Origins and Ethnic Groups

• Descendants of freed enslaved people and of people of mixed Portuguese-African descent.
• They constitute the culturally dominant group in São Tomé.
• They speak Fôrro, a Portuguese-based creole language.
• Their identity is linked to the history of emancipation and the post-slavery period.
   

• Traditionally associated with a creation myth linked to the sinking of a slave ship.
• A community with strong ties to fishing. 
• They speak Angolar Creole. 
• A culture marked by a history of relative autonomy.
   

They speak Lung’ie Creole.

Starting in the 19th century, São Tomé and Príncipe received large numbers of Africans brought in under contract to work on cocoa and coffee plantations (roças), primarily from:

• Angola

• Cape Verde

• Mozambique

• Guinea-Bissau

• Santo Antão and other islands of Cape Verde (many Cape Verdeans settled permanently on the islands)

Today, their descendants make up a significant portion of the population. 

• A mix of peoples from various regions of Africa.

• European cultural influence, particularly Portuguese.

• Local traditions are strongly preserved, particularly in music (ússua, socopé), cuisine, and social practices.