Faroe Islands vs São Tomé and Principe
Faroe Islands is 40% larger than São Tomé and Principe.
Faroe IslandsSão Tomé and PrincipeFaroe Islands moved onto São Tomé and Principe · Equal-area projection
1.4×
Faroe Islands is 1.4× the area of São Tomé and Principe.
 Faroe Islands |  São Tomé and Principe | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | ||
| AreaFaroe Islands: 1.4× the area | 1,399 km² | 1,001 km²#171 of 194 |
| Coastline | Coast, no land border | Coast, no land border |
| Land neighbours | 0 | 0 |
| People | ||
| PopulationSão Tomé and Principe: 4.38× the population | 54,9002025 | 240,254#175 of 194 · 2025 |
| DensitySão Tomé and Principe: 6.12× the density | 39 / km² | 240 / km²#42 of 194 |
| Urban populationSão Tomé and Principe: 1.75× the urban share | 40%2025 | 69%#78 of 192 · 2025 |
| Fertility rateSão Tomé and Principe: 1.88× the births per woman | 1.91 per woman2024 | 3.60 per woman#39 of 192 · 2024 |
| Population growthSão Tomé and Principe: 1.51 points higher | +0.47%2025 | +1.98%#49 of 192 · 2025 |
| Birth rateSão Tomé and Principe: 2.6× the birth rate | 10.8 per 1,0002024 | 28.1 per 1,000#38 of 192 · 2024 |
| Death rateFaroe Islands: 1.49× the death rate | 8.2 per 1,0002024 | 5.5 per 1,000#156 of 192 · 2024 |
| Children under 15São Tomé and Principe: 17.6 points higher | 19.9%2025 | 37.5%#38 of 192 · 2025 |
| People over 65Faroe Islands: 13.9 points higher | 17.8%2025 | 3.9%#144 of 192 · 2025 |
| Net migrationFaroe Islands: 9.7 per 1,000 higher | +7.0 per 1,0002025 | −2.7 per 1,000#156 of 192 · 2025 |
| Refugees abroad | — | 0.03 per 1,000#138 of 190 · 2025 |
| Health & education | ||
| Life expectancyFaroe Islands: 13.2 years longer | 83.1 years2024 | 69.9 years#131 of 192 · 2024 |
| Infant mortality | — | 9.2 per 1,000 births#114 of 191 · 2024 |
| Doctors | — | 0.46 per 1,000#130 of 178 · 2022 |
| Human Development Index | — | 0.637#138 of 190 · 2023 |
| Economy | ||
| GNI per capitaFaroe Islands: 19.2× the income per person | $73,1202024 | $3,800#128 of 185 · 2025 |
| GDPFaroe Islands: 4.13× the economy | $4.05B2024 | $981M2025 |
| Income group | High income | Lower-middle income |
| GDP per capita (PPP)Faroe Islands: 12.9× the output per person | $82,0892024 | $6,388#144 of 184 · 2025 |
| GDP growthSão Tomé and Principe: 0.2 points higher | +0.8%2024 | +1.0%#156 of 187 · 2025 |
| Inflation | — | +11.0%#21 of 176 · 2025 |
| Unemployment | — | 9.1%#40 of 178 · 2025 |
| Extreme poverty | — | 13.0%#42 of 149 · 2017 |
| Income inequality (Gini) | — | 40.7#33 of 149 · 2017 |
| Jobs in agriculture | — | 12.1% of jobs#102 of 178 · 2025 |
| Jobs in industry | — | 22.5% of jobs#59 of 178 · 2025 |
| Jobs in services | — | 65.4% of jobs#68 of 178 · 2025 |
| Foreign investment | — | 10.5% of GDP#15 of 184 · 2025 |
| ExportsFaroe Islands: 41.3 points higher | 54.6% of GDP2024 | 13.3% of GDP#153 of 168 · 2025 |
| Internet users | — | 59%#136 of 184 · 2024 |
| Mobile subscriptionsFaroe Islands: 1.71× the mobile subscriptions | 106 per 1002022 | 62 per 100#171 of 191 · 2024 |
| Energy & environment | ||
| Forest areaSão Tomé and Principe: 576× the forest share | 0% of land2024 | 58% of land#33 of 192 · 2024 |
| CO₂ per personSão Tomé and Principe: 15.8× the CO₂ per person | 0.04 t a year2024 | 0.63 t a year#142 of 185 · 2024 |
