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For other uses, see Principe (disambiguation).
Map of São Tomé and Príncipe with Príncipe near the top
Location São Tomé and Príncipe
Coordinates 1°37′N 7°24′E﻿ / ﻿1.617°N 7.400°E﻿ / 1.617; 7.400Coordinates: 1°37′N 7°24′E﻿ / ﻿1.617°N 7.400°E﻿ / 1.617; 7.400
Area 136 km2 (53 sq mi)
Highest elevation 948 m (3,110 ft)
Highest point Pico de Príncipe
Príncipe Province
Districts 1 (Pagué)
Capital city Santo António
Demonym Príncipean or Principean
Population 5,000 (as of ?, approx.)
Density 36.8 /km2 (95.3 /sq mi)
Additional information
Area code: 00239-19x-xxxx?

Príncipe is the smaller, northern major island of the country of São Tomé and Príncipe lying off the west coast of Africa.[1] It has an area of 136 square kilometres (53 sq mi) and a population of approximately 5,000. The island is a heavily eroded volcano speculated to be over three million years old, surrounded by smaller islands including Ilheu Bom Bom, Ilhéu Caroço, Tinhosa Grande and Tinhosa Pequena. Part of the Cameroon Line archipelago, Príncipe rises in the south to 948 metres at Pico de Príncipe, in a thickly forested area forming part of the Obo National Park.[2]

The island was uninhabited when discovered by the Portuguese and named "Príncipe" (Prince's island) in honor of Afonso, Prince of Portugal, his father's favorite. Subsequently, the north and centre of the island were made into plantations, most of them formed by Portuguese colonialists using slave labor. These concentrated initially on producing sugar and later on cocoa, becoming the world's greatest cocoa producer.[3] Since independence, these plantations have largely reverted to forest.

Príncipe was the site where Einstein's Theory of Relativity was experimentally proved successful by Arthur Stanley Eddington and his team during the total solar eclipse of May 29, 1919.


The island is part of Pagué District, the only district of Príncipe Province.


Príncipe has one town, Santo António, and an airport (IATA code: PCP, ICAO: FPPR), as well as some villages including Bela Vista, Bombom, Futuro, Neves Ferreira, Paciencia, Ponta Fonte, Ribeira Ize, Santo António de Ureca and Vila Rosa. Few of them are connected to the small road network.


Besides the official language of Portuguese, a local tongue called Principense or Lunguyê and, in some scale, Forro are also spoken.

Twin towns – Sister cities[edit]

Príncipe is twinned with:

In Popular Culture[edit]

Príncipe is featured as a location in the video game Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.


  1. ^ "Satellite View and Map of São Tomé and Príncipe" Nations Online. Retrieved 2014-9-26.
  2. ^ "Príncipe: a haven on earth" Financial Times. Retrieved 2014-9-26.
  3. ^ Pinnock, D & Pinnock, G (2012) Chocolate Island. Africa Geographic. February 2012
  4. ^ "Geminações de Cidades e Vilas". Associação Nacional de Municípios Portugueses (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2013-07-20. 

External links[edit]