the saint peter and saint paul archipelago ( ) is a group of 15 small islets and rocks in the central equatorial atlantic ocean. it lies in the intertropical convergence zone, a region of the atlantic characterized by low average winds punctuated with local thunderstorms. it lies approximately from the nearest point of mainland south america (the northeastern brazilian coastal town of touros); northeast of the archipelago of fernando de noronha; from the city of natal; and from the west coast of africa. administratively, the archipelago belongs to brazil and is part of the special "state district" () of fernando de noronha, in the state of pernambuco. fernando de noronha is the nearst island.