São Tomé and Príncipe are two small islands in the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of Central Africa. Geologically, the oldest dated rock dates to 31 million years ago. Until the Portuguese landed on the islands around 1470, they were uninhabited. Today, nearly 200,000 people who call themselves Santomean, but where did these people come from?
After the Portuguese landed on the islands, they saw their location to be beneficial for trading, both across the Atlantic and with the mainland. Attracting settlers was somewhat difficult, so Portugal sent people deemed “undesirable.” The rich volcanic soil, however, proved ideal for agriculture – particularly sugar, coffee and cocoa.
In order to grow these cash crops, the Portuguese settlers imported slaves from other Portuguese colonies on mainland Africa. São Tomé became a key part of the transatlantic slave trade that centered in Elmina, Ghana. Indentured servitude continued on the island long after the international abolition of slavery and the slave trade. This was brought to international attention by John Cadbury who was determined to eliminate slave labor from his chocolate supply.
With these centuries of Portuguese, Angolans, Mozambican, Gabonese, Beninese and Congolese people inhabiting the islands, it is inevitable that a population of people with mixed heritage would grow. Today, these Luso-Africans make up the ethnic majority on the island. When slavery was abolished by Portugal in 1869, freed slaves created their own communities as well. Today, their descendants are called forros and are generally a part of the Luso-African group.
There is an interesting ethnic group in São Tomé called the Angolares. It’s said they are the descendants of the survivors of a slave ship that wrecked in 1570. They’ve had run-ins and clashes with the Portuguese colonizers throughout the years, including a successful slave uprising in 1595. Most of the fishermen on the island are Angolares.
Culturally, the island is a mix of Portuguese and African cultures. Music, food and art all have influences from all the people and their ancestors who brought their way of life with them.