Príncipe
Encyclopedia
Príncipe is the northern and smaller of the two major islands of the country of São Tomé and Príncipe
lying off the west coast of Africa. It has an area of 136 km² and a population of approximately 5,000. The island is a heavily eroded volcano over three million years old, surrounded by other smaller islands including Ilheu Bom Bom
, Ilhéu Caroço
, Tinhosa Grande
and Tinhosa Pequena
. Príncipe rises in the south to 948 metres at Pico de Príncipe
, in a thickly forest
ed area forming part of the Obo National Park
. The north and centre of the island were formerly plantation
s, most of them formed by Portuguese colonialists using slave labor
and concentrated on producing sugar, but have since largely reverted to forest.
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 Antonio de Ureca, and Vila Rosa - few of them connected to the small road network. The island forms one province
and one district
named Pagué
. Besides the official language of Portuguese
, a local tongue called Principense
or Lunguyê and some Forro
is also spoken.
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
.
São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipe, officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is a Portuguese-speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. It consists of two islands: São Tomé and Príncipe, located about apart and about , respectively, off...
lying off the west coast of Africa. It has an area of 136 km² and a population of approximately 5,000. The island is a heavily eroded volcano over three million years old, surrounded by other smaller islands including Ilheu Bom Bom
Ilheu Bom Bom
Ilhéu Bom Bom, also Ilhéu Bombom is an island in the Gulf of Guinea. The islet is located north of the coast of the island of Príncipe, one of the main islands of São Tomé and Príncipe. The island includes a couple of tourist resorts in São Tomé and Príncipe....
, Ilhéu Caroço
Ilhéu Caroço
Ilhéu Caroço is an island in the Gulf of Guinea and is one of the smaller islands of São Tomé and Príncipe. The islet is located southeast of the island of Príncipe....
, Tinhosa Grande
Tinhosa Grande
Tinhosa Grande is an islet in São Tomé and Príncipe located northeast of the main island of São Tomé and approximately southwest of the island of Príncipe...
and Tinhosa Pequena
Tinhosa Pequena
Tinhosa Pequena is an islet in São Tomé and Príncipe located northeast of the main island of São Tomé and approximately southwest of the island of Príncipe...
. Príncipe rises in the south to 948 metres at Pico de Príncipe
Pico de Príncipe
Pico de Príncipe is a mountain on the island of Príncipe, the smaller of the two inhabited islands of São Tomé and Príncipe. The elevation of the mountain is generally given as , making it the highest peak on the island, but a trip to the peak in 1999 found that it may be lower than that, making...
, in a thickly forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
ed area forming part of the Obo National Park
Obo National Park
Obo National Park is a national park of São Tomé and Príncipe, covering some 235 km² of Sao Tomé in its south and 65 km² of the island of Príncipe. The national park is known internationally amongst conservationists for its biologically rich dense virgin rainforests...
. The north and centre of the island were formerly plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
s, most of them formed by Portuguese colonialists using slave labor
Slavery in Africa
-Chattel slavery:Chattel slavery was the type of slavery practiced in the Americas during the time of the Atlantic slave trade.Slaves were used as workers for Americans.-Pawnship:...
and concentrated on producing sugar, but have since largely reverted to forest.
Príncipe has one town, Santo António, and an airport
Príncipe Airport
Príncipe Airport is an airport on the island of Príncipe, located north of Santo António the island's capital. It is the only airport on Príncipe and one of the three airports serving São Tomé and Príncipe.- Facilities :...
(IATA code
IATA airport code
An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier, IATA station code or simply a location identifier, is a three-letter code designating many airports around the world, defined by the International Air Transport Association...
: PCP, ICAO
ICAO airport code
The ICAO airport code or location indicator is a four-character alphanumeric code designating each airport around the world. These codes are defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization, and published in ICAO Document 7910: Location Indicators.The ICAO codes are used by air traffic...
: FPPR), as well as some villages including Bela Vista, Bombom
Bombom, São Tomé and Príncipe
Bombom is a village in the northern part of the island of Príncipe in São Tomé and Príncipe. Bombom is located north of the island and the provincial capital Santo António.Bombom has a small school and a church....
, Futuro, Neves Ferreira
Neves Ferreira, São Tomé and Príncipe
Neves Ferreira is a village in the southern part of the island of Príncipe in São Tomé and Príncipe. Neves Ferreira is located south of the island capital of Santo António.Neves Ferreira has a small school and a church.-External links:...
, Paciencia, Ponta Fonte, Ribeira Ize, Santo Antonio de Ureca, and Vila Rosa - few of them connected to the small road network. The island forms one province
Provinces of São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipe is divided into 2 provinces:São Tomé – The province is made up of the equatorial Atlantic island of São Tomé and is home to an overwhelming majority of the nations citizens with an estimated population in 2004 of 133,600 out of the total 139,000.Príncipe – This province covers...
and one district
Districts of São Tomé and Príncipe
||São Tomé and Príncipe's two provinces are divided into seven administrative districts. Six are located on the main island of São Tomé while one covers the smaller island of Príncipe...
named Pagué
Pagué District
Pagué is the single district of Príncipe Province. Out of the seven districts that make up the equatorial Atlantic islands of São Tomé and Príncipe, its population is the smallest with approximately 5,400 residents. Its capital, Santo António , is also the provincial capital of Príncipe...
. Besides the official language of Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
, a local tongue called Principense
Principense language
The Principense language, called lunguyê by its speakers, is a Portuguese creole spoken in a community of some four thousand people in São Tomé and Príncipe, specifically on the island of Príncipe , according to a 1989 study...
or Lunguyê and some Forro
Forro language
Forro is a Portuguese-based creole language spoken in São Tomé and Príncipe.The name means "freed slave" in Portuguese. The language is also called crioulo santomense. It should not be confused with the dialect of Portuguese spoken in São Tomé and Príncipe.- History :São Tomé is an island of the...
is also spoken.
Príncipe was the site where Einstein's
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
Theory of Relativity
Theory of relativity
The theory of relativity, or simply relativity, encompasses two theories of Albert Einstein: special relativity and general relativity. However, the word relativity is sometimes used in reference to Galilean invariance....
was experimentally proved successful by Arthur Stanley Eddington
Arthur Stanley Eddington
Sir Arthur Stanley Eddington, OM, FRS was a British astrophysicist of the early 20th century. He was also a philosopher of science and a popularizer of science...
and his team during the total solar eclipse of May 29, 1919
Solar eclipse of May 29, 1919
A total solar eclipse occurred on May 29, 1919. With a maximum duration of totality of 6 minutes 51 seconds, it was one of the longest solar eclipses of the 20th century. It was visible throughout most of South America and Africa as a partial eclipse...
.