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

top of page


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 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.
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.


top of page


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
Ascension Island: 7 57 S 14 22 W
Tristan da Cunha island group: 37 15 S 12 30 W

Map reference

Area
Rank: 209
Land: Saint Helena Island 122 km²; Ascension Island 88 km²; Tristan da Cunha island group 98 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline
Ascension Island: NA
Tristan da Cunha: 40 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate
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 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

Natural resources: fish lobster

Land use
Permanent crops: 0%
Other: 89.74% (2011)

Irrigated land: NA

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

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

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


top of page


Population: 7,754 (July 2013 est.)
Rank: 228
Growth rate: 0.3% (2013 est.)
Growth rate rank: 168
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Adjective: Saint Helenian

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
15-24 years: 11.7% (male 464/female 447)
25-54 years: 45.6% (male 1750/female 1787)
55-64 years: 12.2% (male 506/female 443)
65 years and over: 13.2% (male 520/female 505) (2013 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Male: 40 years
Female: 39.9 years (2013 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.3% (2013 est.)
Rank: 168

Birth rate: 10.19 births/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 192

Death rate: 7.22 deaths/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 125

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 102

Population distribution

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: -0.87% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: JAMESTOWN (capital) 1000 (2009)

Environment
Current issues: NA

Air pollutants

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: 1.17 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 109
Male: 17.97 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 12.38 deaths/1000 live births (2013 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 46
Male: 76.13 years
Female: 82.14 years (2013 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.57 children born/woman (2013 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
Total population: 97%
Male: 97%
Female: 98% (1987 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


top of page


Country name
Conventional short form: none

Government type: NA

Capital
Geographic coordinates: 15 56 S 5 43 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

Dependent areas

Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK)

National holiday: Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II second Saturday in June (1926)

Constitution: several previous; latest effective 1 September 2009 (The St. Helena Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Constitution Order 2009) (2013)

Legal system: English common law and local statutes

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age

Executive branch
Head of government: Governor Mark CAPES (since 29 October 2011)
Administrator Ascension Island: Colin WELLS (since 27 October 2011)
Administrator Tristan da Cunha: Alex MITHAM (since 23 September 2013)
Cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor 3 ex-officio officers and 5 elected members of the Legislative Council
Elections: none; 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)
Elections: last held on 4 November 2009 (next to be held in November 2013)
Election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 12

Judicial branch: 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

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


top of page


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: $31.1 million (FY09/10 est.)
Rank: 227

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita: $7,800 (FY09/10 est.)
Rank: 135

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

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

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

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

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 2,486 (1998 est.)
Rank: 228
By occupation industry: 48%
By occupation services: 46% (1987 est.)

Unemployment rate: 14% (1998 est.)
Rank: 139

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Expenditures: $25.46 million

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4% (2012 est.)
Rank: 122

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: 206
Commodities: fish (frozen canned and salt-dried skipjack tuna) coffee handicrafts

Imports: $20.53 million (2010 est.)
Rank: 219
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:


top of page


Electricity
Production: 8 million kWh (2010 est.)
Production rank: 215
Consumption: 7.44 million kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 215
Exports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 128
Imports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 131
Installed generating capacity: 5,000 kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 207
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 33
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 175
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 197
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 121

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 209
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 180
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 118
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2013 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 183

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 127
Products consumption: 100 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 210
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 128
Products imports: 63.12 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 208

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 188
Consumption: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 192
Exports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 179
Imports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 128
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2013 es)
Proven reserves rank: 190

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 9,100 Mt (2011 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 210

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones
Main lines in use: 3,000 (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 216

Telephone system
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) (2010)

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


top of page


Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 1 (2013)
Rank: 232
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1 (2013)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Rank: 209
Paved: 168 km (Saint Helena 118 km Ascension 40 km Tristan da Cunha 10 km)
Unpaved: 30 km (Saint Helena 20 km Tristan da Cunha 10 km) (2002)

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals
Ascension Island: Georgetown
Tristan da Cunha: Calshot Harbor (Edinburgh)


top of page


Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs