Príncipe
Also known as Principe island
Príncipe (; ) is the smaller, northern major island of the country of São Tomé and Príncipe lying off the west coast of Africa in the Gulf of Guinea. It has an area of (including offshore islets) and a population of 7,324 at the 2012 Census; the latest official estimate (at May 2018) was 8,420. 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 947 metres at Pico do Príncipe. The island
AI overview
Príncipe is the smaller of two major islands that make up the African nation of São Tomé and Príncipe, located in the Gulf of Guinea off West Africa's coast. The island is notable as a heavily eroded volcano that is over three million years old and is home to a small population of around 8,400 people.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Islands.name
- Príncipe
- Islands.image_name
- Tp-map.png
- Islands.image_caption
- Map of São Tomé and Príncipe with Príncipe island near the right top corner
- Islands.location
- Gulf of Guinea
- Islands.archipelago
- Cameroon line
- Islands.area_km2
- 136
- Islands.elevation_m
- 947
- Islands.highest_mount
- Pico de Príncipe
- Islands.country
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- Islands.country_admin_divisions_title
- Districts
- Islands.country_admin_divisions
- 1 (Pagué)
- Islands.country_capital
- Santo António
~6 min read
Article
10 sectionsContents
- History
- Settlements
- Demographics
- Nature
- Some endemic animals
- Ecological reserve
- Notable people
- Gallery
- References
- External links
Príncipe (; ) is the smaller, northern major island of the country of São Tomé and Príncipe lying off the west coast of Africa in the Gulf of Guinea. It has an area of (including offshore islets) and a population of 7,324 at the 2012 Census; the latest official estimate (at May 2018) was 8,420. 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 947 metres at Pico do Príncipe. The island is the main constituent of the Autonomous Region of Príncipe, established in 1995, and of the coterminous district of Pagué.
==History== thumb|Entrance to the harbour of Principe, from a 1727 engraving: the accompanying text was, This Island is very Woody and breeds abundance of Monkeys, insomuch that it is not safe to walk in the Woods without a gun. The harbour is very convenient to Careen Ships in, and most Ships Bound from Africa to America with Slaves put in here for Food, Water etc." The island was uninhabited when discovered by the Portuguese on 17 January 1471 and was first named after Saint Anthony ("Ilha de Santo Antão"). Later the island was renamed Príncipe ("Prince's [Island]") by King John II of Portugal in honour of his son Afonso, Hereditary Prince of Portugal (1475–1491). The first settlement, the town Santo António, was founded in 1502. Subsequently, the north and centre of the island were made into plantations by Portuguese colonists abusing slave labor. These concentrated initially on producing sugar and after 1822 on cocoa, becoming the world's greatest cocoa producer. Since independence, these exploitative plantations have largely reverted to forest.
Gallery (14)
On the map
3 mapped locations