Saint Helena is a British Overseas Territory consisting of Saint Helena and Ascension Islands, and the island group of Tristan da Cunha.
Saint Helena: Uninhabited when first discovered by the Portuguese in 1502, Saint Helena was garrisoned by the British during the 17th century. It acquired fame as the place of Napoleon BONAPARTE's exile, from 1815 until his death in 1821, but its importance as a port of call declined after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. During the Anglo-Boer War in South Africa, several thousand Boer prisoners were confined on the island between 1900 and 1903.
Ascension Island: This barren and uninhabited island was discovered and named by the Portuguese in 1503. The British garrisoned the island in 1815 to prevent a rescue of Napoleon from Saint Helena and it served as a provisioning station for the Royal Navy's West Africa Squadron on anti-slavery patrol. The island remained under Admiralty control until 1922, when it became a dependency of Saint Helena. During World War II, the UK permitted the US to construct an airfield on Ascension in support of trans-Atlantic flights to Africa and anti-submarine operations in the South Atlantic. In the 1960s the island became an important space tracking station for the US. In 1982, Ascension was an essential staging area for British forces during the Falklands War, and it remains a critical refueling point in the air-bridge from the UK to the South Atlantic.
Tristan da Cunha: The island group consists of the islands of Tristan da Cunha, Nightingale, Inaccessible, and Gough. Tristan da Cunha is named after its Portuguese discoverer (1506); it was garrisoned by the British in 1816 to prevent any attempt to rescue Napoleon from Saint Helena. Gough and Inaccessible Islands have been designated World Heritage Sites. South Africa leases a site for a meteorological station on Gough Island.
Location
islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South America and Africa; Ascension Island lies 700 nm northwest of Saint Helena; Tristan da Cunha lies 2300 nm southwest of Saint Helena
Geographic coordinates
Saint Helena
15 57 S, 5 42 W
Ascension Island
7 57 S, 14 22 W
Tristan da Cunha island group
37 15 S, 12 30 W
Map references
Africa
Area
total
413 sq km
land
Saint Helena Island 122 sq km; Ascension Island 90 sq km; Tristan da Cunha island group 201 sq km
water
0 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries
0 km
Coastline
Saint Helena
60 km
Ascension Island
NA
Tristan da Cunha
40 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea
12 nm
exclusive fishing zone
200 nm
Climate
Saint Helena
tropical marine; mild, tempered by trade winds
Ascension Island
tropical marine; mild, semi-arid
Tristan da Cunha
temperate marine; mild, tempered by trade winds (tends to be cooler than Saint Helena)
Terrain
the islands of this group result from volcanic activity associated with the Atlantic Mid-Ocean Ridge
Saint Helena: rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains
Ascension: surface covered by lava flows and cinder cones of 44 dormant volcanoes; ground rises to the east
Tristan da Cunha: sheer cliffs line the coastline of the nearly circular island; the flanks of the central volcanic peak are deeply dissected; narrow coastal plain lies between The Peak and the coastal cliffs
Elevation extremes
lowest point
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point
Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha 2,062 m; Green Mountain on Ascension Island 859 m; Mount Actaeon on Saint Helena Island 818 m
Natural resources
fish, lobster
Land use
arable land
12.9%
permanent crops
0%
other
87.1% (2005)
Irrigated land
NA
Natural hazards
active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha, last eruption in 1961
Environment - current issues
NA
Geography - note
Saint Helena harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown anywhere else in the world; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles and sooty terns; Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha is the highest island mountain in the South Atlantic and a prominent landmark on the sea lanes around southern Africa
Population
7,543
note: only Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha islands are inhabited (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
18.7% (male 716/female 691)
15-64 years
71.1% (male 2,755/female 2,608)
65 years and over
10.2% (male 358/female 415) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
36.5 years
male
36.7 years
female
36.3 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
0.53% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
11.93 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
6.63 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.036 male(s)/female
15-64 years
1.056 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.863 male(s)/female
total population
1.031 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
17.67 deaths/1,000 live births
male
21.19 deaths/1,000 live births
female
13.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
78.09 years
male
75.19 years
female
81.15 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.55 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
Nationality
noun
Saint Helenian(s)
adjective
Saint Helenian
note
referred to locally as "Saints"
Ethnic groups
African descent 50%, white 25%, Chinese 25%
Religions
Anglican (majority), Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic
Languages
English
Literacy
definition
age 20 and over can read and write
total population
97%
male
97%
female
98% (1987 est.)
