São Tomé
| São Tomé | |||
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| City | |||
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 São Tomé location in São Tomé and Príncipe |
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| Coordinates: 0°20′10″N 6°40′53″E / 0.33611°N 6.68139°E | |||
| Country |
 São Tomé and Príncipe
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| Province | São Tomé Province | ||
| District | Água Grande | ||
| Founded | 1485 | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 17 km2 (7 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 137 m (449 ft) | ||
| Population (2008) | |||
| • Total | 56,945 | ||
| • Density | 3,300/km2 (8,700/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | UTC (UTC+0) | ||
| Area code(s) | +239-11x-xxxx through 14x-xxxx | ||
São Tomé is the capital city of São Tomé and Príncipe and is by far the nation's largest town. Its name is Portuguese for "Saint Thomas". The population of its agglomeration is 56,945 (2008 est.).
São Tomé was founded by Alvaro Caminha in 1493. The Portuguese came to São Tomé in search of land to grow sugar. The island was uninhabited before the arrival of the Portuguese sometime around 1470. São Tomé was right on the equator and wet enough to grow sugar in wild abundance. Its proximity to the African Kingdom of Kongo provided an eventual source of slave labourers to work the sugar plantations. São Tomé is centred on a sixteenth-century cathedral. Another early building is Fort São Sebastião, built in 1575 and now the São Tomé National Museum. On July 9, 1595, Rei Amador and most of the slaves took part in the Angolar revolt that took place on July 9 1595 where they marched into the capital and were subjugated a year later. Not long after in 1599, the city as well as the islands were taken by the Dutch for two days and again in 1641 for a year. It was the capital of the Portuguese colony of São Tomé and Príncipe and, since São Tomé and Príncipe's independence in 1975, capital of the sovereign nation.
São Tomé is located at 0°20′10″N 6°40′53″E / 0.33611°N 6.68139°ECoordinates: 0°20′10″N 6°40′53″E / 0.33611°N 6.68139°E.
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