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 |
America/Havana |
Standard Time GMT / UTC |
UTC-5 |
Daylight Saving Time |
UTC-4 |
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.
Matanzas is the capital of the western Cuban province of Matanzas, about 100 kilometers east of Havana, and is known as the "Cuban Athens" and the "City of Bridges". The city has a rich cultural heritage and was a center of literature and art in the 19th century, producing many famous poets and writers. Built on the sea, the city's white sandy beaches and colonial architecture of Casilda Bay are a testament to the city's history, with landmarks such as the Teatro Sofia Iberville and the Cathedral of Jehovah. In addition, Matanzas is an important sugar-producing region in Cuba, and the multicultural flavors of the local specialty, ahiacó stew, attract visitors to this "cradle of Cuban culture".