Formal Name: Republic of Zimbabwe.

History and Government:

The two main African ethnic groups that lived in what was dubbed Rhodesia were the Shonas and Ndebeles. South Africa, under Cecil Rhodes took over the area in 1897. The British took over in 1923. In 1965, the white minority in Rhodesia declared unilateral independence for the country and tried to rule it in apartheid South African style. Africans formed parties and a guerrilla war against the minority, Ian Smith government ensued. In 1980 Africans gained freedom from white rule and Robert Mugabe came to power as the prime minister. A change in the constitution made him president. He is still in office. The president is elected for six-year term of office. He appoints the prime minister from the leading party in parliament. The prime minister runs the government on the day-to-day basis. Parliament is bicameral, House of Assembly and Senate. The country is divided into eight provinces but the provinces lack administrative powers and the government is highly centralized. Since its independence, one party and one president have ruled Zimbabwe. President Robert Mugabe and his Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front have ruled the country. Zimbabwe, like South Africa, has a large white settler community. The later own most of the choice agricultural lands. At present Mugabe is making efforts to expropriate some of that land from White persons and give them to African farmers. This has led to high tension in the country and to Mugabe employing more and more authoritarian means of governance.



CONTEMPORARY HISTORY AND POLITICS


The original people who lived in what is now called Zimbabwe were Khoisans/Bushmen. Bantus migrated to the area during the great Bantu expansion.

In 1888 the British adventurer, Cecil Rhodes, obtained mining rights in what came to be called Southern Rhodesia (after his surname) and thereafter Britain declared the area a protectorate.

Fearing that Britain might give Africans independence, the white settler community under its leader, Ian Smith, declared unilaterally independence in 1965. When all efforts to persuade them to rescind their measures failed, African nationalists went to the bush and the war for intendance started.

Robert Mugabe’s forces and Joshua Nkomo’s forces battled it out with the Rhodesian army. By 1979, it became clear that the guerillas were winning and Ian Smith and his gang brought the British back to rule and negotiate terms of independence for the African majority.

In 1980 Zimbabwe became independent and Robert Mugabe became the prime minister. He quickly got rid of his rival, Joshua Nkomo, and consolidated power in 1982. Mr. Mugabe is still in office in 2006.

Zimbabwe is divided into 8 provinces and two cities with provincial status, and the provinces are further subdivided into 59 districts and 1200 municipalities.

Mugabe finally decided to solve the land issue once and for all. Traditionally, whites had the farms and Africans worked for them. Africans wanted land. Mugabe finally redistributed the land, took it from whites and shared it among Africans, (his cronies). Whites left farming and the agricultural economy collapsed. Now Zimbabwe is a basket case on the verge of starvation.

The mining sector, too, was taken from whites and given to the Chinese, who allegedly gives Mugabe the means to prop himself in office.
Zimbabwe is on the verge of economic collapse unless something is done to change the course of affairs. Clearly, Mugabe was a good freedom fighter but a manager he is not. Zimbabwe needs professional managers to take over from the generation that fought for the country’s independence. The skills necessary for the two vocations are different.

ozodi@africainstituteseattle.org

Formal Name: Republic of Zambia.

In 1888 Cecil Rhodes obtained concession to explore trading in the area now called Zambia and Zimbabwe and thus they came under the British sphere of influence.

Britain ruled Zambia (then called Northern Rhodesia) and gave it independence in 1963. Kenneth Kaunda became the prime minister and the next year when Republican status was attained became the president.

Like other African politicians of his era, Kaunda played the game of single party leadership and was reelected on several occasions. By the 1990s, the movement for multiple party democracies had gathered steam and changes were made to the constitution and MMD candidate for the president, Frederick Chiluba won the 1991 presidential race. He was reelected in 1996 and like his predecessor, tried to toy with the constitution to enable him run for a third term but met vigorous opposition and gave that ambition up. Mr. Mwanawasa was elected the president.

Zambia has a fledgling democracy. It has a presidential system, with a legislature that knows that it is supposed to make laws, and an independent judiciary.

The country is divided into nine provinces and the provinces are further divided into 56 districts.

The economy of Zambia is based on copper mining and agriculture. However, the impact of HIV AIDS appears to be taking its toll on the population and economy, for a healthy labor force is needed to have a healthy economy.
Ozodi@africainstituteseattle.org

Formal Name: Western Sahara.

