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/Qyzylorda |
Standard Time GMT / UTC |
UTC+5 |
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.
Otrar, located in the Türkistan region of southern Kazakhstan, is an important ancient city site on the Silk Road. The city was a trade and cultural center of medieval Central Asia and witnessed the exchange and fusion of eastern and western civilizations. The ruins of the ancient city of Almaty, with its surviving archaeological remains such as adobe walls and building foundations, have been inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage Tentative List.
Historically, Almaty is famous for the "Almaty Incident" of 1218, in which the local governor killed a Mongol caravan, directly triggering Genghis Khan's western expedition. Today there is an archaeological museum displaying excavated pottery, coins and other artifacts. A project to preserve the "Blackmaila-Karatau" cultural landscape is under way in the surrounding area, making it an important destination for the study of Central Asian history and the Silk Road.