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S茫o Tom茅 and Pr铆ncipe, one of the smallest African countries, is located on the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean. It has a total area of around 1,001 sq. km and a coastline of about 209 km. As observed in the physical map of the country, it has two major islands, S茫o Tom茅 and Pr铆ncipe from where the name of the country is derived. These islands are separated by a distance of around 181.55 km and are surrounded by many smaller islands forming archipelagos. Being an island nation, it shares no land borders but is in close proximity to Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.听

S茫o Tom茅 is the largest island in the country and is located just above the equator as visible on the map above. It is more mountainous than Pr铆ncipe. The highest peak here (Pico de S茫o Tom茅) is at 2,024 m which is also the highest point in the country. The highest point on聽Pr铆ncipe is at 948 m. Both islands are part of a long-extinct volcanic range.听At 0 m, the Atlantic Ocean is the lowest elevation in the country.

Rivers and lakes are nearly non-existent on each island but there is an abundance of small streams and creeks that wind across the country. S茫o Tom茅 and Pr铆ncipe both have a generally wet and hot climate with the average yearly temperature being around 27 掳C (80.6 掳F) and with an average annual rainfall of 5,000 mm (196.9 in). The rainy season lasts between October to May.听

Smaller islands observed on the map are Tinhosa Islands, Illheu das Cabras, and Illheu das Rolas. Tinhosa Islands are part of UNESCO's Island of Pr铆ncipe Biosphere Reserve. Illheu das Cabras is a small island with two hills and a lighthouse to the northeast of S茫o Tom茅. Illheu das Rolas, located off the southern tip of S茫o Tom茅 is also an uninhabited island.

Districts of Sao Tome and Principe Map

S茫o Tom茅 and Pr铆ncipe has six administrative districts. They are 脕gua Grande, Cantagalo, Cau茅, Lemb谩, Lobata, and M茅-Z贸chi. All of them are located on the island of S茫o Tom茅. The Pr铆ncipe island had only one district since 1980 called Pagu茅 but in 1995, it was replaced by the Autonomous Region of Pr铆ncipe. With an area of 267 sq.km, Cau茅 is the biggest district in the country but the least populous one. Covering only 16.5 sq.km,聽脕gua Grande is the country's smallest district but the most populated one. Its capital聽S茫o Tom茅 is also聽the national capital.

Where is Sao Tome and Principe?

The island country of Sao Tome and Principe is located in the Gulf of Guinea off Central Africa's western equatorial coast. As observed in the location map, the country straddles the equator with territories on both sides of the equator. In terms of its longitudinal location, it is in the Eastern Hemisphere. It has two main islands Sao Tome and Principe, each surrounded by numerous small islands to form two archipelagos.

Regional Maps: Map of Africa