| Renewable energySão Tomé and Principe: 34.6 points higher | 7.9%2022 | 42.5%#56 of 190 · 2022 |
| Access to electricityFaroe Islands: 22.3 points higher | 100.0%2024 | 77.7%#149 of 192 · 2024 |
| Air pollution (PM2.5) | — | 15.1 µg/m³#115 of 191 · 2023 |
| Protected landSão Tomé and Principe: 29.3 points higher | 2.4% of land2025 | 31.7% of land#27 of 191 · 2025 |
| Arable landSão Tomé and Principe: 4.1 points higher | 0.1% of land2024 | 4.2% of land#135 of 190 · 2024 |
| Water stress | — | 1.9%#149 of 176 · 2022 |
| Precipitation | — | 3,200 mm#2 of 180 · 2022 |
| Governance & safety | ||
| Political stability | — | +0.55#65 of 193 · 2025 |
| Control of corruption | — | +0.13#75 of 193 · 2025 |
| State | ||
| Status | Territory of Denmark | Independent state |
| Government | Dependent territoryparliamentary democracy (Faroese Parliament); part of the Kingdom of Denmark | Semi-presidential republic |
| Capital | Torshavn | Sao Tome |
| Currency | — | São Tomé and Príncipe dobra (STN) |
| Official languages | Danish, Faroese | Portuguese |
| Traffic drives | On the right | On the right |
| Time zone | UTC, summer time UTC+1 | UTC |
| Calling code | +298 | +239 |
| Region | Northern Europe, Europe | Middle Africa, Africa |
Area: Wikidata. Population, income, health, economy, environment and governance: World Bank. Human Development Index: UNDP. Government: CIA World Factbook. Ranks among the 194 independent states. All sources
Why the map you grew up with disagrees
On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Faroe Islands sits at about 62° N and is stretched to 4.55× its true area; São Tomé and Principe at 0° N is stretched to 1.0×. That difference is why Faroe Islands looks so much bigger than it is next to São Tomé and Principe. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Questions about this pair
- Is Faroe Islands bigger than São Tomé and Principe?
- Yes. Faroe Islands is 40% larger than São Tomé and Principe. Faroe Islands covers 1,399 km² and São Tomé and Principe covers 1,001 km².
- How many times does São Tomé and Principe fit into Faroe Islands?
- About 1.4 times: Faroe Islands has 1.4× the area of São Tomé and Principe.
- Why do Faroe Islands and São Tomé and Principe look different on Google Maps?
- Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Faroe Islands is drawn about 4.55× its true area there and São Tomé and Principe about 1.0×. That is why Faroe Islands looks so much bigger than it really is next to São Tomé and Principe. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
- Which has more people, Faroe Islands or São Tomé and Principe?
- São Tomé and Principe: 240,254 people against 54,900. Density: Faroe Islands 39 per km², São Tomé and Principe 240 per km².
- Which is richer, Faroe Islands or São Tomé and Principe?
- By gross national income per person, Faroe Islands: $73,120 against $3,800 (World Bank, Atlas method, 2024) — 19.2× as much.
- Where do people live longer, Faroe Islands or São Tomé and Principe?
- In Faroe Islands: life expectancy at birth is 83.1 years, against 69.9 — 13.2 years longer (World Bank, 2024).
- What kind of government do Faroe Islands and São Tomé and Principe have?
- By constitution, as the CIA World Factbook describes them — Faroe Islands: dependent territory; São Tomé and Principe: semi-presidential republic.