2015 Edition

Background

Saint Helena is a British Overseas Territory consisting of Saint Helena and Ascension Islands, and the island group of Tristan da Cunha.

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. 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 transatlantic 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. It remains a critical refueling point in the air-bridge from the UK to the South Atlantic. The island hosts one of four dedicated ground antennas (the others are on Diego Garcia (British Indian Ocean Territory), Kwajalein (Marshall Islands), and at Cape Canaveral, Florida (US)) that assist in the operation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation system. NASA and the US Air Force also operate a Meter-Class Autonomous Telescope (MCAT) on Ascension as part of the deep space surveillance system for tracking orbital debris, which can be a hazard to spacecraft and astronauts.

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.

Tristan da Cunha

The island group consists of Tristan da Cunha, Nightingale, Inaccessible, and Gough Islands. 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.

Area

land

Saint Helena Island 122 sq km; Ascension Island 88 sq km; Tristan da Cunha island group 98 sq km

total

308 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC

Climate

Ascension Island

tropical marine; mild, semi-arid

Saint Helena

tropical marine; mild, tempered by trade winds

Tristan da Cunha

temperate marine; mild, tempered by trade winds (tends to be cooler than Saint Helena)

Coastline

Ascension Island

NA

Saint Helena

60 km

Tristan da Cunha

40 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha 2,060 m; Green Mountain on Ascension Island 859 m; Mount Actaeon on Saint Helena Island 818 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

NA

Geographic coordinates

Ascension Island

7 57 S, 14 22 W

Saint Helena

15 57 S, 5 42 W

Tristan da Cunha island group

37 15 S, 12 30 W

Geography - note

Saint Helena harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown elsewhere 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

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land 10.3%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 20.5%

agricultural land

30.8%

forest

5.1%

other

64.1% (2011 est.)

Location

islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South America and Africa; Ascension Island lies 1,300 km (800 mi) northwest of Saint Helena; Tristan da Cunha lies 4,300 km (2,700 mi) southwest of Saint Helena

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

exclusive fishing zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha

volcanism

the island volcanoes of Tristan da Cunha (elev. 2,060 m) and Nightingale Island (elev. 365 m) experience volcanic activity; Tristan da Cunha erupted in 1962 and Nightingale in 2004

Natural resources

fish, lobster

Terrain

the islands of this group are of volcanic origin associated with the Atlantic Mid-Ocean Ridge

Ascension

surface covered by lava flows and cinder cones of 44 dormant volcanoes; terrain rises to the east

Saint Helena

rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains

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

Age structure

0-14 years

16.55% (male 658/female 632)

15-24 years

12.06% (male 479/female 461)

25-54 years

44.67% (male 1,719/female 1,763)

55-64 years

12.6% (male 519/female 463)

65 years and over

14.12% (male 560/female 541) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

9.88 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Death rate

7.44 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Ethnic groups

African descent 50%, white 25%, Chinese 25%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

female

11.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

16.75 deaths/1,000 live births

total

14.19 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

English

Life expectancy at birth

female

82.44 years (2015 est.)

male

76.42 years

total population

79.36 years

Major urban areas - population

JAMESTOWN (capital) 1,000 (2014)

Median age

female

41 years (2015 est.)

male

41 years

total

41 years

Nationality

adjective

Saint Helenian

note

referred to locally as "Saints"

noun

Saint Helenian(s)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Population

7,795

note

only Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha islands are inhabited, not any of the other nearby islands/islets (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

0.24% (2015 est.)

Religions

Protestant (Anglican (majority), Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist), Roman Catholic

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.98 male(s)/female

55-64 years

1.12 male(s)/female

65 years and over

1.04 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.02 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.58 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

-0.59% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

39.4% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

3 administrative areas; Ascension, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha

Capital

geographic coordinates

15 56 S, 5 43 W

name

Jamestown

time difference

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

see United Kingdom

Constitution

several previous; latest effective 1 September 2009 (The St. Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Constitution Order 2009) (2015)

Country name

conventional long form

Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha

conventional short form

none

Dependency status

overseas territory of the UK

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Executive branch

cabinet

Executive Council consists of the governor, 3 ex-officio officers, and 5 elected members of the Legislative Council

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)

elections/appointments

none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch

head of government

Governor Mark CAPES (since 29 October 2011)

note

the constitution order provides for an administrator for Ascension and Tristan da Cunha appointed by the governor

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 upper third of the shield depicts a white plover (wire bird) on a yellow field; the remainder of the shield depicts a rocky coastline on the left, offshore is a three-masted sailing ship with sails furled but flying an English flag

