Map of Saint Helena | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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


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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

Map reference

Area
Rank: 209
Comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline

Maritime claims

Climate

Terrain: the islands of this group result from volcanic activity associated with the Atlantic Mid-Ocean Ridge

Elevation

Natural resources: fish lobster

Land use

Irrigated land: NA

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha

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


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Population: 7,728 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 227
Growth rate: 0.349% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 163
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

Ethnic groups: African descent 50% white 25% Chinese 25%

Languages: English

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

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.349% (2012 est.)
Rank: 163

Birth rate: 10.48 births/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 182

Death rate: 6.99 deaths/1000 population (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 131

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 105

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: NA

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 109

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 46

Total fertility rate: 1.57 children born/woman (2012 est.)
Rank: 181

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: NA

Capital

Administrative divisions: 3 administrative areas; Ascension Saint Helena Tristan da Cunha

Dependent areas

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 local statutes

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age

Executive branch

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)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders: none

International organization participation: UPU

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 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

National symbols: Saint Helena plover (bird)

National anthem

National heritage


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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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $18 million (1998 est.)
Rank: 227

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita: $2,500 (1998 est.)
Rank: 181

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: coffee corn potatoes vegetables; fish lobster; livestock; timber

Industries

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 2,486 (1998 est.)
Rank: 227

Unemployment rate: 14% (1998 est.)
Rank: 137

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.2% (1997 est.)
Rank: 87

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: $19 million (2004 est.)
Rank: 208
Commodities: fish (frozen canned and salt-dried skipjack tuna) coffee handicrafts

Imports: $45 million (2004 est.)
Rank: 218
Commodities: food beverages tobacco fuel oils animal feed building materials motor vehicles and parts machinery and parts

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $N/A

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 8 million kWh (2009 est.)
Production rank: 215
Consumption: 7.44 million kWh (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 215
Exports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 128
Imports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 131
Installed generating capacity: 4,000 kW (2009 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 208
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 38
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 175
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 198
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 185

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 186
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 182
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 119
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2012 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 185

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products production rank: 194
Products consumption: 100 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 211
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products exports rank: 131
Products imports: 66.05 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products imports rank: 207

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 188
Consumption: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 192
Exports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 148
Imports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 129
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2012 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 190

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 15,060 Mt (2010 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 209

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 3,000 (2011)
Main lines in use rank: 215

Telephone system

Broadcast media: St. 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 St. 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)

Internet
Country code: .sh; note - Ascension Island assigned .ac
Hosts: 6,729 (2012)
Hosts rank: 141
Users: 900 (2009)
Users rank: 215

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 (Ascension Island) (2012)
Rank: 235

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Rank: 209

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs