ARCHIVE // SH // 2016

Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha

2016 Edition — territory

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Communications
Broadcast media [time series]
Saint Helena has no local TV station; 2 local radio stations, one of which is relayed to Ascension Island; satellite TV stations rebroadcast terrestrially; Ascension Island has no local TV station but has 1 local radio station and receives relays of broadcasts from 1 radio station on Saint Helena; broadcasts from the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) are available, as well as TV services for the US military; Tristan da Cunha has 1 local radio station and receives BFBS TV and radio broadcasts (2007)
Communications - note [time series]
South Africa maintains a meteorological station on Gough Island
Internet country code [time series]
.sh; note - Ascension Island assigned .ac
Internet users [time series]
total: 1,800 | percent of population: 23.1% (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 214
Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]
general assessment: can communicate worldwide | domestic: automatic digital network | international: country code (Saint Helena) - 290, (Ascension Island) - 247; international direct dialing; satellite voice and data communications; satellite earth stations - 5 (Ascension Island - 4, Saint Helena - 1) (2010)
Telephones - fixed lines [time series]
total: 2,728 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 35 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 211
Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]
total: 1,267 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (July 2015 est.)
Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]
coffee, corn, potatoes, vegetables; fish, lobster; livestock; timber
Budget [time series]
revenues: $9.992 million | expenditures: $24.55 million | note: revenue data reflect locally raised revenues only; the budget deficit is resolved by grant aid from the UK (FY06/07 est.)
Debt - external [time series]
$NA
Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]
The economy depends largely on financial assistance from the UK, which amounted to about $27 million in FY06/07 or more than twice the level of annual budgetary revenues. The local population earns income from fishing, raising 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.
Exchange rates [time series]
Saint Helenian pounds (SHP) per US dollar - | 0.6542 (2015) | 0.6391 (2013) | 0.6391 (2013) | 0.63 (2012) | 0.624 (2011)
Exports [time series]
$19 million (2004 est.) | country comparison to the world: 213
Exports - commodities [time series]
fish (frozen, canned, and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), coffee, handicrafts
Fiscal year [time series]
1 April - 31 March
GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]
$NA
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP (purchasing power parity)) [time series]
$31.1 million (FY09/10 est.) | country comparison to the world: 228
GDP - composition, by sector of origin [time series]
agriculture: NA% | industry: NA% | services: NA%
Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita (PPP)) [time series]
$7,800 (FY09/10 est.) | country comparison to the world: 150
Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]
lowest 10%: NA% | highest 10%: NA%
Imports [time series]
$20.53 million (2010 est.) | country comparison to the world: 221
Imports - commodities [time series]
food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts
Industrial production growth rate [time series]
NA%
Industries [time series]
construction, crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing, collectible postage stamps
Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]
4% (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 158
Labor force [time series]
2,486 (1998 est.) | country comparison to the world: 226
Labor force - by occupation [time series]
agriculture: 6% | industry: 48% | services: 46% (1987 est.)
Population below poverty line [time series]
NA%
Unemployment rate [time series]
14% (1998 est.) | country comparison to the world: 151
Energy
Carbon dioxide emissions (Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy) [time series]
12,080 Mt (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 211
Crude oil - exports [time series]
0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 187
Crude oil - imports [time series]
0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 123
Crude oil - production [time series]
0 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 189
Crude oil - proved reserves [time series]
0 bbl (1 January 2016 es) | country comparison to the world: 188
Electricity - consumption [time series]
9.3 million kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 215
Electricity - exports [time series]
0 kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 194
Electricity - from fossil fuels [time series]
100% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 26
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants [time series]
0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 201
Electricity - from nuclear fuels [time series]
0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 179
Electricity - from other renewable sources [time series]
0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 126
Electricity - imports [time series]
0 kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 200
Electricity - installed generating capacity [time series]
8,000 kW (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 213
Electricity - production [time series]
10 million kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 217
Natural gas - consumption [time series]
0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 192
Natural gas - exports [time series]
0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 178
Natural gas - imports [time series]
0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 132
Natural gas - production [time series]
0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 126
Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]
0 cu m (1 January 2014 es) | country comparison to the world: 192
Refined petroleum products - consumption [time series]
80 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 211
Refined petroleum products - exports [time series]
0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 131
Refined petroleum products - imports [time series]
84.68 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 208
Refined petroleum products - production [time series]
0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 129
Geography
Area [time series]
total: 308 sq km | land: Saint Helena Island 122 sq km; Ascension Island 88 sq km; Tristan da Cunha island group 98 sq km | water: 0 sq km | country comparison to the world: 209
Area - comparative [time series]
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Climate [time series]
Saint Helena: tropical marine; mild, tempered by trade winds | Ascension Island: tropical marine; mild, semi-arid | Tristan da Cunha: temperate marine; mild, tempered by trade winds (tends to be cooler than Saint Helena)
Coastline [time series]
Saint Helena: 60 km | Ascension Island: NA | Tristan da Cunha: 40 km
Elevation [time series]
mean elevation: NA | elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m | highest point: Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha 2,060 m; Green Mountain on Ascension Island 859 m; Mount Actaeon on Saint Helena Island 818 m
Environment - current issues [time series]
NA
Geographic coordinates [time series]
Saint Helena: 15 57 S, 5 42 W | Ascension Island: 7 57 S, 14 22 W | Tristan da Cunha island group: 37 15 S, 12 30 W
Geography - note [time series]
Saint Helena harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown elsewhere in the world; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles and sooty terns; Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha is the highest island mountain in the South Atlantic and a prominent landmark on the sea lanes around southern Africa
Irrigated land [time series]
0 sq km (2012)
Land boundaries [time series]
0 km
Land use [time series]
agricultural land: 30.8% | arable land 10.3%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 20.5% | forest: 5.1% | other: 64.1% (2011 est.)
Location [time series]
islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South America and Africa; Ascension Island lies 1,300 km (800 mi) northwest of Saint Helena; Tristan da Cunha lies 4,300 km (2,700 mi) southwest of Saint Helena
Map references [time series]
Africa
Maritime claims [time series]
territorial sea: 12 nm | exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Natural hazards [time series]
active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha | volcanism: the island volcanoes of Tristan da Cunha (elev. 2,060 m) and Nightingale Island (elev. 365 m) experience volcanic activity; Tristan da Cunha erupted in 1962 and Nightingale in 2004
Natural resources [time series]
fish, lobster
Terrain [time series]
the islands of this group are of volcanic origin associated with the Atlantic Mid-Ocean Ridge | Saint Helena: rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains | Ascension: surface covered by lava flows and cinder cones of 44 dormant volcanoes; terrain rises to the east | Tristan da Cunha: sheer cliffs line the coastline of the nearly circular island; the flanks of the central volcanic peak are deeply dissected; narrow coastal plain lies between The Peak and the coastal cliffs
Government
Administrative divisions [time series]
3 administrative areas; Ascension, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha
Capital [time series]
name: Jamestown | geographic coordinates: 15 56 S, 5 43 W | time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Citizenship [time series]
see United Kingdom
Constitution [time series]
several previous; latest effective 1 September 2009 (The St. Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Constitution Order 2009) (2016)
Country name [time series]
conventional long form: Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha | conventional short form: none | etymology: Saint Helena was discovered in 1502 by Galician navigator Joao da NOVA, sailing in the service of the Kingdom of Portugal, who named it "Santa Helena"; Ascension was named in 1503 by Portuguese navigator Afonso de ALBUQUERQUE who sighted the island on the Feast Day of the Ascension; Tristan da Cunha was discovered in 1506 by Portuguese explorer Tristao da CUNHA who christened the main island after himself (the name was subsequently anglicized)