During the period of Portuguese and Spanish explorations of the Coast of West Africa, they made stops in the area. But it was only in the early twentieth century that the Spanish took control of the area.

In 1974, Spain decided to leave Spanish Sahara. Morocco and Mauritania struggled for ownership of the real estate. Morocco took northern part and Mauritania took the Southern part of Western Sahara.

These external powers, of course, did not ask the local population what they wanted. Power talks! The local population desired independence and formed a militia, POLISARIO and went to war. That war is still unsettled although it appears that Morocco won?

Mauritania, apparently, ran out of energy and resources to continue defending the south and withdraw and Morocco promptly took over the South of Western Sahara.

Morocco made vigorous efforts to show that the land belonged to her. The United Nations got involved and a referendum is supposed to be held to determine the wishes of the 200, 000 plus local Arabs. Morocco uses every subterfuge it can muster to postpone this referendum, and it has not been held. In the meantime, Morocco encourages her population to move into the area, hoping that when, eventually, such referendum is held that the people would decide to be with Morocco.

The economy of Western Sahara is based on fishing and was peace to come, the harnessing of such natural resources as phosphate.

Ozodi@africainstiteseattle.org

Formal Name: Republic of Uganda.

There is evidence of some Arab presence before the coming of Europeans. Be that as it may, however, the modern history of Uganda began with the coming of Europeans in the 19th century.

In the 1860s, British explorers, searching for the source of the Nile, explored what is now called Uganda. In their wake came Protestant and Catholic missionaries. These tried to convert the Kabaka, the king of the Bugandans, who was alleged to engage in gross homosexuality, and had to have sex with men who came o his throne for favors, and were massacred.

In 1894, Britain declared Uganda a protectorate and took control from the British East African company, a company that was hitherto chartered to exercise jurisdiction in the area.
In 1962 Uganda was given independence and Milton Obote became the Prime Minister. Soon, Obote did away with the constitution and declared him the president in 1966.

In 1971 Idi Amin led a military coup that disposed Obote. Amin ruled until 1979 when he was chased out of office with the help of Tanzanian troops. Obote briefly returned to power but was chased out of office by General Tito Okello, who, in turn, was chased away by Yoweri Museveni in 1986.

Mr. Museveni is still in power. Of course, he wrote a constitution calling for multi party participation in elections; of course, he harassed his opponents, jailed them or chased them out of the country, and, of course, he won subsequent elections. That is African politics, of course.

Uganda is divided into 70 districts (within four administrative areas).

The Ugandan economy is beginning to harness the substantial natural resources that the country is blessed with (such as copper, cobalt) and, of course, agriculture. After many years of wars, the economy is settling down to exploiting the utilization of resources.

Regardless of how Museveni got to power and keeps himself in power, if he delivers economic kudos, perhaps, he can be excused? We are talking about Africa and whatever little good comes out of it is appreciated.

Ozodi@africainstituteseattle.org

Formal Name: Republic of Tunisia.

Today most Tunisians are a mix of Arab and Berber and are Muslim and speak Arabic (except pockets of Berber speaking persons scattered in the country).
Like most of Arabia, the Ottoman Turks came calling, too, and ruled the area. The history of modern Tunisia, however, began when the Europeans came along.

In 1878, Britain made a secret deal with France, which permitted France to take over Tunisia while Britain took Cyprus. In 1881 France declared Tunisia a protectorate.

In 1956 France gave Tunisia independence. Habib Bourguiba and his party, RCD ruled for the next twenty five years. In 1987 Zine El Abidine Ben Ali defeated Mr. Bourguiba and became the president; he is still in office.

The president is elected every five years, appoints a prime minister and cabinet, appoints regional governors and essentially rules the country.

Tunisia is divided into 24 governorates, with the central government in Tunis appointing the governors of these local areas.

The economy of Tunisia is largely based on agriculture, mining, and tourism. The manufacturing sector is nascent.

Tunisia is trying to meet the conditions for associating with the European Union. In the meantime, her government is anything but the type of governance found in the EU: democratic. Nevertheless, Tunisia is a stable Arab polity, which means that a strong man is in charge of things.

Ozodi@africainstituteseattle.org

Formal Name: Republic of Togo.

In 1884 Germany colonized Togoland. The Germans turned the territory into plantations for producing coffee and cocoa.

