Map of Saint Helena | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: Uninhabited when first discovered by the Portuguese in 1502 the island was garrisoned by the British during the 17th century. It became famous as the place of Napoleon BONAPARTE's exile from 1815 until his death in 1821.


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Location: islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about mid-way between South America and Africa

Geographic coordinates: 15 56 S, 5 42 W

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 410 km²
Land: 410 km²
Water: 0 km²
Note: includes Ascension, Gough Island, Inaccessible Island, Nightingale Island, and Tristan da Cunha Island
Comparative: slightly more than two times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 60 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: 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: Saint Helena_rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains
Note: the other islands of the group have a volcanic origin

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha 2,060 m

Natural resources: fish

Land use
Arable land: 6%
Permanent crops: NA%
Permanent pastures: 6%
Forests and woodland: 6%
Other: 82% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha

Geography
Note: Napoleon Bonaparte's place of exile and burial (his remains were taken to Paris in 1840; harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown anywhere else in the world; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles and sooty terns


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Population: 7,145 (July 1999 est.)
Growth rate: 0.74% (1999 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Saint Helenian(s)
Adjective: Saint Helenian

Ethnic groups: African descent, white

Languages: English

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

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 20% (male 713; female 690)
15-64 years: 72% (male 2,664; female 2,449)
65 years and over: 8% (male 259; female 370) (1999 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.74% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 13.86 births/1000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 6.44 deaths/1000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1999 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: NA
International agreements party to: NA
International agreements signed but not ratified: NA

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 27.98 deaths/1000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 75.88 years
Male: 72.78 years
Female: 79.13 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 20 and over can read and write
Total population: 97%
Male: 97%
Female: 98% (1987 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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

Government type: NA

Capital: Jamestown

Administrative divisions: 1 administrative area and 2 dependencies*; Ascension*, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha*

Dependent areas

Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK)

National holiday: Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen (second Saturday in June)

Constitution: 1 January 1989

Legal system: NA

International law organization participation

Citizenship

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 David Leslie SMALLMAN (since NA 1995)
Cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, two ex officio officers, and six elected members of the Legislative Council
Elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor is appointed by the monarch

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council (15 seats, including the governor, 2 ex officio and 12 elected members; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held 9 July 1997 (next to be held NA July 2001)
Election results: percent of vote_NA; seats_independents 15

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ICFTU

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (overseas territory of the UK)
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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The economy depends largely on financial assistance from the UK, which amounted to about $5 million in 1998. The local population earns income from fishing, the raising of livestock, and sales of handicrafts. Because there are few jobs, a large proportion of the work force has left to seek employment overseas.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $2,000 (FY94/95 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: NA%
Industry: NA%
Services: NA%

Agriculture products: maize, potatoes, vegetables; timber; fish, crawfish (on Tristan da Cunha)

Industries: crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 2,416 (1991 est.)
Note: a large proportion of the work force has left to seek employment overseas
By occupation professional technical and related workers: 8.7%
By occupation managerial administrative and clerical: 12.8%
By occupation salespeople: 8.1%
By occupation farmers fishermen: 5.4%
By occupation craftspersons production process workers: 14.7%
By occupation others: 50.3% (1987)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $11.2 million
Expenditures: $11 million, including capital expenditures of $N/A (FY92/93)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April_31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $704,000 (f.o.b., 1995)
Commodities: fish (frozen, canned, and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), coffee, handicrafts
Partners: South Africa, UK

Imports: $14.434 million (c.i.f., 1995)
Commodities: food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts
Partners: UK, South Africa

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $NA

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Saint Helenian pounds (£S) per US$1_0.6057 (January 1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6047 (1997), 0.6403 (1996), 0.6335 (1995), 0.6529 (1994; note_the Saint Helenian pound is at par with the British pound


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Electricity
Production: 6 million kWh (1996)
Production by source fossil fuel: 100%
Production by source hydro: 0%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (1996)
Consumption: 6 million kWh (1996)
Exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Imports: 0 kWh (1996)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones: 550

Telephone system
Domestic: automatic network; HF radiotelephone from Saint Helena to Ascension, then into worldwide submarine cable and satellite networks
International: major coaxial submarine cable relay point between South Africa, Portugal, and UK at Ascension; satellite earth stations_2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 1 (1998 est.)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1 (1998 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways: 0 km

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: none

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs