Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha

Communications - note

Gough Island has a meteorological station

Internet country code

.sh

Internet users

500 (2002)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)

Telephone system

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)

Telephones - main lines in use

2,200 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular

0 (1997)

Television broadcast stations

0 note: television programs are received in Saint Helena via satellite and distributed by cable (2002)

Agriculture - products

corn, potatoes, vegetables; timber; fish, crawfish (on Tristan da Cunha)

Budget

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

Currency

Saint Helenian pound (SHP)

Currency code

SHP

Debt - external

NA (1996)

Economic aid - recipient

$12.6 million (1995); note - $5.3 million from UK (1997)

Economy - overview

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.

Electricity - consumption

4.65 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

5 million kWh (2001)

Exchange rates

Saint Helenian pounds per US dollar - 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998),

Exports

$17 million f.o.b. (2002)

Exports - commodities

fish (frozen, canned, and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), coffee, handicrafts

Exports - partners

US 26.7%, Tanzania 21.9%, Indonesia 9.4%, UK 8.7%, Japan 7.4%, Netherlands 7.2%, Nigeria 6.8%, Poland 5%, Spain 4.9% (2003)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP

purchasing power parity - $18 million (1998 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: NA industry: NA services: NA

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $2,500 (1998 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA

Imports

$42 million c.i.f. (2002)

Imports - commodities

food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts

Imports - partners

UK 29.1%, South Africa 24.7%, Spain 16.4%, Italy 8.8%, Tanzania 8.2%, US 5.8% (2003)

Industrial production growth rate

NA

Industries

construction, crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.2% (1997 est.)

Labor force

3,500 note: 1,200 work offshore (1998 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture and fishing 6%, industry (mainly construction) 48%, services 46% (1987 est.)

Oil - consumption

200 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA

Unemployment rate

14% (1998 est.)

Area

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

slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC

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)

Coastline

60 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha 2,060 m

Environment - current issues

NA

Geographic coordinates

15 56 S, 5 42 W

Geography - note

harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown anywhere else in the world; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles and sooty terns

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 12.9% permanent crops: 0% other: 87.1% (2001)

Location

islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South America and Africa

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards

active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha

Natural resources

fish

Terrain

Saint Helena - rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains note: the other islands of the group have a volcanic origin

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

Jamestown

Constitution

1 January 1989

Country name

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Saint Helena

Dependency status

overseas territory of the UK

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Governor and Commander in Chief David HOLLAMBY (since 1999); Michael CLANCY (taking office in 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

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

Government type

NA

Independence

none (overseas territory of the UK)

International organization participation

ICFTU, UPU

Judicial branch

Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court; Small Debts Court; Juvenile Court

Legal system

NA

Legislative branch

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

National holiday

Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926)

Political parties and leaders

none

Political pressure groups and leaders

none

Suffrage

NA years of age

Background

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.

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Age structure

0-14 years: 18.9% (male 710; female 689) 15-64 years: 71.4% (male 2,739; female 2,559) 65 years and over: 9.7% (male 319; female 399) (2004 est.)

Birth rate

12.68 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate

6.47 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Ethnic groups

African descent 50%, white 25%, Chinese 25%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

total: 19.85 deaths/1,000 live births male: 23.7 deaths/1,000 live births female: 15.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)

Languages

English

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 77.57 years male: 74.67 years female: 80.61 years (2004 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 20 and over can read and write total population: 97% male: 97% female: 98% (1987 est.)

Median age

total: 34.7 years male: 34.9 years female: 34.5 years (2004 est.)

Nationality

noun: Saint Helenian(s) adjective: Saint Helenian

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Population

7,415 (July 2004 est.)

Population growth rate

0.62% (2004 est.)

Religions

Anglican (majority), Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.54 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Airports

1 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Highways

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)

Merchant marine

none

Ports and harbors

Georgetown (on Ascension), Jamestown