Germany was defeated during the First World War and Togo was divided between France and Britain. In the 1960s, a wind of change was blowing through Africa, calling for the end of European colonialism. The United Nations, the title holder to trust territories, called for there to be a referendum to decide the future of Togoland.

Togolese had a referendum to decide their fate; the West chose to be with Ghana and the East chose independence.

In 1963, Togo had the distinct honor of having the first military coup in independent Africa when President Sylvanus Olympio was toppled by a sergeant, Etienne Eyadema. Eyadema ruled until he died in 2005 and his son, Faure Eyadema, took over.

Initially, there was some sort of opposition to Faure because the constitution had stipulated that upon the death of the president that the speaker of the House would take over and have an election in 60 days to replace him. After much ado about nothing, Eyadema junior resigned and called for an election, which he promptly won.

(With the support of the country’s military, any election could be fixed, if not with 99% voting result, but with 60%; you see, African leaders are not as dumb as they tend to seem; in the past, they used to win by 100%, and that seemed incredulous, so, now they make their winning by only 60%, or something like that, to make it seem credible. Either way, the election is rigged and no one is deceived. Because they are in office illegally there seem nothing illegal when their throats are cut. We are still waiting to hear when Faure’s head is chopped off and another sergeant takes over as the president of Togoland. If you kill to come to power, there certainly is nothing wrong if you are killed by another person desiring power.)

Togo is divided into 5 regions, which are further subdivided into 23 prefectures.

Togo’s economy is largely dependent on the export of cocoa, coffee and cotton and mining of phosphate.

Ozodi@africainstituteseattle.org

Formal Name: Republic of Tanzania.

Tanzania is composed of two former independent states, Tangayika and Zanzibar. The country is divided into twenty-five regions, twenty on the mainland and five on the island of Zanzibar. Each of these administrative divisions has its own governments. At the national level are a president, legislature and independent judiciary. The president tends to be the most powerful of the three branches of government.

CONTEMPORARY HISTORY AND POLITICS


Germany colonized Tanganyika in the 1880s. Germany was defeated during the First World War and Tanganyika was given to Brittan as a mandated territory by the League of Nations. At the end of the Second World War, the United Nations continued that mandate, now called trust territory.

Britain gave Tanganyika independence in 1961. In 1964 Tanganyika united with Zanzibar and changed its name to Tanzania.

Julius Nyerere was elected the country’s first president and he tried to practice what he called African socialism and sent the economy south. Nyerere was easily the best intentioned man on earth but nations are not ruled with good intentions only, but with economic and political realism.

Through it all, the country has managed to keep some form of democracy going. There is a president, a legislature and an independent judiciary. It seems that elections aren’t as rigged, as elsewhere in Africa. Nyerere quit when he had his fill of Ujama and was replaced by his vice president, the former president of Zanzibar. The later has held elections and handed power to a new president.

Tanzania is divided into 26 regions, 21 on the mainland and 5 on the Islands; and further subdivided divided into ninety nine local government areas with their councils.

The Tanzanian economy is still recovering from the shambles that Nyerere’s Ujama socialism produced. The country is now beginning to utilize the market economy to explore her natural resources and attract tourists, build good hotels and roads that tourist would like, and explore its natural gas, and reported gold. Of course, Tanzania needs to develop her agriculture, from subsistence to mechanized, for it is obvious that subsistence farming, primitive farming cannot produce the kind of food needed by a burgeoning population, especially in the urban areas.

Ozod@africainstituteseattle.org

Formal Name: Kingdom of Swaziland.

History and Government:

The king of Swaziland traces his rule to over 400 years. The king appoints a prime minister who governs on day-to-day level. The Swazi kingdom was powerful in the 19th century and controlled a rather large swat of territory than it does today. The Zulu then descended on the Swazis and wrecked havoc before the British finally subdued them. The expanding Boers exerted pressure on the Swazis and expropriated a large portion of their lands and included it into the province of Transvaal. After the British Boer war, Swaziland was made a British protectorate in 1902. In 1964 it regained its independence and is ruled by its king via his prime minister. The country is divided into 4 districts.



CONTEMPORARY HISTORY AND POLITICS


The original people living in what is now called Swaziland were the Khoisan. Bantus swept into the area during the Bantu migration from West Africa. The Country is now primarily made up of Swazi, a Bantu group.

Britain took control of Swaziland after the second Boer war in 1902. In 1968 Britain gave Swaziland independence.
Swaziland is a constitutional monarchy. The King rules and does so through a legislature and prime minister and his council of ministers. The King can sack the parliament, the prime minister and his ministers, as he once did (1968-1973).

