Saint Helena
Introduction Saint Helena
-------------------------
Background: 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. Ascension
Island is the site of a US Air Force
auxiliary airfield; Gough Island has
a meteorological station.
Geography Saint Helena
----------------------
Location: islands in the South Atlantic Ocean,
about midway between South America
and Africa
Geographic coordinates: 15 56 S, 5 42 W
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 410 sq km
note: includes St. Helena Island,
Ascension, and the island group of
Tristan da Cunha, which consists of
Tristan da Cunha Island, Gough
Island, Inaccessible Island, and the
three Nightingale Islands
water: 0 sq km
land: 410 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly more than twice 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
highest point: Queen Mary's Peak on
Tristan da Cunha 2,060 m
Natural resources: fish
Land use: arable land: 12.9%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 87.1% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha
Environment - current issues: NA
Geography - note: harbors at least 40 species of
plants unknown anywhere else in the
world; Ascension is a breeding
ground for sea turtles and sooty
terns
People Saint Helena
-------------------
Population: 7,317 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 18.8% (male 698; female
678)
15-64 years: 71.9% (male 2,727;
female 2,531)
65 years and over: 9.3% (male 296;
female 387) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.7% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 13.26 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 6.29 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/
female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 21.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.2 years
female: 80.23 years (2002 est.)
male: 74.31 years
Total fertility rate: 1.53 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ NA
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: Saint Helenian(s)
adjective: Saint Helenian
Ethnic groups: African descent 50%, white 25%,
Chinese 25%
Religions: Anglican (majority), Baptist,
Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman
Catholic
Languages: English
Literacy: definition: age 20 and over can read
and write
total population: 97%
male: 97%
female: 98% (1987 est.)
Government Saint Helena
-----------------------
Country name: conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Saint
Helena
Dependency status: overseas territory of the UK
Government type: NA
Capital: Jamestown
Administrative divisions: 1 administrative area and 2
dependencies*; Ascension*, Saint
Helena, Tristan da Cunha*
Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday: Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II,
second Saturday in June (1926)
Constitution: 1 January 1989
Legal system: NA
Suffrage: NA years of age
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II
(since 6 February 1952)
elections: none; the monarch is
hereditary; governor is appointed by
the monarch
head of government: Governor and
Commander in Chief David HOLLAMBY
(since NA June 1999)
cabinet: Executive Council consists
of the governor, two ex officio
officers, and six elected members of
the Legislative Council
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council (16
seats, including the speaker, 3 ex
officio and 12 elected members;
members are elected by popular vote
to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 27 June 2001
(next to be held NA June 2005)
election results: percent of vote -
NA%; seats - independents 15
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court;
Small Debts Court; Juvenile Court
Political parties and leaders: none
Political pressure groups and none
leaders:
International organization ICFTU
participation:
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the none (overseas territory of the UK)
US:
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
Economy Saint Helena
--------------------
Economy - overview: The economy depends largely on
financial assistance from the UK,
which amounted to about $5 million
in 1997 or almost one-half of annual
budgetary revenues. The local
population earns income from
fishing, the raising of 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.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $18
million (1998 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: NA%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,500
(1998 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA%
percentage share: highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.2% (1997 est.)
Labor force: 3,500 (1998 est.)
note: 1,200 work offshore
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture and fishing 6%, industry
(mainly construction) 48%, services
46% (1987 est.)
Unemployment rate: 14% (1998 est.)
Budget: revenues: $11.2 million
expenditures: $11 million, including
capital expenditures of $NA (FY92)
Industries: construction, crafts (furniture,
lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 5 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 4.65 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: corn, potatoes, vegetables; timber;
fish, crawfish (on Tristan da Cunha)
Exports: $704,000 (f.o.b., 1995)
Exports - commodities: fish (frozen, canned, and salt-dried
skipjack, tuna), coffee, handicrafts
Exports - partners: South Africa, UK
Imports: $14.434 million (c.i.f., 1995)
Imports - commodities: food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils,
animal feed, building materials,
motor vehicles and parts, machinery
and parts
Imports - partners: UK, South Africa
Debt - external: $NA
Economic aid - recipient: $12.6 million (1995); note - $5.3
million from UK (1997)
Currency: Saint Helenian pound (SHP)
Currency code: SHP
Exchange rates: Saint Helenian pounds per US dollar
- 0.6981 (January 2002), 0.6944
(2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180
(1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6047
(1997); note - the Saint Helenian
pound is at par with the British
pound
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Communications Saint Helena
---------------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 2,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 0 (1997)
Telephone system: general assessment: can communicate
worldwide
domestic: automatic network
international: HF radiotelephone
from Saint Helena to Ascension which
is a major coaxial submarine cable
relay point between South Africa,
Portugal, and UK ; satellite earth
stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 3,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 0 (1997)
Televisions: 2,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .sh
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)
Internet users: NA
Communications - note: Gough Island has a meteorological
station
Transportation Saint Helena
---------------------------
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 158 km (Saint Helena 118 km,
Ascension 40 km, Tristan da Cunha 0
km)
paved: 138 km (Saint Helena 98km,
Ascension 40 km, Tristan da Cunha 0
km)
unpaved: 20 km (Saint Helena 20 km,
Ascension 0 km, Tristan da Cunha 0
km)
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: Georgetown (on Ascension), Jamestown
Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)
Airports: 1 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2001)
Military Saint Helena
---------------------
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the
UK
Transnational Issues Saint Helena
---------------------------------
Disputes - international: none
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