The Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Principe consists of two main islands that form part of a chain of extinct volcanoes and both are fairly mountainous. They are situated in the Gulf of Guinea, straddling the Equator, west of mainland Gabon.
Illa de São Tomé is 50 kilometers long and 32 kilometers wide and the more mountainous of the two islands. Its peaks reach just over 2,024 meters. Principe is smaller at about 30 kilometers long and 6 kilometers wide.
The capital city is São Tomé. Other major towns include Neves and Santa Cruz on Illa de São Tomé and Santo Antonio on Ilha do Principe.