002. Sao Tome and Principe has mostly relied on external assistance to develop its economy. The government is trying to reduce the country's dependence on cocoa and diversify its economy. Political Rights The people of Sao Tome and Príncipe have the right to change and Civil Liberties: tneir government freely and fairly.