The country is divided into four districts

The economy is based on subsistence farming. Swazi essentially go to South Africa to find meaningful work. What money there is in the country is spent maintaining the king, his harem and their expensive luxury cars and palaces, while the rest of the country live in abject poverty. Swaziland has the lowest income per capita in Africa.

Ozodi@africainstituteseattle.org

Formal Name: Republic of Sudan.

Arabs conquered northern Sudan and Africans live in Southern Sudan. The Africans of Southern Sudan are not the Bantus Africans found in the rest of Sub Saharan Africa but Nilotic Africans.

In 1820 Sudan was acquired by Egypt. When Britain became involved in the affairs of Egypt and under the pretext that Egypt was unable to pay her debts seized Egypt, it inherited Sudan.

In 1898 the local Sudanese freedom fighters that fought under the banner of religion and called themselves Madhist were overwhelmed by the superior fire power of Britain and Sudan was finally colonized for Queen and England.

It was clear to the British overlords that the north and south of Sudan were two different countries and Britain managed to run the two regions as if they were different countries. Christian missionaries, for example, were permitted in the South but not in the Muslim north.

In 1956 Britain gave Sudan independence. Immediately the North- South issues came to the fore. The South did not want to be ruled by Muslim north, who had the majority of the people of Sudan. A war ensued. For ten years the North fought the South. Some peace was found, and then it was back to more war.

The North South wars finally concluded (?) in 2005 when the North agreed to give the South semi autonomy. But, then, the leader of the South, John Garang, mysteriously died in a plane accident?

The peace treaty called for a referendum in six years to determine whether the South would separate from Sudan or permanently stay as part of Sudan.

In the meantime, the Arab north, actually Arabicized Africans for some of them look as black as the darkest Dinka, turned their attention to Darfur province.

In 2003 the Arab Janjaweed militia started raiding Darfur villages, chasing the people off their farms and taking the lands over, as they used to do in the South. Refugees poured into Chad, the neighboring country, and Darfur Africans formed their own militia and another war is on. Sudanese troops often chase these freedom fighters into Chad and the later declared a state of war with Sudan.

As if that was not, in Eastern Sudan, by the border with Eretria, Arabs began doing the same thing to the African population, chasing them off their lands, and another war is brewing in Eastern Sudan.

It seems that Sudan would know no peace until the Africans who call themselves Arabs learn to live in harmony with those Africans who do not call themselves Arabs.

Sudan is divided into 26 states and further subdivided into 133 districts.

Oil was recently found in southern Sudan. This complicated matter(s) for the north, apparently, would not like to let go of money from that oil. The current peace treaty specified how revenue from oil would be shared between the north and south.
The problem of Sudan is how to get two cultures, Arabic and African, to coexist? Needless to say that the answer has not been found?

Ozodi@africainstituteseattle.org

Formal Name: Republic of South Africa.

In 1652 the Dutch took over the Cape and used it as a stopping station as they traded with the Asian countries. The Dutch encouraged Dutchmen to settle in the Cape area and plant fruits and vegetables that could be sold to sailors as they passed by, and a substantial European population sprang up. These were mainly farmers and displaced the Africans, mainly Khoisan, around them and took their lands.

The Dutch were soon joined by other Europeans, such as French Huguenots (Protestants) fleeing from the Catholic Church’s repression of Protestants. The expanding Dutch men and other whites confronted the more aggressive Bantus who, unlike the peaceful Hottentots, were not easily pushed out from their lands. Many wars were fought by these whites and Africans, initially with the Xhosa, then Zulus, Swazi etc.

After defeating the Netherland, the British replace her as the naval power of the world. They came calling in 1797 and annexed the Cape Colony in 1805.

The Dutch moved further inland, and thus began what they call the great trek. As they moved inland and formed new colonies they fought with African tribes.

When gold and diamond was discovered in the new Dutch colonies of Transvaal and Orange Free State, the British, again, came calling. Where there is food, vultures are attracted to.

The Dutch, who by now called themselves Afrikaners, tried to resist and the result was the first Boer war, 1880-1881. Power always prevails, so the British defeated them. Where there is wealth there must be power struggle to decide who has access to that wealth. There was another Boer war in 1899-1902, again, the British won but made concessions that permitted the whites to have self rule.