Country name
conventional long form
none
conventional short form
Saint Helena
Dependency status
overseas territory of the UK
Government type
NA
Capital
name
Jamestown
geographic coordinates
15 56 S, 5 44 W
time difference
UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions
1 administrative area and 2 dependencies*; Ascension*, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha*
Independence
none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday
Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926)
Constitution
1 January 1989
Legal system
English common law and statutes, supplemented by local statutes
Suffrage
NA years of age
Executive branch
chief of state
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government
Governor and Commander in Chief Michael CLANCY (since 15 October 2004)
cabinet
Executive Council consists of the governor, three ex-officio officers, and five elected members of the Legislative Council
elections
none; the monarch is hereditary; governor is appointed by the monarch
Legislative branch
unicameral Legislative Council (16 seats, including the speaker, three ex officio and 12 elected members; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 31 August 2005 (next to be held in 2009)
Magistrate's Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders
none
Political pressure groups and leaders
none
International organization participation
UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Flag description
blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Saint Helenian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield features a rocky coastline and three-masted sailing ship
Economy - overview
The economy depends largely on financial assistance from the UK, which will amount to about $27 million in FY06/07 or almost 70% of annual budgetary revenues. The local population earns income from fishing, raising livestock, and sales of handicrafts. Because there are few jobs, 25% of the work force has left to seek employment on Ascension Island, on the Falklands, and in the UK.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$18 million (1998 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
NA
GDP - real growth rate
NA%
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$2,500 (1998 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
NA%
industry
NA%
services
NA%
Labor force
2,486
note: 1,200 work offshore (1998 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
6%
industry
48%
services
46% (1987 est.)
Unemployment rate
14% (1998 est.)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
NA%
highest 10%
NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3.2% (1997 est.)
Budget
revenues
$12.07 million
expenditures
$29.64 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
note
revenue data reflect locally raised revenues only; the budget deficit is resolved by grant aid from the United Kingdom (FY92/93)
fish (frozen, canned, and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), coffee, handicrafts
Exports - partners
Tanzania 37.7%, US 17.4%, Japan 15.2%, UK 8.4%, Nigeria 4.8%, Spain 4.5% (2006)
Imports
$45 million c.i.f. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities
food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts
Imports - partners
UK 53.5%, South Africa 14.3%, Spain 10.3%, Tanzania 8.5%, US 4.6% (2006)
Debt - external
$NA
Economic aid - recipient
$27.25 million obtained in a grant from the United Kingdom (FY06/07)
Currency (code)
Saint Helenian pound (SHP)
Currency code
SHP
Exchange rates
Saint Helenian pounds per US dollar - 0.5434 (2006), 0.5493 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002)
note: the Saint Helenian pound is on par with the British pound
Fiscal year
1 April - 31 March
Telephones - main lines in use
2,200 (2002)
Telephone system
general assessment
can communicate worldwide
domestic
automatic digital network
international
country code - 290; international direct dialing; satellite voice and data communications; satellite earth stations - 5 (Ascension Island - 4, Saint Helena - 1)
Radio broadcast stations
Saint Helena
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0
Ascension
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2005)
Radios
3,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations
0 (3 television channels are received via satellite and distributed by UHF) (2005)
Televisions
2,000 (1997)
Internet country code
.sh; note - the ICANN has assigned .ac as the ccTLD for Ascension Island
Internet hosts
329 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
1 (2000)
Internet users
1,000; note - includes Ascension Island (2003)
Communications - note
South Africa maintains a meteorological station on Gough Island
Airports
1
note: Wideawake Field on Ascension Island (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
1
over 3,047 m
1 (2006)
Roadways
total
198 km (Saint Helena 138 km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da Cunha 20 km)
paved
168 km (Saint Helena 118 km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da Cunha 10 km)
unpaved
30 km (Saint Helena 20 km, Ascension 0 km, Tristan da Cunha 10 km) (2002)
Ports and terminals
Saint Helena
Jamestown
Ascension Island
Georgetown
Tristan da Cunha
Calshot Harbor
Transportation - note
there is no air connection to Saint Helena or Tristan da Cunha; an international airport for Saint Helena is in development for 2010
