Alice is a feminine given name of Old French and Germanic origin. It derives from the Old French name Alis (older Alais), a short form of Adelais, which itself comes from the Old High German Adalhaidis (see Adelaide). The name is composed of the Proto-Germanic elements aþala- meaning "noble" and haidu- meaning "appearance" or "kind," thus carrying the meaning "of noble character or rank, of nobility."
The name entered English usage through Norman influence following the Norman Conquest of 1066. It became popular in France and England during the 12th century and was among the most common names in England until the 16th century, when it began to decline. It was revived in the 19th century, partly due to the popularity of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871), whose heroine Alice is one of the most famous literary characters in the English language. The name was also popularized in the Victorian era by Princess Alice, a daughter of Queen Victoria.
In the 21st century, Alice has remained widely popular. In 2015, it ranked among the top 100 most popular names for baby girls in Australia, Belgium, France, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales, and Northern Ireland. In 2022, it was the 11th most popular name given to girls in Canada. Variants of the name include Alicia, Alison, Alisa, Alissa, Alix, Alyce, and Alys. The Irish form is Eilish.
Notable bearers of the name include Alice Paul (American suffragist), Alice Walker (author of The Color Purple), Alice Munro (Nobel Prize-winning Canadian author), Alice Hamilton (pioneering American toxicologist), Alice Coltrane (American jazz pianist), and Alice Liddell (the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll's Alice).
São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipe, officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is an island country in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. It consists of two main islands—São Tomé and Príncipe—and several smaller islets, located approximately 150–250 km off the coast of Gabon. With a population of about 220,000 (2023 estimate) and a total area of 964 km², it is the second-smallest and second-least populous African sovereign state after Seychelles. The capital and largest city is São Tomé.
The islands were uninhabited before the arrival of Portuguese explorers João de Santarém and Pêro Escobar, who discovered them on 21 December 1470. São Tomé was first successfully settled in 1493 by Álvaro Caminha, and Príncipe was settled in 1500. The islands became a vital commercial centre for the Atlantic slave trade and a major producer of sugar, later shifting to coffee and cocoa. By 1905, São Tomé had become the world's largest producer of cocoa. The plantation economy was heavily dependent on enslaved and forced labour. The islands gained independence from Portugal on 12 July 1975, becoming a one-party communist state until constitutional reforms in 1990 established a multiparty democracy. Since then, São Tomé and Príncipe has remained one of Africa's most stable and democratic countries.
The country is a unitary semi-presidential republic. The president is elected by popular vote for a five-year term, and the prime minister is appointed by the president. The National Assembly has 55 members elected for four-year terms. The current president is Carlos Vila Nova (since 2021). The official and national language is Portuguese; regional creole languages include Forro, Angolar, and Principense. The majority of the population is Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic).
The economy is based primarily on agriculture, with cocoa as the main export crop. Other exports include copra, palm kernels, and coffee. The country has potential for tourism and offshore oil exploration, having entered a joint development zone with Nigeria for petroleum exploration in the Gulf of Guinea. São Tomé and Príncipe is a founding member of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries.
