Time Zone |
Africa/Sao_Tome |
Standard Time GMT / UTC |
UTC+0 |
Daylight Saving Time |
Daylight saving time is not observed in the current region. |
Time Zone |
Pacific/Efate |
Standard Time GMT / UTC |
UTC+11 |
Daylight Saving Time |
Daylight saving time is not observed in the current region. |
São Tomé and Príncipe is an island country in west-central Africa, consisting of the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe and the surrounding islets, with the capital, São Tomé, located in the northeastern part of São Tomé. Located on the Gulf of Guinea, about 200 kilometers from the African continent, the country was colonized by Portugal in the 15th century and became independent in 1975, with Portuguese as the official language and an economy based on agriculture (cocoa, palm oil) and tourism. It should be noted that "Java" is not a city or region of the country; Java is the main island of Indonesia, with cities such as Jakarta and Surabaya, and has nothing to do with São Tomé and Príncipe, possibly due to a confusion of names.
Ambae Island is an island in the northern part of the Republic of Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean, under the jurisdiction of the Pentecost District. It is a volcanic island with an area of about 402 square kilometers, the highest point is the Manaro volcano, and the island is covered with dense tropical rainforest and has a unique ecosystem.
The island of Ouba is located in the Pacific Rim Volcanic Belt, and the Manaro Volcano is an active volcano, the 2018 eruption had led to the emergency evacuation of the entire island. The island is dotted with volcanic lakes, black sand beaches and waterfall landscapes, with significant differences between the east and west coastlines, with the east being wet and rainy and the west relatively dry.
There are about 10,000 inhabitants on the island, mainly living in coastal villages and making a living through subsistence farming and fishing. Traditional culture is well preserved, with the clan system and kava ceremonies still in place. Fifteen local dialects are spoken and the Bislama language is commonly used. Specialty activities include land diving (Naghol) ceremonies in their original form.
It can be reached by transferring to a small boat through Luganville airport, with a simple infrastructure. The main attractions are volcano trekking, traditional village visits and coral reef diving. Travel is subject to warnings of volcanic activity and tropical cyclones during the rainy season (November-April).