In 1470, Portuguese explorers, João de Santarém and Pêro Escobar discovered the islands uninhabited.

São Tomé and Príncipe became important staging post for the Atlantic slave trade.

[2] In 1972, a São Toméan nationalist political party, the Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe (MLSTP), was created by exiles based in Equatorial Guinea with the intent of creating an independent nation.

In November 1974, their representatives met with members of the MLSTP in Algiers and worked out an agreement for the transfer of sovereignty.

[1] In September 2022, Portugal and São Tomé and Príncipe signed a new cooperation agreement for defence, bolstering training and maritime security.