With self rule, the Dutch began implementing their idea of self rule, apartheid. After the end of the First World War, Germany was defeated and her South West African colony was given to British South Africa. The Afrikaners moved into the mandate territory and continued their racialist practices there.

At the end of the Second World War, the Afrikaner Nationalist Party obtained independence from Britain and showed the world what their real intentions were: full blown separation of the races.

The inevitable consequence of apartheid was struggle for the dignity of the black races, so the African National Congress changed from being a talk shop to a fighting army. The struggle lasted long but in 1990 the Afrikaans read the writing on the wall and released Nelson Mantilla from 27 years in prison and negotiated a settlement whereby Mandela became the president and essentially did not dismantle the apartheid economy.

The ANC is in charge of South Africa’s government. Mandela handed power to Mbeki who, by all accounts, is an efficient public manger. (Although his views on the etiology of HIV-AIDS seem far out.)

South Africa is divided into ten provinces, roughly reflecting the major ethnic groups of the country. At the central level is a legislature, a strong president and an independent judiciary.

There is truly democracy in South Africa. However, so far, only one party has ruled post independent South Africa. The true test of democracy is whether the ANC would hand over power to another party were it to be defeated in an election? We shall see.

In the meantime, South Africa’s economy is running smoothly. However, it should be noted that South Africa’s economy is really not an African economy; it is a first world economy. We shall see what happens in the long run when Africans begin to play key roles in the economy, whether the country would degenerate into corruption as is the case in most of black Africa? We shall see.

ozodi@africainstituteseattle.org

Formal Name: Republic of Somalia.

England gave Somalia independence in 1960. A prime minister, Abdullahi Isse, was installed. For a while it seemed that parliamentary democracy would work but in 1969 General Mohamed Siad Barre seized the government and began his dictatorate, which lasted until he was ousted in 1991.

Thereafter, Somalia went into a free fall, as war lords carved the country up and each clan declared its intendance from Somalia. A civil war, or is it a gangs war for the control of sections of the land, ensued and, up to a point, is still going on.

The international community tried to intervene, the United Nations sent in peace keepers (US Army), but the country did not seem to desire peace so it was left to have its fill of fighting and when it desires peace it would do something about it.

The various gangs, for that is what they are, have destroyed every city and economic infrastructure that exists in Somalia.

In 2004, Somalis met in Nairobi, Kenya, and signed a peace treaty and wrote a new constitution on how they were going to govern themselves. That government still has not fully returned to Mogadishu, for the city is still roamed by marauders with AK rifles.

Lately, the Somali marauders have taken to pirating and in speed boats intercede ships going through the Red sea and Indian Ocean. It is total lawlessness in the land.

Those Somalis that can swing it have left the country and left the rest to live in their chosen lawless state. Somalia descended into classic Hobbesian state of nature without government: and life became nasty, brutish and short.

On paper the country is divided into 18 regions, which in turn are subdivided into districts. But in reality there is no functioning government in Somalia. What exist are anarchy, chaos and mayhem.

The Somali economy has been destroyed and there is not much there is to be said about it. In rural areas, however, as before the modern era, there is some farming and herding of life stock going on.

Ozodi@africainstituteseattle.org

Formal Name: Republic of Sierra Leone.

CONTEMPORARY HISTORY AND POLITICS

Sierra Leon was given that name by Portuguese slave traders who used her ports to buy slaves to be sold to the Americas, beginning in the fourteen hundreds.

When the abolitionist movement picked up steam in England, she returned African slaves already living in England to Freetown, Sierra Leon in 1787. Thus modern Sierra Leon began as a country for repatriated slaves from England.

In 1808 Sierra Leon became a crown colony of Britain. Sierra Leon produced some of the best educated Africans during the first part of the 20th century, and those spread all over British West Africa, working as teachers and missionaries. They were very instrumental in educating their fellow Africans, for which all Africa gives them thanks.

In the post Second World War era, Africa experienced a wind of change, with Africans calling for independence from their colonial masters.

Sierra Leon became independent from Britain in 1961 and Sir Milton Margai became the first prime minister of the country. Like other African countries, unfortunately, Sierra Leon degenerated into undemocratic governance.

Beginning in 1991, the country went into civil war for nine years, a war that devastated the country. A peace treaty, signed in 1999, has returned peace to the country. Nigerian led ECOMOG peace keeping forces managed to make the peace stick.

