<P> The islands of São Tomé and Príncipe were uninhabited when the Portuguese arrived sometime around 1470 . The islands were discovered by João de Santarém and Pêro Escobar . Portuguese navigators explored the islands and decided that they would be good locations for bases to trade with the mainland . </P>
what islands off the coast of northern gabon were uninhabited until the portuguese arrived in 1470
São Tomé and Príncipe