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 1,300 km (800 mi) northwest of Saint Helena; Tristan da Cunha lies 4,300 km (2,700 mi) southwest of Saint Helena

Geographic coordinates:

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 394 km²
Land: 122 km²
Note: Saint Helena Island 88 km² Ascension Island, 184 km² Tristan da Cunha island group (includes Tristan (98 km²), Inaccessible, Nightingale, and Gough islands)
Water: 0 km²
Rank: 204
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 (island only): 34 km

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

Climate:

Terrain:

Elevation
Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Highest point: Queen Marys Peak on Tristan da Cunha 859 m; Green Mountain on Ascension Island 818 m; Mount Actaeon on Saint Helena Island 2,060 m

Natural resources: fish, lobster

Land use
Agricultural land: 30.8% (2011 est.)
Forest: 5.1% (2011 est.)
Other: 64.1% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 0 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: active volcanism on Tristan da Cunhavolcanism: the island volcanoes of Tristan da Cunha (2,060 m) and Nightingale Island (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


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Population
Distribution: Saint Helena - population is concentrated in and around the capital Jamestown in the northwest, with another significant cluster in the interior Longwood area; Ascension - largest settlement, and location of most of the population, is Georgetown; Tristan da Cunha - most of the nearly 300 inhabitants live in the northern coastal town of Edinburgh of the Seven Seas:
Rank: 225
Growth rate: 0.14% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 185
Below poverty line note: NA

Nationality
Noun: Saint Helenian(s)
Adjective: Saint Helenian: note: referred to locally as 'Saints'

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

Languages: English

Religions:

Demographic profile: The vast majority of the population of Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha live on Saint Helena. Ascension has no indigenous or permanent residents and is inhabited only by persons contracted to work on the island (mainly with the UK and US military or in the space and communications industries) or their dependents, while Tristan da Cunha - the main island in a small archipelago - has fewer than 300 residents. The population of Saint Helena consists of the descendants of 17th century British sailors and settlers from the East India Company, African slaves, and indentured servants and laborers from India, Indonesia, and China. Most of the population of Ascension are Saint Helenians, Britons, and Americans, while that of Tristan da Cunha descends from shipwrecked sailors and Saint Helenians.Change in Saint Helena’s population size is driven by net outward migration. Since the 1980s, Saint Helena’s population steadily has shrunk and aged as the birth rate has decreased and many working-age residents left for better opportunities elsewhere. The restoration of British citizenship in 2002 accelerated family emigration; from 1998 to 2008 alone, population declined by about 20%.In the last few years, population has experienced some temporary growth, as foreigners and returning Saint Helenians, have come to build an international airport, but numbers are beginning to fade as the project reaches completion and workers depart. In the long term, once the airport is fully operational, increased access to the remote island has the potential to boost tourism and fishing, provide more jobs for Saint Helenians domestically, and could encourage some ex-patriots to return home. In the meantime, however, Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha have to contend with the needs of an aging population. The elderly population of the islands has risen from an estimated 9.4% in 1998 to 20.4% in 2016.

Age structure
0-14 years: 15.69% (male 627 /female 603)
15-24 years: 12.21% (male 487 /female 470)
25-54 years: 43.59% (male 1695 /female 1723)
55-64 years: 12.86% (male 512 /female 496)
65 years and over: 15.66% (male 627 /female 601) (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 42.4 years (2018 est.)
Male: 42.4 years
Female: 42.4 years
Rank: 32

Population growth rate: 0.14% (2018 est.)
Rank: 185

Birth rate: 9.4 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 201

Death rate: 8 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 91

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 96

Population distribution: Saint Helena - population is concentrated in and around the capital Jamestown in the northwest, with another significant cluster in the interior Longwood area; Ascension - largest settlement, and location of most of the population, is Georgetown; Tristan da Cunha - most of the nearly 300 inhabitants live in the northern coastal town of Edinburgh of the Seven Seas

Urbanization
Urban population: 39.9% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 0.73% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 1,000 JAMESTOWN (capital) (2018)

Environment
Current issues: development threatens unique biota on Saint Helena

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
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: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.04 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 12.8 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 15.1 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 10.4 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 106

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 79.8 years (2018 est.)
Male: 76.8 years
Female: 82.9 years
Rank: 47

Total fertility rate: 1.59 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 184

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

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

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures
Note: NA

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha
Conventional short form: none
Etymology: Saint Helena was discovered in 1502 by Galician navigator Joao da NOVA, sailing in the service of the Kingdom of Portugal, who named it Santa Helena; Ascension was named in 1503 by Portuguese navigator Afonso de ALBUQUERQUE who sighted the island on the Feast Day of the Ascension; Tristan da Cunha was discovered in 1506 by Portuguese explorer Tristao da CUNHA who christened the main island after himself (the name was subsequently anglicized)

