Saint Helena   source: CIA World Factbook 1998 (dependent territory of the UK)

[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 Ascension, Gough Island, Inaccessible Island, Nightingale Island, and Tristan da Cunha Island

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 2,060 m

Natural resources: fish

Land use:
arable land: 6%
permanent crops: NA%
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

Environment—international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA

Geography—note: Napoleon Bonaparte's place of exile and burial (his remains were taken to Paris in 1840); harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown anywhere else in the world; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles and sooty terns

[Top of Page]

Population: 7,091 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 20% (male 718; female 694)
15-64 years: 71% (male 2,643; female 2,423)
65 years and over: 9% (male 249; female 364) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.76% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 14.1 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 6.49 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 28.81 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.73 years
male: 72.66 years
female: 78.96 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Saint Helenian(s)
adjective: Saint Helenian

Ethnic groups: African descent, white

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.)

[Top of Page]

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Saint Helena

Data code: SH

Dependency status: dependent territory of the UK

Government type: NA

National capital: Jamestown

Administrative divisions: 1 administrative area and 2 dependencies*; Ascension*, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha*

Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)

National holiday: Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen, 10 June 1989 (second Saturday in June)

Constitution: 1 January 1989

Legal system: NA

Suffrage: NA years of age

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Governor and Commander in Chief David Leslie SMALLMAN (since NA 1995)
cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, two ex-officio officers, and six elected members of the Legislative Council
elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor is appointed by the queen

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council (15 seats, including the governor, 2 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 July 2001)
election results: percent of vote—NA; seats—independents 15

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: none

International organization participation: ICFTU

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

Diplomatic representation from the US: none (dependent 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

[Top of Page]

Economy—overview: The economy depends primarily on financial assistance from the UK. The local population earns some income from fishing, the raising of livestock, and sales of handicrafts. Because there are few jobs, a large proportion of the work force has left to seek employment overseas.

GDP: purchasing power parity—$NA

GDP—real growth rate: NA%

GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$NA

GDP—composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

Inflation rate—consumer price index: NA%

Labor force:
total: 2,416 (1991 est.)
by occupation: professional, technical, and related workers 8.7%, managerial, administrative, and clerical 12.8%, sales people 8.1%, farmer, fishermen, etc. 5.4%, craftspersons, production process workers 14.7%, others 50.3% (1987)
note: a large proportion of the work force has left to seek employment overseas

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget:
revenues: $11.2 million
expenditures: $11 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92/93)

Industries: crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity—capacity: 4,000 kW (1995)

Electricity—production: 6 million kWh (1995)

Electricity—consumption per capita: 887 kWh (1995)

Agriculture—products: maize, potatoes, vegetables; timber production being developed; fishing, including crawfishing on Tristan da Cunha

Exports:
total value: $704,000 (f.o.b., 1995)
commodities: fish (frozen, canned, and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), handicrafts
partners: South Africa, UK

Imports:
total value: $14.434 million (c.i.f., 1995)
commodities: food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts
partners: UK, South Africa

Debt—external: $NA

Economic aid:
recipient: $5.3 million from UK (1997)

Currency: 1 Saint Helenian pound (£S) = 100 pence

Exchange rates: Saint Helenian pounds (£S) per US$1—0.6115 (January 1998), 0.6047 (1997), 0.6403 (1996), 0.6335 (1995), 0.6529 (1994), 0.6658 (1993); note - the Saint Helenian pound is at par with the British pound

Fiscal year: 1 April—31 March

[Top of Page]

Telephones: 550

Telephone system:
domestic: automatic network; HF radiotelephone from Saint Helena to Ascension, then into worldwide submarine cable and satellite networks
international: major coaxial submarine cable relay point between South Africa, Portugal, and UK at Ascension; satellite earth stations—2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios: 2,500 (1993 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 0

Televisions: NA

Communications—note: Gough Island has a meteorological station

[Top of Page]

Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total: NA km (Saint Helena 118 km, Ascension NA km, Tristan da Cunha NA km)
paved: 180.7 km (Saint Helena 98 km, Ascension 80 km, Tristan da Cunha 2.70 km)
unpaved: NA km (Saint Helena 20 km, Ascension NA km, Tristan da Cunha NA km)

Ports and harbors: Georgetown (on Ascension), Jamestown

Merchant marine: none

Airports: 1 (1997 est.)

Airports—with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (1997 est.)

[Top of Page]

Military—note: defense is the responsibility of the UK

[Top of Page]

Disputes—international: none