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

In general, information available as of 1 January 2002
was used in the preparation of The World Factbook 2002.


This page was last updated on 19 March 2003


Map of Saint Helena

Legend: Definition Definition Field Listing Field Listing
   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
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:
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
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 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% (1998 est.)
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
7,317 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
0.7% (2002 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing
13.26 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing
6.29 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
21.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing
total population: 77.2 years
female: 80.23 years (2002 est.)
male: 74.31 years
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing
1.53 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing
NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing
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)
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:
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 NA 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
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, 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:
Definition Field Listing
purchasing power parity - $18 million (1998 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
NA%
GDP - per capita:
Definition Field Listing
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
3.2% (1997 est.)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing
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
14% (1998 est.)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $11.2 million
expenditures: $11 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92)
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
construction, crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
NA%
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing
5 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source:
Definition Field Listing
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing
4.65 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
corn, potatoes, vegetables; timber; fish, crawfish (on Tristan da Cunha)
Exports:
Definition Field Listing
$704,000 f.o.b. (1995)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
fish (frozen, canned, and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), coffee, handicrafts
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
South Africa, UK
Imports:
Definition Field Listing
$14.434 million c.i.f. (1995)
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, South Africa
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing
$NA
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 - 0.6981 (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:
Definition Field Listing
1 April - 31 March
   Communications    Saint Helena
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing
2,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing
0 (1997)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios:
Definition Field Listing
3,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
0
note: television programs are received in St. Helena via satellite and distributed by cable (2002)
Televisions:
Definition Field Listing
2,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.sh
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
Definition Field Listing
1 (2000)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Communications - note:
Definition Field Listing
Gough Island has a meteorological station
   Transportation    Saint Helena
Railways:
Definition Field Listing
0 km
Highways:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
none
Ports and harbors:
Definition Field Listing
Georgetown (on Ascension), Jamestown
Merchant marine:
Definition Field Listing
none (2002 est.)
Airports:
Definition Field Listing
1 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)
   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 19 March 2003


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