Mittwoch, 4. April 2012

In the early 19th century coffee and cacao were introduced in islands of Sao Tomé and Principe. The rich volcanic soils proved well suited to the new cash crop industry, and soon extensive plantations, known as "roças", owned mainsly by Portuguese companies, occupied almost all of the good farmland. By 1908, São Tomé had become the world's largest producer of cocoa, which remains the country's most important crop.



The roças system, which gave the plantation managers a high degree of authority, led to abuses against the African farm workers.
 After a period of transitional government, São Tomé and Príncipe achieved independence on July 12, 1975. All Portuguese companies leave the island sudently.
Today, buildings are still there, with no one who really take care of it.



Pictures are visible in the folder "Around the world".