Autonomous Region of Príncipe
autonomous region in Sao Tome and Principe
The Autonomous Region of Príncipe (Portuguese: Região Autónoma do Príncipe) is an autonomous administrative division of the Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe. Established on 29 April 1995, it covers the island of Príncipe and a number of small uninhabited islands around it, with an area of 142 km2 (55 sq mi) in total. As defined by the constitution of São Tomé and Príncipe, the Autonomous Region of Príncipe has a Regional Assembly and a Regional Government. Its population was 7,324 at the 2012 census; the latest official estimate was 8,420. It is coextensive with and consists of a single district: Pagué. Its seat is the town Santo António.
Islands
The main island of the autonomous region is Príncipe. Smaller offshore islets are:
Ilhéu Bom Bom
Ilhéu Caroço
Tinhosa Grande
Tinhosa Pequena
History
In 1995, a few years after the country's democratic transition, Príncipe became an autonomous region. The island's first regional government was elected in the same year. The central government's failure to hold any local election in the years thereafter caused another popular protest in June 2006 that forced Príncipe's regional government to step down.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Autonomous Region of Príncipe” as autonomous region in Sao Tome and Principe. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as autonomous region in Sao Tome and Principe. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 15, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2366966. Authority coordinates are 1.617, 7.400. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1995, 2012 and 2006.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Autonomous Region of Príncipe”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Autonomous Region of Príncipe primary sources, Autonomous Region of Príncipe archive and Autonomous research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Autonomous Region of Príncipe”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Autonomous Region of Príncipe” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.