Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe is a twin-island republic in the Bight of Benin (where "there's one that comes out for forty goes in"). Like the Cape Verdes, these islands were formerly governed from Portugal, and Portugeuse Creole is the lingua franca.
These islands lie exactly on the equator and the weather is therefore hot and sultry. In the dry season it rains hard every afternoon and often during the night too. In the wet season it just rains without cease. The vegetation is lush and prolific - and so are the mosquitoes. Malaria is the leading cause of death, not just for the white men of the rhyme (above) but also for the local people.
