Africa :: Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha
(overseas territory of the UK)
Introduction ::Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha
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. 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. 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.
Geography ::Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha
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 2,300 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: 308 sq km
08
land:
Saint Helena Island 122 sq km; Ascension Island 88 sq km; Tristan da Cunha island group 98 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:
Current Weather
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)
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
People ::Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha
Population:
7,670
25
note:only Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha islands are inhabited (July 2010 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 18.1% (male 706/female 679)
15-64 years:
70.2% (male 2,739/female 2,642)
65 years and over:
11.8% (male 438/female 466) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 38.2 years
male:
38.2 years
female:
38.1 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.404% (2010 est.)
58
Birth rate:
10.95 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
6
Death rate:
6.91 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
38
Net migration rate:
NA
Urbanization:
urban population: 39% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization:
1.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.049 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.94 male(s)/female
total population:
1.02 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 16.98 deaths/1,000 live births
12
male:
19.97 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
13.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.6 years
country comparison to the world: 43
male:
75.68 years
female:
81.67 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.56 children born/woman (2010 est.)
81
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.)
Education expenditures:
NA
Government ::Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha
Country name:
conventional long form: Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha
conventional short form:
none
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:
3 administrative areas; 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:
The Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Constitution Order 2009, effective 1 September 2009
Legal system:
English common law and statutes supplemented by local statutes
Suffrage:
NA
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government:
Governor Andrew GURR (since 11 November 2007)
cabinet:
Executive Council consists of the governor, 3 ex-officio officers, and 5 elected members of the Legislative Council
elections:
the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch
Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative
Council (17 seats, including a speaker and deputy speaker, 12 elected,
and three ex officio members; members elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms)
note:the Constitution Order provides for separate Island Councils for both Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
elections:
last held on 4 November 2009 (next to be held in 2013)
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 ::Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha
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.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$18 million (1998 est.)
24
GDP (official exchange rate):
$NA
GDP - real growth rate:
NA%
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,500 (1998 est.)
5
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry:
NA%
services:
NA%
Labor force:
2,486
23
note:1,200 work offshore (1998 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 6%
industry:
48%
services:
46% (1987 est.)
Unemployment rate:
14% (1998 est.)
43
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%:
NA%
Budget:
revenues: $10.23 million
expenditures:
$25.13 million
note:revenue
data reflect locally raised revenues only; the budget deficit is
resolved by grant aid from the United Kingdom (FY06/07 est.)
fish (frozen, canned, and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), coffee, handicrafts
Imports:
$45 million (2004 est.)
16
Imports - commodities:
food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts
Debt - external:
$NA
Exchange rates:
Saint Helenian pounds
(SHP) per US dollar - 0.6494 (2009), 0.5302 (2008), 0.4993 (2007),
0.5418 (2006), 0.5493 (2005), 0.5462 (2004)
note:the Saint Helenian pound is on par with the British pound
Communications ::Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha
Telephones - main lines in use:
2,300 (2008)
23
Telephone system:
general assessment: can communicate worldwide
domestic:
automatic digital network
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)
Radio broadcast stations:
Saint Helena: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0
Ascension:
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2005)
Television broadcast stations:
0 (3 television channels are received via satellite and distributed by UHF) (2005)
Internet country code:
.sh; note - Ascension Island assigned .ac
Internet hosts:
343 (2009)
8
Internet users:
1,100; note - includes Ascension Island (2008)
13
Communications - note:
South Africa maintains a meteorological station on Gough Island
Transportation ::Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha
Airports:
1 (2009)
16
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m:
1 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 198 km (Saint Helena 138 km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da Cunha 20 km)
08
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
Military ::Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,575
females age 16-49:
1,591 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 48
female:
47 (2010 est.)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues ::Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha
