Saint Helena
(dependent territory of the UK) |
|
||
Geography |
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
Areacomparative: 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 Helenatropical; marine; mild, tempered by trade winds; Tristan da Cunhatemperate; marine, mild, tempered by trade winds (tends to be cooler than Saint Helena)
Terrain:
Saint Helenarugged, 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
Environmentcurrent issues: NA
Environmentinternational agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA
Geographynote: 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
People |
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.)
Government |
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 voteNA; seatsindependents 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
Economy |
Economyoverview: 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$NA
GDPreal growth rate: NA%
GDPper capita: purchasing power parity$NA
GDPcomposition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Inflation rateconsumer 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%
Electricitycapacity: 4,000 kW (1995)
Electricityproduction: 6 million kWh (1995)
Electricityconsumption per capita: 887 kWh (1995)
Agricultureproducts: 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
Debtexternal: $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$10.6115 (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 April31 March
Communications |
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 stations2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: 2,500 (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 0
Televisions: NA
Communicationsnote: Gough Island has a meteorological station
Transportation |
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.)
Airportswith paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Military |
Militarynote: defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues |
Disputesinternational: none