São Tomé and Príncipe

São Tomé is the capital and largest city of São Tomé and Príncipe, located on the island of São Tomé in the Gulf of Guinea. Príncipe is the country’s smaller, separate island (not a city). Libreville is the capital of neighboring Gabon, and Lagos is Nigeria’s biggest city (its capital is Abuja). A former Portuguese colony, São Tomé and Príncipe gained independence in 1975 and remains Portuguese-speaking. The islands were key cocoa producers, and the equator passes just south of São Tomé at Ilhéu das Rolas. Memory tip: The country’s full name lists its two islands—São Tomé and Príncipe—and the capital matches the first island: São Tomé on São Tomé.