Santo António

Santo António (Portuguese for Saint Anthony), also known as Santo António do Príncipe, is the main settlement of the island of Príncipe in São Tomé and Príncipe. It lies on the north east coast. It is the capital of the Autonomous Region of Príncipe. Its population is 2,620 (2012), about 35% of the island's population.[1] The town is known for its colonial architecture and for its churches: Church of Our Lady of the Conception and Church of Our Lady of the Rosary.[2] The town is also known for the Auto das Floripes play, which is performed by the citizens.[3]

For other uses, see Santo António (disambiguation).

Santo António
Town
Santo António, São Tomé and Príncipe
Santo António
Location on Príncipe Island
Santo António
Santo António (São Tomé and Príncipe)
Coordinates: 1°38′12″N 7°25′04″E
CountrySão Tomé and Príncipe
Autonomous RegionPríncipe
Population
 (2012)
 • Total2,620
Time zoneUTC+1 (WAT)

History
Historical population
YearPop.±%
2001[1] 1,010—    
2012[1] 2,620+159.4%

The town Santo António was founded in 1502, and was a centre of sugarcane cultivation.[2] In 1695, the Fort of Ponta da Mina was built at the entrance of the bay of Santo António. Town and fortress were destroyed by French privateers in 1706.[2] From 1753 until 1852, it was the colonial capital of Portuguese São Tomé and Príncipe.[4]

Climate

Santo António has a tropical savanna climate, with little temperature variation year round. The average temperature is 24.8 degrees Celsius. The average annual precipitation is 1872 mm, with the least precipitation in July and the most in October.[5]

Climate data for Santo Antonio
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 29.0
(84.2)		 29.6
(85.3)		 29.6
(85.3)		 29.4
(84.9)		 28.8
(83.8)		 27.6
(81.7)		 26.8
(80.2)		 27.1
(80.8)		 27.4
(81.3)		 27.5
(81.5)		 28.2
(82.8)		 28.6
(83.5)		 28.3
(82.9)
Daily mean °C (°F) 25.5
(77.9)		 24.8
(76.6)		 25.8
(78.4)		 25.8
(78.4)		 25.4
(77.7)		 24.2
(75.6)		 23.5
(74.3)		 23.8
(74.8)		 24.3
(75.7)		 24.4
(75.9)		 24.8
(76.6)		 25.2
(77.4)		 24.8
(76.6)
Average low °C (°F) 22.0
(71.6)		 20.0
(68.0)		 22.0
(71.6)		 22.1
(71.8)		 21.9
(71.4)		 20.7
(69.3)		 20.2
(68.4)		 20.4
(68.7)		 21.2
(70.2)		 21.4
(70.5)		 21.4
(70.5)		 21.8
(71.2)		 21.2
(70.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 113
(4.4)		 105
(4.1)		 186
(7.3)		 233
(9.2)		 229
(9.0)		 89
(3.5)		 21
(0.8)		 36
(1.4)		 146
(5.7)		 398
(15.7)		 174
(6.9)		 142
(5.6)		 1,872
(73.7)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) 14 11 16 18 18 7 14 12 21 25 18 14 188
Average relative humidity (%) 88 86 86 87 88 83 83 83 86 89 88 87 86
Source: Deutscher Wetterdienst[5]

Transportation
Santo António, Capital of Príncipe Island

Príncipe Airport lies 3 km north of the town. It offers flights to São Tomé International Airport six times weekly on Africa's Connection STP.[6]

Sports

The town has the only sports facility on the island, Estádio Regional 13 de Junho. The facility is home to the football clubs Sporting Clube do Príncipe and GD Os Operários.[7]

International relations

Santo António is twinned with:

References
  1. São Tomé and Príncipe, www.citypopulation.de
  2. Santo António, Heritage of Portuguese Influence
  3. Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, Heritage of Portuguese Influence
  4. McKenna, Amy (2011). The History of Central and Eastern Africa. The Rosen Publishing Group. p. 73. ISBN 9781615303229 – via Google Books.
  5. "Klimatafel von Santo Antonio / Insel Principe / Sao Tomé und Principe" (PDF). Baseline climate means (1961-1990) from stations all over the world (in German). Deutscher Wetterdienst. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  6. STP Airways Website
  7. Estádio Regional 13 De Junho, zerozero.pt
  8. Geminações de Cidades e Vilas
  9. "Geminações de Cidades e Vilas". Associação Nacional de Municípios Portugueses (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2013-07-20.
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