Saint Helena

§1. 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.

§2. Saint Helena 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 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 km²
  land: Saint Helena Island 122 km²; Ascension Island 90 km²; Tristan da
    Cunha island group 201 km²
  water: 0 km²

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 km²

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

§3. Saint Helena 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 growth rate:
  0.56% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  12.13 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  6.53 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

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 mortality rate:
  total: 18.34 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 21.96 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 14.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 77.93 years
  male: 75.02 years
  female: 80.98 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  1.55 children born/woman (2006 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.)

§4. Saint Helena Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Saint Helena

Dependency status:
  overseas territory of the UK

Government type:
  NA

Capital:
  Jamestown

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:
  British 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, 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 branch:
  Magistrate's Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders:
  none

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  none

International organization participation:
  ICFTU, 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

§5. Saint Helena Economy

Economy - overview:
  The economy depends largely on financial assistance 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 (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:
  3,500
  note: 1,200 work offshore (1998 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture and fishing 6%, industry (mainly construction) 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: $11.2 million
  expenditures: $11 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92/93)

Agriculture - products:
  coffee, corn, potatoes, vegetables; timber; fish, lobster (on Tristan da
  Cunha)

Industries:
  construction, crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing,
  philatelic sales

Industrial production growth rate:
  NA%

Electricity - production:
  5 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  4.65 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  100 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Exports:
  $19 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

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

Exports - partners:
  Tanzania 30.3%, US 23.8%, Japan 10.4%, UK 7.1%, Spain 6.3% (2004)

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 35.6%, US 17.5%, South Africa 17.5%, Tanzania 10.4%, Australia 5.5%,
  Spain 4.1% (2004)

Debt - external:
  $NA

Economic aid - recipient:
  $12.6 million (1995); note - $5.3 million from UK (1997)

Currency (code):
  Saint Helenian pound (SHP)

Exchange rates:
  Saint Helenian pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2005), 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

§6. Saint Helena Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  2,200 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  NA

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)

Television broadcast stations:
  0
  note: three television channels are received in Saint Helena via satellite
    and distributed by UHF (2005)

Internet country code:
  .sh

Internet users:
  1,000 note - includes Ascension Island (2003)

Communications - note:
  South Africa maintains a meteorological station on Gough Island

§7. Saint Helena Transportation

Airports:
  1
  note: Wideawake Field on Ascension Island (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 1
  over 3,047 m: 1 (2005)

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 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

§8. Saint Helena Military

Military - note:
  defense is the responsibility of the UK

§9. Saint Helena Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  none


<Factbook 2006>
