Sao Tome and Principe

The islands were first settled by Portuguese navigators in the late-15th century, and were formally annexed to the Portuguese crown 100 years later. They became a major transhipment center for the slave trade until 1875 when slavery was abolished. Then a system +show all of contract labor was introduced, which brought in people from other African countries to work on the plantations. There was, however, little improvement in the conditions of the black population and there were a number of rebellions against the Portuguese colonists over the years. It was not until 1975, following the fall of President Salazar in Portugal, that the nationalist movement, the Movimento de Libertação de São Tomé e Príncipe (MLSTP), finally forced the Portuguese government to grant it independence. -show less