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 |
Asia/Damascus |
Standard Time GMT / UTC |
UTC+3 |
Daylight Saving Time |
UTC+3 |
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.
Hama is an important city in western Syria, located on the banks of the Orontes River and is the capital of Hama Province. Dating back to the Bronze Age, the historic city was known in ancient times as "Hamat" and was once a trading hub on the Silk Road. Famous for its spectacular Norias waterwheels, these 2,000-year-old wooden waterwheels are a symbol of Hama and were declared a World Heritage Site in 2011. Historically, Hama was a fusion of Assyrian, Roman and Arab civilizations, and boasts monuments such as the Great Mosque. An agricultural center that produces cotton, olives, and grains, Hama is rebuilding itself to its former vitality after the 2011 Syrian crisis, which saw intense conflict and damage to the city's facilities.