1869 Scott 4 25r rose "Portuguese Crown" Quick History St. Thomas and Prince Islands (Sao Tome and Principe) are located about 190 miles (300 kilometers) off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa in the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean, and about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from each other. They are volcanic, and about 30 miles long by 20 miles wide (50 X 30 km), and 20 miles long by 4 miles wide (30 X 6 km), respectively. The climate is hot and humid, and the temperature varies little monthly. The rainy season is October through May. Sao Tome and Principe in the Atlantic Ocean The islands have been under Portuguese control since 1470. Sugar cultivation, using the labor of slaves from Africa, was prominent in the 16th century. By the 17th century, Sao Tome became a transit point for the slave trade. In the 19th century, cocoa was the major export, and remains so today. Although Portugal abolished slavery in 1876, forced labor practices continued throughout the 19th century and the early 20th century. Sao Tome and Principe Sao Tome (the main settlement) is the capital on Sao Tome island, and the population was 60,000 in 1940. ( Most of the population is found on Sao Tome island.) Stamps were introduced in 1869. The subsequent issues follow the Portuguese colonial issue model. The Nationalist movement grew after the 1953 Batepa massacre, when hundreds of native creoles were killed in a clash with the Portuguese landowners. Independence was achieved in 1975. The culture remains a mixture of African and Portuguese influences. Today, Sao Tome and Principe is the second smallest African country (Seychelles is smaller), and is the smallest (in population) of the Portuguese speaking countries. 1887 Scott 15 5r black "King Luiz" Into the Deep Blue The 2014 Scott Classic Specialized 1840-1940 catalogue has, for St. Thomas and Prince Islands 1869-1939, 423 major descriptive numbers. Of those, 229 are CV