An island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Africa. It consists of two islands: Sao Tome and Principe, located about 140 km apart and about 250 and 225 km respectively, off of the northwestern coast of Gabon. Both islands are part of an extinct volcanic mountain range. Sao Tome and Principe is divided into 2 provinces: Principe, Sao Tome. The provinces are further divided into seven districts, six on Sao Tome and one on Principe (with Principe having self-government since 1995-04-29).