Government type

NA

Independence

none (overseas territory of the UK)

International organization participation

UPU

Judicial branch

highest resident court(s)

Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and 2 justices); Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice - a non-resident - and NA judges); note - appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)

judge selection and term of office

court judges' appointments and tenures NA

subordinate courts

Magistrate's Court; Small Claims Court; Juvenile Court

Legal system

English common law and local statutes

Legislative branch

description

unicameral Legislative Council (17 seats including the speaker and deputy speaker; 12 members directly elected in a single countrywide constituency by simple majority vote and 3 ex-officio members - the chief secretary, financial secretary, and attorney general; members serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 12

elections

last held on 17 July 2013 (next to be held in 2017)

note

each voter can vote for up to 12 candidates; the Constitution Order provides for separate Island Councils for both Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

National anthem

note

as a territory of the UK, "God Save the Queen" is official (see United Kingdom)

National holiday

Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, third Monday in April (1926)

National symbol(s)

Saint Helena plover (bird)

Political parties and leaders

none

Political pressure groups and leaders

other

private sector; unions

Suffrage

18 years of age

Agriculture - products

coffee, corn, potatoes, vegetables; fish, lobster; livestock; timber

Budget

expenditures

$26.45 million

note

revenue data reflect locally raised revenues only; the budget deficit is resolved by grant aid from the UK (FY06/07 est.)

revenues

$10.77 million

Debt - external

$NA

Economy - overview

The economy depends largely on financial assistance from the UK, which amounted to about $27 million in FY06/07 or more than twice the level 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.

Exchange rates

Saint Helenian pounds (SHP) per US dollar -

0.607 (2014)

0.6391 (2013)

0.63 (2012)

0.624 (2011)

0.6472 (2010)

Exports

$19 million (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities

fish (frozen, canned, and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), coffee, handicrafts

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

NA%

industry

NA%

services

NA%

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$7,800 (FY09/10 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

GDP (official exchange rate)

$NA

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$31.1 million (FY09/10 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

$20.53 million (2010 est.)

Imports - commodities

food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

construction, crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing, collectible postage stamps

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4% (2012 est.)

Labor force

2,486 (1998 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

6%

industry

48%

services

46% (1987 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

14% (1998 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

12,080 Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2015 est.)

Electricity - consumption

7.44 million kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

100% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

5,000 kW (2012 est.)

Electricity - production

8 million kWh (2012 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

60 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

63.12 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Broadcast media

Saint Helena has no local TV station; 2 local radio stations, one of which is relayed to Ascension Island; satellite TV stations rebroadcast terrestrially; Ascension Island has no local TV station but has 1 local radio station and receives relays of broadcasts from 1 radio station on Saint Helena; broadcasts from the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) are available, as well as TV services for the US military; Tristan da Cunha has 1 local radio station and receives BFBS TV and radio broadcasts (2007)

Communications - note

South Africa maintains a meteorological station on Gough Island

Internet country code

.sh; note - Ascension Island assigned .ac

Internet users

percent of population

11.8% (2009)

total

900

Radio broadcast stations

Ascension

AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2005)

Saint Helena

AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0

Telephone system

domestic

automatic digital network

general assessment

can communicate worldwide

international

country code (Saint Helena) - 290, (Ascension Island) - 247; international direct dialing; satellite voice and data communications; satellite earth stations - 5 (Ascension Island - 4, Saint Helena - 1) (2010)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

39 (2012)

total

3,000

Television broadcast stations

0 (3 television channels are received via satellite and distributed by UHF) (2005)

Airports

2 (2015)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1 Saint Helena; note - opening to commercial flights in February 2016 (2015)

over 3,047 m

1 Ascension Island (Wideawake Field)

total

2

Ports and terminals

Ascension Island

Georgetown

Saint Helena

Jamestown

Tristan da Cunha

Calshot Harbor (Edinburgh)

Roadways

paved

168 km (Saint Helena 118 km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da Cunha 10 km)

total

198 km (Saint Helena 138 km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da Cunha 20 km)

unpaved

30 km (Saint Helena 20 km, Tristan da Cunha 10 km) (2002)

Transportation - note

there is no air connection to Saint Helena or Tristan da Cunha; construction on the new international airport for Saint Helena began in 2012 with an estimated completion date of late 2015 or early 2016; the new airport will have a runway of 1,550 m capable of handling B737/A319 size aircraft

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

1,579 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

1,565

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

48 (2010 est.)

male

49

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Disputes - international

none