Saint Helena (overseas territory of the UK)

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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 on Tristan da Cunha 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

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Population: 7,145 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 20% (male 713; female 690)
15-64 years: 72% (male 2,664; female 2,449)
65 years and over: 8% (male 259; female 370) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.74% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 13.86 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 6.44 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 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: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 27.98 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.88 years
male: 72.78 years
female: 79.13 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (1999 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.)

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

Data code: SH

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: Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen (second Saturday in June)

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 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 monarch is hereditary; governor is appointed by the monarch

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 (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

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Economy—overview: The economy depends largely on financial assistance from the UK, which amounted to about $5 million in 1998. The local population earns 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—$13.9 million (FY94/95 est.)

GDP—real growth rate: NA%

GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$2,000 (FY94/95 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): NA%

Labor force: 2,416 (1991 est.)
note: a large proportion of the work force has left to seek employment overseas

Labor force—by occupation: professional, technical, and related workers 8.7%, managerial, administrative, and clerical 12.8%, sales people 8.1%, farmers, fishermen 5.4%, craftspersons, production process workers 14.7%, others 50.3% (1987)

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—production: 6 million kWh (1996)

Electricity—production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)

Electricity—consumption: 6 million kWh (1996)

Electricity—exports: 0 kWh (1996)

Electricity—imports: 0 kWh (1996)

Agriculture—products: maize, 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: 1 Saint Helenian pound (£S) = 100 pence

Exchange rates: Saint Helenian pounds (£S) per US$1—0.6057 (January 1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6047 (1997), 0.6403 (1996), 0.6335 (1995), 0.6529 (1994); note—the Saint Helenian pound is at par with the British pound

Fiscal year: 1 April—31 March

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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 (1997)

Televisions: NA

Communications—note: Gough Island has a meteorological station

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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 (1998 est.)

Airports—with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (1998 est.)

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Military—note: defense is the responsibility of the UK

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Disputes—international: none