from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Saint Helena
Introduction
Background: 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 the site for a meteorological
station on Gough Island.
Geography
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 Saint Helena: 15 57 S 5 42 W
coordinates: Ascension Island: 7 57 S 14 22 W
Tristan da Cunha island group: 37 15 S 12 30 W
Map Africa
references:
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 - slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
comparative:
Land 0 km
boundaries:
Coastline: Saint Helena: 60 km
Ascension Island: NA
Tristan da Cunha: 40 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm
claims: 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 lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
extremes: 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 fish, lobster
resources:
Land use: arable land: 12.9%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 87.1% (2005)
Irrigated NA
land:
Natural active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha, last eruption in
hazards: 1961
Environment - NA
current
issues:
Geography - Saint Helena harbors at least 40 species of plants
note: 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
People
Population: 7,502
note: only Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da
Cunha islands are inhabited (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 18.8% (male 717/female 692)
15-64 years: 71.2% (male 2,751/female 2,593)
65 years and over: 10% (male 342/female 407) (2006
est.)
Median age: total: 36 years
male: 36.2 years
female: 35.8 years (2006 est.)
Population 0.56% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 12.13 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 6.53 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 18.34 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 21.96 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 14.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 77.93 years
expectancy at male: 75.02 years
birth: female: 80.98 years (2006 est.)
Total 1.55 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - NA
deaths:
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.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Saint Helena
Dependency overseas territory of the UK
status:
Government NA
type:
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 1 administrative area and 2 dependencies*; Ascension*,
divisions: Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha*
Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK)
National Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June
holiday: (1926)
Constitution: 1 January 1989
Legal system: British common law and statutes, supplemented by local
statutes
Suffrage: NA years of age
Executive chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
branch: 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 unicameral Legislative Council (16 seats, including the
branch: speaker, 3 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 NA
2009)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats -
independents 12
Judicial Magistrate's Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal
branch:
Political none
parties and
leaders:
Political none
pressure
groups and
leaders:
International ICFTU, UPU
organization
participation:
Diplomatic none (overseas territory of the UK)
representation
in the US:
Diplomatic none (overseas territory of the UK)
representation
from the US:
Flag blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side
description: 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
Economy - The economy depends largely on financial assistance
overview: from the UK, which amounted to about $5 million in 1997
or almost one-half 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 $18 million (1998 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official NA
exchange
rate):
GDP - real NA%
growth rate:
GDP - per $2,500 (1998 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: NA%
composition by industry: NA%
sector: services: NA%
Labor force: 2,486
note: 1,200 work offshore (1998 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: 6%
by occupation: industry: 48%
services: 46% (1987 est.)
Unemployment 14% (1998 est.)
rate:
Population NA%
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: NA%
income or highest 10%: NA%
consumption by
percentage
share:
Inflation rate 3.2% (1997 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Budget: revenues: $11.2 million
expenditures: $11 million; including capital
expenditures of $NA (FY92/93)
Agriculture - coffee, corn, potatoes, vegetables; timber; fish,
products: lobster (on Tristan da Cunha)
Industries: construction, crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy
woodwork), fishing, philatelic sales
Industrial NA%
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 5 million kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 100%
production by hydro: 0%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 4.65 million kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
production:
Oil - 100 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Exports: $19 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - fish (frozen, canned, and salt-dried skipjack, tuna),
commodities: coffee, handicrafts
Exports - Tanzania 37.7%, US 17.4%, Japan 15.2%, UK 8.4%, Nigeria
partners: 4.8%, Spain 4.5% (2005)
Imports: $45 million c.i.f. (2004 est.)
Imports - food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed,
commodities: building materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery
and parts
Imports - UK 53.5%, South Africa 14.3%, Spain 10.3%, Tanzania
partners: 8.5%, US 4.6% (2005)
Debt - $NA
external:
Economic aid - $12.6 million (1995); note - $5.3 million from UK
recipient: (1997)
Currency Saint Helenian pound (SHP)
(code):
Currency code: SHP
Exchange Saint Helenian pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2005),
rates: 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947
(2001)
note: the Saint Helenian pound is on par with the
British pound
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Communications
Telephones - 2,200 (2002)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - NA
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: can communicate worldwide
system: 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 Saint Helena: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0
broadcast Ascension: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2005)
stations:
Radios: 3,000 (1997)
Television 0
broadcast note: three television channels are received in Saint
stations: Helena via satellite and distributed by UHF (2005)
Televisions: 2,000 (1997)
Internet .sh; note - the IANA has assigned .ac as the ccTLD for
country code: Ascension Island
Internet 329 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 1 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 1,000 note - includes Ascension Island (2003)
users:
Communications South Africa maintains a meteorological station on
- note: Gough Island
Transportation
Airports: 1
note: Wideawake Field on Ascension Island (2006)
Airports - total: 1
with paved over 3,047 m: 1 (2006)
runways:
Roadways: total: 198 km (Saint Helena 138 km, Ascension 40 km,
Tristan da Cunha 20 km)
paved: 168 km (Saint Helena 118km, 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 Saint Helena: Jamestown
terminals: Ascension Island: Georgetown
Tristan da Cunha: Calshot Harbor
Transportation there is no air connection to Saint Helena or Tristan
- note: da Cunha; an international airport for Saint Helena is
in development for 2010
Military
Military - defense is the responsibility of the UK
note:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - none
international: