• Index to The World FactBook 1995
• UMSL Government Documents
• UMSL Libraries

 Match 204   DB Rec# - 7,656  Dataset-WOFACT

Title         :Saint Helena 
Text          : 
                                  Saint Helena 
 
                                     Header 
 
Affiliation: 
    (dependent territory of the UK) 
 
                                    Geography 
 
Location: 
    Southern Africa, island in the South Atlantic Ocean, west of Angola, about 
    two-thirds of the way from South America to Africa 
Map references: 
    Africa 
Area: 
  total area: 
    410 sq km 
  land area: 
    410 sq km 
  comparative area: 
    slightly more than 2.3 times the size of Washington, DC 
  note: 
    includes Ascension, Gough Island, Inaccessible Island, Nightingale Island, 
    and Tristan da Cunha 
Land boundaries: 
    0 km 
Coastline: 
    60 km 
Maritime claims: 
  exclusive fishing zone: 
    200 nm 
  territorial sea: 
    12 nm 
International disputes: 
    none 
Climate: 
    tropical; marine; mild, tempered by trade winds 
Terrain: 
    rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains 
Natural resources: 
    fish; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles and sooty terns, no 


    minerals 
Land use: 
  arable land: 
    7% 
  permanent crops: 
    0% 
  meadows and pastures: 
    7% 
  forest and woodland: 
    3% 
  other: 
    83% 
Irrigated land: 
    NA sq km 
Environment: 
  current issues: 
    NA 
  natural hazards: 
    active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha 
  international agreements: 
    NA 
Note: 
    Napoleon Bonaparte's place of exile and burial (the remains were taken to 
    Paris in 1840); harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown anywhere else 
    in the world 
 
                                     People 
 
Population: 
    6,762 (July 1995 est.) 
Age structure: 
  0-14 years: 
    NA 
  15-64 years: 
    NA 
  65 years and over: 
    NA 
Population growth rate: 
    0.31% (1995 est.) 
Birth rate: 
    9.5 births/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Death rate: 
    6.43 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Net migration rate: 
    0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Infant mortality rate: 
    36.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.) 
Life expectancy at birth: 
  total population: 
    75.07 years 
  male: 
    73.01 years 
  female: 
    76.89 years (1995 est.) 
Total fertility rate: 
    1.13 children born/woman (1995 est.) 
Nationality: 
  noun: 
    Saint Helenian(s) 
  adjective: 


    Saint Helenian 
Ethnic divisions: 
    NA 
Religions: 
    Anglican (majority), Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic 
Languages: 
    English 
Literacy: 
    age 20 and over can read and write (1987) 
  total population: 
    97% 
  male: 
    97% 
  female: 
    98% 
Labor force: 
    2,516 
  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) 
 
                                   Government 
 
Names: 
  conventional long form: 
    none 
  conventional short form: 
    Saint Helena 
Digraph: 
    SH 
Type: 
    dependent territory of the UK 
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 
Executive branch: 
  chief of state: 
    Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) 
  head of government: 
    Governor A. N. HOOLE (since NA 1991) 
  cabinet: 
    Executive Council 
Legislative branch: 
    unicameral 


  Legislative Council: 
    elections last held July 1993 (next to be held NA); results - percent of 
    vote NA; seats - (15 total, 12 elected) independents 15 
Judicial branch: 
    Supreme Court 
Political parties and leaders: 
    none 
Member of: 
    ICFTU 
Diplomatic representation in US: 
    none (dependent territory of the UK) 
US diplomatic representation: 
    none (dependent territory of the UK) 
Flag: 
    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 
 
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. 
National product: 
    GDP $NA 
National product real growth rate: 
    NA% 
National product per capita: 
    $NA 
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 
    -1.1% (1986) 
Unemployment rate: 
    NA% 
Budget: 
  revenues: 
    $11.2 million 
  expenditures: 
    $11 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92/93) 
Exports: 
    $27,400 (f.o.b., FY92/93) 
  commodities: 
    fish (frozen and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), handicrafts 
  partners: 
    South Africa, UK 
Imports: 
    $9.8 million (c.i.f., FY92/93) 
  commodities: 
    food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor 
    vehicles and parts, machinery and parts 
  partners: 
    UK, South Africa 
External debt: 
    $NA 
Industrial production: 
    growth rate NA% 
Electricity: 
  capacity: 


    9,800 kW 
  production: 
    10 million kWh 
  consumption per capita: 
    NA kWh (1993) 
Industries: 
    crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing 
Agriculture: 
    maize, potatoes, vegetables; timber production being developed; crawfishing 
    on Tristan da Cunha 
Economic aid: 
  recipient: 
    Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1992-93), 
    $13.5 million 
Currency: 
    1 Saint Helenian pound (#S) = 100 pence 
Exchange rates: 
    Saint Helenian pounds (#S) per US$1 - 0.6350 (January 1995), 0.6529 (1994), 
    0.6033 (1993), 0.5664 (1992), 0.5652 (1991), 0.5603 (1990); note - the Saint
 
    Helenian pound is at par with the British pound 
 
                                     Economy 
Fiscal year: 
    1 April - 31 March 
 
                                 Transportation 
 
Railroads: 
    0 km 
Highways: 
  total: 
    NA (mainland 107 km, Ascension NA, Tristan da Cunha NA) 
  paved: 
    169.7 km (mainland 87 km, Ascension 80 km, Tristan da Cunha 2.70 km) 
  unpaved: 
    NA (mainland 20 km earth roads, Ascension NA, Tristan da Cunha NA) 
Ports: 
    Georgetown, Jamestown 
Merchant marine: 
    none 
Airports: 
  total: 
    1 
  with paved runways over 3,047 m: 
    1 
 
                                 Communications 
 
Telephone system: 
    550 telephones; automatic network 
  local: 
    NA 
  intercity: 
    HF radio links 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; 2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth stations 
Radio: 


  broadcast stations: 
    AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 
  radios: 
    1,500 
Television: 
  broadcast stations: 
    0 
  televisions: 
    NA 
 
                                 Defense Forces 
 
Note: 
    defense is the responsibility of the UK 

This publication is also available online from the CIA (http://www.odci.gov/cia) as 1995 World Factbook (http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/95fact/index.html).

The printed version of this item can be found under the title:
The World Factbook 1995,
SuDoc No: PREX 3.15:995

Select this link for contact information about the
UM-St. Louis Librarians maintaining this site. 
Updated: March 12, 1996