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital
Name: Jamestown
Geographic coordinates: 15 56 S, 5 43 W
Time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time): etymology: founded in 1659 and named after James, Duke of York, who would become King James II of England (r. 1785-1788)

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, third Monday in April (1926)

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

Legal system: English common law and local statutes

International law organization participation

Citizenship: see United Kingdom

Suffrage: 18 years of age

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
Head of government: Governor Philip RUSHBROOK (since 11 May 2019)
Cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, 3 ex-officio officers, and 5 elected members of the Legislative Council
Electionsappointments: none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch: note: the constitution order provides for an administrator for Ascension and Tristan da Cunha appointed by the governor

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Legislative Council (17 seats including the speaker and deputy speaker; 12 members directly elected in a single countrywide constituency by simple majority vote and 3 ex-officio members - the chief secretary, financial secretary, and attorney general; members serve 4-year terms)
Elections: last held on 26 July 2017 (next to be held in 2021)
Election results: percent of vote - NA; seats by party - independent 12; composition - men 14, women 3, percent women 17.6%: note: the Constitution Order provides for separate Island Councils for both Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and 2 justices); Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice - a nonresident - and NA judges); 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 of Appeal and Supreme Court justices appointed by the governor acting upon the instructions from a secretary of state acting on behalf of Queen ELIZABETH II; justices of both courts serve until retirement at age 70, but terms can be extended
Subordinate courts: Magistrates 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: note: as a territory of the UK, 'God Save the Queen' is official (see United Kingdom)

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

Real gdp growth rate: NA

Real gdp per capita: $7,800 (FY09/10 est.)
Rank: 153

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: construction, crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing, collectible postage stamps

Industrial production growth rate
Note: NA

Labor force: 2,486 (1998 est.)
Rank: 226
By occupation agriculture: 6%
By occupation industry: 48%
By occupation services: 46% (1987 est.)

Unemployment rate: 14% (1998 est.)
Rank: 169

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line
Note: NA

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: 8.427 million (FY06/07 est.)
Expenditures: 20.7 million (FY06/07 est.): note: revenue data reflect only locally raised revenues; the budget deficit is resolved by grant aid from the UK

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4% (2012 est.)
Rank: 156

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: 211
Commodities: fish (frozen, canned, and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), coffee, handicrafts

Imports: $20.53 million (2010 est.)
Rank: 222
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: NA (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 7 million kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 215
Consumption: 6.51 million kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 214
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 187
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 189
Installed generating capacity: 8,000 kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 210
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 16
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 171
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 194
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 205

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 190
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 183
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 185
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 185

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 192
Products consumption: 70 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 214
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 193
Products imports: 65 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 210

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 187
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 189
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 172
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 178
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 184

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 10,650 Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 212

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 576
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 35 (July 2016 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 217
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 3,018
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 39 (July 2016 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 216

Telephone system
General assessment: can communicate worldwide; ADSL- broadband service; LTE service; Wi-Fi hotspots in Jamestown, 1 ISP, many services are not offered locally but made available for visitors (2018)
Domestic: automatic digital network; fixed-line 35 per 100 and moblie-cellular 39 per 100 persons (2018)
International: country code (Saint Helena) - 290, (Ascension Island) - 247; landing point for the SaEx1 submarine cable providing connectivity to South Africa, Brazil, Virginia Beach (US) and islands in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan de Cunha; international direct dialing; satellite voice and data communications; satellite earth stations - 5 (Ascension Island - 4, Saint Helena - 1) (2019)

Broadcast media: Saint 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 Saint 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

Internet
Country code: .sh; note - Ascension Island assigned .ac
Users total: 1800
Users percent of population: 23.1% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 220

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 1347
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 17 (2017 est.)
Rank: 188


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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: VQ-H (2016)

Airports: 2 (2015)
Rank: 203
With paved runways total: 2 (2017)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways note: Saint Helena (HLE); (2017)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways: note - weekly commercial air service to South Africa via Namibia commenced on 14 October 2017

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 198 km
Note: (Saint Helena 20 km Tristan da Cunha 10 km) (2002)
Paved: 168 km
Unpaved: 30 km
Rank: 202

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Saint Helena
Saint Helena: Jamestown
Ascension Island: Georgetown
Tristan da Cunha: Calshot Harbor (Edinburgh)


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs