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  Saint Helena  
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 Introduction
 Geography
 People
 Government
 Economy
 Communications
 Transportation
 Military
 Transnational Issues

This page was last updated on 28 July, 2005


Map of Saint Helena



Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Saint Helena
Background:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South America and Africa
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
15 56 S, 5 42 W
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Africa
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 410 sq km
land: 410 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Saint 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:
Definition Field Listing
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
0 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
60 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
Saint Helena - rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains
note: the other islands of the group have a volcanic origin
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha 2,060 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
fish
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 12.9%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 87.1% (2001)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
NA sq km
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
7,460 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 18.8% (male 715/female 691)
15-64 years: 71.3% (male 2,745/female 2,575)
65 years and over: 9.8% (male 330/female 404) (2005 est.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing
total: 35.4 years
male: 35.61 years
female: 35.21 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
0.59% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
12.33 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
6.43 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 19 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 22.74 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 15.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 77.76 years
male: 74.86 years
female: 80.81 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.54 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Saint Helenian(s)
adjective: Saint Helenian
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
African descent 50%, white 25%, Chinese 25%
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Anglican (majority), Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
English
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 20 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 97%
female: 98% (1987 est.)
   Government    Saint Helena
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Saint Helena
Dependency status:
Definition Field Listing
overseas territory of the UK
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
Jamestown
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
1 administrative area and 2 dependencies*; Ascension*, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha*
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
1 January 1989
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
NA years of age
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Governor and Commander in Chief Michael CLANCY (since 15 October 2004)
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:
Definition Field Listing
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 June 2005)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 15
Judicial branch:
Definition Field Listing
Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court; Small Debts Court; Juvenile Court
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
none
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
none
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
ICFTU, UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
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, 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.
GDP:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
purchasing power parity - $18 million (1998 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
GDP - per capita:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
purchasing power parity - $2,500 (1998 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: NA
industry: NA
services: NA
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3.2% (1997 est.)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3,500
note: 1,200 work offshore (1998 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture and fishing 6%, industry (mainly construction) 48%, services 46% (1987 est.)
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
14% (1998 est.)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $11.2 million
expenditures: $11 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY92/93)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
corn, potatoes, vegetables; timber; fish, crawfish (on Tristan da Cunha)
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
construction, crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
5 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
4.65 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2002)
Oil - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
200 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Oil - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$17 million f.o.b. (2002)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
fish (frozen, canned, and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), coffee, handicrafts
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
US 27.1%, Tanzania 24.5%, Indonesia 9.6%, Japan 8.8%, UK 6.2%, Spain 5.1% (2004)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$42 million c.i.f. (2002)
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
UK 35.1%, US 18.5%, South Africa 18.4%, Tanzania 8.5%, Australia 5.7%, Spain 4.3% (2004)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA (1996)
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
$12.6 million (1995); note - $5.3 million from UK (1997)
Currency:
Definition Field Listing
Saint Helenian pound (SHP)
Currency code:
Definition Field Listing
SHP
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
Saint Helenian pounds per US dollar - 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001), 0.6609 (2000)
note: the Saint Helenian pound is on par with the British pound
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
1 April - 31 March
   Communications    Saint Helena
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2,200 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 (1997)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
general assessment: can communicate worldwide
domestic: automatic network
international: country code - 290; HF radiotelephone from Saint Helena to Ascension Island, 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:
Definition Field Listing
AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
0
note: television programs are received in Saint Helena via satellite and distributed by cable (2002)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.sh
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
500 (2002)
Communications - note:
Definition Field Listing
Gough Island has a meteorological station
   Transportation    Saint Helena
Highways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 198 km (Saint Helena 138 km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da Cunha 20 km)
paved: 168 km (Saint Helena 118km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da Cunha 10 km)
unpaved: 30 km (Saint Helena 20 km, Ascension 0 km, Tristan da Cunha 10 km) (2000)
Ports and harbors:
Definition Field Listing
Georgetown (on Ascension), Jamestown
Airports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)
   Military    Saint Helena
Military - note:
Definition Field Listing
defense is the responsibility of the UK
   Transnational Issues    Saint Helena
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
none

This page was last updated on 28 July, 2005


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