Compare Bassas da India (2001) - Saint Helena (2008)

This atoll is a volcanic rock surrounded by reefs and is awash at high tide. A French possession since 1897, it was placed under the administration of a commissioner residing in Reunion in 1968.

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 a site for a meteorological station on Gough Island.

Birth rate

-

11.93 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Budget

-

revenues: $13.09 million

expenditures: $32.16 million

note: revenue data reflect locally raised revenues only; the budget deficit is resolved by grant aid from the United Kingdom (FY06/07 est.)

Capital

-

name: Jamestown

geographic coordinates: 15 56 S, 5 44 W

time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Climate

tropical

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)

Coastline

35.2 km

Saint Helena: 60 km

Ascension Island: NA

Tristan da Cunha: 40 km

Constitution

-

1 January 1989

Country name

conventional long form:
none

conventional short form:
Bassas da India

conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Saint Helena

Death rate

-

6.63 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Debt - external

-

$NA

Dependency status

possession of France; administered by a high commissioner of the Republic, resident in Reunion

overseas territory of the UK

Diplomatic representation from the US

-

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation in the US

-

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Disputes - international

claimed by Madagascar

none

Economic aid - recipient

-

$29.56 million obtained in a grant from the United Kingdom (FY06/07)

Economy - overview

no economic activity

The economy depends largely on financial assistance from the UK, which will amount to about $27 million in FY06/07 or almost 70% 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.

Electricity - consumption

-

7.44 million kWh (2005)

Electricity - exports

-

0 kWh (2005)

Electricity - imports

-

0 kWh (2005)

Electricity - production

-

8 million kWh (2005)

Elevation extremes

lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m

highest point:
unnamed location 2.4 m

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

Environment - current issues

NA

Ethnic groups

-

African descent 50%, white 25%, Chinese 25%

Exchange rates

-

Saint Helenian pounds per US dollar - 0.4993 (2007), 0.5434 (2006), 0.5493 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003)

note: the Saint Helenian pound is on par with the British pound

Executive branch

-

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)

head of government: Governor and Commander in Chief Andrew GURR (since 11 November 2007)

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

Exports

-

0 bbl/day (2004)

Exports - commodities

-

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

Exports - partners

-

Tanzania 37.7%, US 17.4%, Japan 15.2%, UK 8.4%, Nigeria 4.8%, Spain 4.5% (2006)

Fiscal year

-

1 April - 31 March

Flag description

the flag of France is used

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

GDP - composition by sector

-

agriculture: NA%

industry: NA%

services: NA%

GDP - real growth rate

-

NA%

Geographic coordinates

21 30 S, 39 50 E

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

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

Household income or consumption by percentage share

-

lowest 10%: NA%

highest 10%: NA%

Imports

-

64.07 bbl/day (2004)

Imports - commodities

-

food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts

Imports - partners

-

UK 53.5%, South Africa 14.3%, Spain 10.3%, Tanzania 8.5%, US 4.6% (2006)

Independence

-

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Industrial production growth rate

-

NA%

Industries

-

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

Infant mortality rate

-

total: 17.67 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 21.19 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 13.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

-

3.2% (1997 est.)

International organization participation

-

UPU

Irrigated land

0 sq km (1993)

NA

Judicial branch

-

Magistrate's Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal

Labor force

-

2,486

note: 1,200 work offshore (1998 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

-

agriculture: 6%

industry: 48%

services: 46% (1987 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land:
0%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
0%

forests and woodland:
0%

other:
100% (all rock)

arable land: 12.9%

permanent crops: 0%

other: 87.1% (2005)

Languages

-

English

Legal system

the laws of France, where applicable, apply

English common law and statutes, supplemented by local statutes

Legislative branch

-

unicameral Legislative Council (16 seats, including the speaker, three 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 in 2009)

election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 12

Life expectancy at birth

-

total population: 78.09 years

male: 75.19 years

female: 81.15 years (2007 est.)

Literacy

-

definition: age 20 and over can read and write

total population: 97%

male: 97%

female: 98% (1987 est.)

Location

Southern Africa, islands in the southern Mozambique Channel, about one-half of the way from Madagascar to Mozambique

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
12 NM

territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of France

defense is the responsibility of the UK

National holiday

-

Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926)

Nationality

-

noun: Saint Helenian(s)

adjective: Saint Helenian

note: referred to locally as "Saints"

Natural hazards

maritime hazard since it is usually under water during high tide and surrounded by reefs; subject to periodic cyclones

active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha, last eruption in 1961

Natural resources

none

fish, lobster

Net migration rate

-

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Political parties and leaders

-

none

Political pressure groups and leaders

-

none

Population

uninhabited (July 2001 est.)

7,543

note: only Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha islands are inhabited (July 2007 est.)

Population below poverty line

-

NA%

Population growth rate

-

0.53% (2007 est.)

Ports and harbors

none; offshore anchorage only

-

Radio broadcast stations

-

Saint Helena: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0

Ascension: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2005)

Religions

-

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

Sex ratio

-

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.036 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.056 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.863 male(s)/female

total population: 1.031 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

Suffrage

-

NA years of age

Telephone system

-

general assessment: can communicate worldwide

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)

Telephones - main lines in use

-

2,200 (2002)

Television broadcast stations

-

0 (3 television channels are received via satellite and distributed by UHF) (2005)

Terrain

volcanic rock

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

Total fertility rate

-

1.55 children born/woman (2007 est.)

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

Unemployment rate

-

14% (1998 est.)

Waterways

none

-