has to
import all fuels, most manufactured goods, consumer goods, and a
significant amount of food. Over the years, it has been unable to
service its external debt and has had to depend on concessional aid
and debt rescheduling. Considerable potential exists for development
of a tourist industry, and the government has taken steps to expand
facilities in recent years. The government also has attempted to
reduce price controls and subsidies, but economic growth has remained
sluggish.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $149 million (1995 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 2.6% (1995 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,000 (1995 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture : 28%
industry: 14%
services: 58% (1994 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 38% (1994 est.)

Labor force: most of population mainly engaged in subsistence
agriculture and fishing; there are shortages of skilled workers

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget:
revenues: $58 million
expenditures: $114 million, including capital expenditures of $54
million (1993 est.)

Industries: light construction, textiles, soap, beer; fish processing;
timber

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - capacity: 6,000 kW (1991)

Electricity - production: 12 million kWh (1991)

Electricity - consumption per capita: NA kWh

Agriculture - products: cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, copra,
cinnamon, pepper, coffee, bananas, papaya, beans; poultry; fish

Exports:
total value: $7.8 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
commodities: cocoa 85%-90%, copra, coffee, palm oil
partners: Netherlands 75.7%, Germany 1.2%, Portugal 1.1%

Imports:
total value : $26.2 million (c.i.f., 1995 est.)
commodities: machinery and electrical equipment, food products,
petroleum products
partners: Portugal 32.2%, France 16.8%, Belgium 6.6%, Japan, Angola

Debt - external: $250 million (1995 est.)

Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA

Currency: 1 dobra (Db) = 100 centimos

Exchange rates: dobras (Db) per US$1 - 2,500 (November 1996), 1,610
(May 1995), 129.59 (1 July 1993), 230 (1992), 260.0 (November 1991)

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Sao Tome and Principe:Communications

Telephones: 2,200 (1986 est.)

Telephone system:
domestic: minimal system
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0

Radios: 33,000 (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 1 (1992 est.)

Telev