A new constitution was written and elections held and a new government elected in 2002. A new president (Ahmad Tejan Kabbah) was elected, a unicameral legislature of 124 elected and an independent judiciary established. Sierra Leon seems to have turned the corner.

Sierra Leon is divided into three provinces, which are further subdivided into 14 districts.

During the decade long civil war, the economy of Sierra Leon was devastated. Things are gradually returning to normal. Sierra Leon depended on mining industry (diamonds) and is gradually repairing the infrastructure for resuming mining.

With the apparent reduction in official corruption, it was hitherto rampant; it seems that revenue from this vital industry (diamonds) could now be put to good use: developing the country.

Ozodi@africainstituteseattle.org

Formal Name: Republic of Seychelles.

The government of the island calls for an executive president, a unicameral legislature, a National Assembly, and independent judiciary. The president selects a cabinet that must be approved by the legislature

Seychelles is divided into 25 administrative districts.

Seychelles is well governed and attracts foreign investors. In fact, it is the richest country in Africa with a per capita income of US $7, 504.

Seychelles has a well developed tourism industry and is currently trying to diversify and industrialize. Tourism is vulnerable, for example, the 2004 Christmas tsunami in East Asia affected tourism as folks, for a while, were not interested in visiting that part of the world and countries that depend solely on tourist money suffered greatly.

Ozodi@africainstituteseattle.org

Formal Name: Republic of Senegal.

During the scramble for African territory, the French took control of Senegal and ruled it until 1960 when they gave her independence.

Senegal inherited French political institutions and was lucky in electing Leopold Sedar Senghor as their first president. He was the first African head of state that voluntarily retired from office, the rest of them are usually carried out in coffins. Mr. Senghor was replaced by Mr. Abdou Diouf and the later was replaced by Abdoulaye Wade. Thus Senegal has established the tradition of peacefully handing power to elected officials.

Senegal is mostly arid and does not have much going for it economically, except phosphates and some agricultural products. The country, however, is making headways trying to attract industries. Its relative clean government and lack of corruption bodes well for attracting investors, who prefer such clean and stable environments. The GDP is growing at an annual rate of 5% and inflation is down.

Senegal is divided into 11 regions, which in turn are subdivided into districts and communes.

On the whole, Senegal is one of the success stories of Africa. Though it is largely a Moslem country (over 95%), it elected a Christian as its first president, and from all available evidence respected him despite his different religion. This shows maturity, the ability to make judgment on independent grounds, not sentimental grounds: does the leader have what it takes to govern or is he there just because he wants to serve his interests? The leader’s ethnicity should not make a difference in voting for him.

Ozodi@africainstitutreseattle.org

Formal Name: Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe.

Sugar cane planting and harvesting is a labor intensive work and the Portuguese were not interested in that sort of work, so they brought African slaves to do the tedious work. Thus, over time, Africans from Angola to Senegal were brought in as slaves to work in the sugar cane plantations of Sao Tome and Principe.

When the West Indices proved the better source of sugar cane, the Portuguese planted coffee and cocoa on these two islands and brought more African slaves into the island to work in those plantations. The salient point is that the Africans at these islands came from elsewhere and learned to speak Portuguese and broken Portuguese as their new language (some, particularly those from Angola, seem to have retained a form of their original language).

Portugal considered her African territories part of Portugal and did not want to give them independence. Africans formed liberation movements and agitated for independence. In 1974, the brutal dictator that ruled Portugal fell and was replaced by a regime that promised to give independence to Portugal’s African colonies. Thus, in 1975 Sao Tome and Principe became independent and Mr. Manuel Pinto da Costa became the African president.

This government, as elsewhere in Africa, soon turned into a one party rule. But in the 1990s Sao Tome and Principe turned democratic and elected a president democratically. In 2003, however, complaining that there is too much corruption in the land, the military struck and removed the elected president, Mr. de Menezes. But Sao Tome apparently had turned the corner and folks were not ready to accept unelected military rule and refused to accept the military junta. The junta returned de Menezes to office.

Sao Tome and Principe appears on the road to real democracy, with many political parties competing for political offices and the government being transparent and less corrupt.


The country is divided into two provinces (Sa Tome and Principe), and further divided into seven districts.

The economy of this little country is based on exporting coffee and cocoa and therefore is dependent on world commodity market and its wild fluctuations.

Oil was recently found and revenue from it is helping fuel economic development.

Ozod@africainstituteseattle.org