| Saint Helena (overseas territory of the UK) |
Introduction Geography People Government Economy Communications Transportation Military Transnational Issues

Saint Helena | Introduction | Top of Page

Background: | Uninhabited when first discovered by the Portuguese in 1502, St. 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.

Saint Helena | Geography | Top of Page

Location: | islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about mid-way between South America and Africa

Geographic coordinates: | 15 56 S, 5 42 W

Map references: | Africa

Area: | total: 410 sq km land: 410 sq km water: 0 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

Area - comparative: | slightly more than two times 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: 6% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 6% forests and woodland: 6% other: 82% (1993 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

Saint Helena | People | Top of Page

Population: | 7,266 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: | 0-14 years: 19.08% (male 699; female 687) 15-64 years: 71.72% (male 2,711; female 2,500) 65 years and over: 9.2% (male 286; female 383) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: | 0.72% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: | 13.49 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: | 6.33 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: | 22.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 77.01 years male: 74.13 years female: 80.04 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: | 1.53 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA

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.)

Saint Helena | Government | Top of Page

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) 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 elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor is appointed by the monarch

Legislative branch: | unicameral Legislative Council (15 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 9 July 1997 (next to be held NA August 2001) 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 leaders: | none

International organization participation: | ICFTU

Diplomatic representation in the US: | none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation 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 shield features a rocky coastline and three-masted sailing ship

Saint Helena | Economy | Top of Page

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 percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

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

Labor force: | 3,500 (1998 est.) note: 1,200 of whom are working 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: | 6 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: | 5.6 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (1999)

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 - 0.6764 (January 2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6047 (1997), 0.6403 (1996); note - the Saint Helenian pound is at par with the British pound

Fiscal year: | 1 April - 31 March

Saint Helena | Communications | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 2,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular: | 0 (1997)

Telephone system: | general assessment: can communicate with any place in the world 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

Saint Helena | Transportation | Top of Page

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: NA km 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 (2000 est.)

Airports: | 1 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: | total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Saint Helena | Military | Top of Page

Military - note: | defense is the responsibility of the UK

Saint Helena | Transnational Issues | Top of Page

Disputes - international: | none