Dependency status [time series]
overseas territory of the UK
Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Executive branch [time series]
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) | head of government: Governor Lisa PHILLIPS (since 25 April 2016) | cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, 3 ex-officio officers, and 5 elected members of the Legislative Council | elections/appointments: none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch | note: the constitution order provides for an administrator for Ascension and Tristan da Cunha appointed by the governor
Flag (Flag description) [time series]
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 upper third of the shield depicts a white plover (wire bird) on a yellow field; the remainder of the shield depicts a rocky coastline on the left, offshore is a three-masted sailing ship with sails furled but flying an English flag
Government type [time series]
parliamentary democracy (Legislative Council); limited self-governing overseas territory of the UK
Independence [time series]
none (overseas territory of the UK)
International organization participation [time series]
UPU
Judicial branch [time series]
highest resident court(s): Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and 2 justices); Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice - a non-resident - and NA judges); note - appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) | judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal and Supreme Court justices appointed by the governor acting upon the instructions from a secretary of state acting on behalf of Queen ELIZABETH II; justices of both courts appointed until retirement at age 70, but can be extended | subordinate courts: Magistrate's Court; Small Claims Court; Juvenile Court
Legal system [time series]
English common law and local statutes
Legislative branch [time series]
description: unicameral Legislative Council (17 seats including the speaker and deputy speaker; 12 members directly elected in a single countrywide constituency by simple majority vote and 3 ex-officio members - the chief secretary, financial secretary, and attorney general; members serve 4-year terms) | note: each voter can vote for up to 12 candidates; the Constitution Order provides for separate Island Councils for both Ascension and Tristan da Cunha | elections: last held on 17 July 2013 (next to be held in 2017) | election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 12
National anthem(s) (National anthem) [time series]
note: as a territory of the UK, "God Save the Queen" is official (see United Kingdom)
National holiday [time series]
Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, third Monday in April (1926)
National symbol(s) [time series]
Saint Helena plover (bird)
Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]
none
Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]
other: private sector; unions
Suffrage [time series]
18 years of age
Introduction
Background [time series]
Saint Helena is a British Overseas Territory consisting of Saint Helena and Ascension Islands, and the island group of Tristan da Cunha. | Saint Helena: 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. During the Anglo-Boer War in South Africa, several thousand Boer prisoners were confined on the island between 1900 and 1903. | Ascension Island: This barren and uninhabited island was discovered and named by the Portuguese in 1503. The British garrisoned the island in 1815 to prevent a rescue of Napoleon from Saint Helena. It served as a provisioning station for the Royal Navy's West Africa Squadron on anti-slavery patrol. The island remained under Admiralty control until 1922, when it became a dependency of Saint Helena. During World War II, the UK permitted the US to construct an airfield on Ascension in support of transatlantic flights to Africa and anti-submarine operations in the South Atlantic. In the 1960s the island became an important space tracking station for the US. In 1982, Ascension was an essential staging area for British forces during the Falklands War. It remains a critical refueling point in the air-bridge from the UK to the South Atlantic. The island hosts one of four dedicated ground antennas (the others are on Diego Garcia (British Indian Ocean Territory), Kwajalein (Marshall Islands), and at Cape Canaveral, Florida (US)) that assist in the operation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation system. NASA and the US Air Force also operate a Meter-Class Autonomous Telescope (MCAT) on Ascension as part of the deep space surveillance system for tracking orbital debris, which can be a hazard to spacecraft and astronauts. | Tristan da Cunha: The island group consists of Tristan da Cunha, Nightingale, Inaccessible, and Gough Islands. Tristan da Cunha is named after its Portuguese discoverer (1506); it was garrisoned by the British in 1816 to prevent any attempt to rescue Napoleon from Saint Helena. Gough and Inaccessible Islands have been designated World Heritage Sites. South Africa leases a site for a meteorological station on Gough Island.
Military and Security
Military - note [time series]
defense is the responsibility of the UK
People and Society
Age structure [time series]
0-14 years: 16.27% (male 647/female 624) | 15-24 years: 12.12% (male 484/female 463) | 25-54 years: 44.27% (male 1,709/female 1,750) | 55-64 years: 12.72% (male 519/female 475) | 65 years and over: 14.62% (male 582/female 560) (2016 est.)
Birth rate [time series]
9.7 births/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 200
Death rate [time series]
7.7 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 108
Demographic profile [time series]
The vast majority of the population of Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha live on Saint Helena. Ascension has no indigenous or permanent residents and is inhabited only by persons contracted to work on the island (mainly with the UK and US military or in the space and communications industries) or their dependents, while Tristan da Cunha – the main island in a small archipelago – has fewer than 300 residents. The population of Saint Helena consists of the descendants of 17th century British sailors and settlers from the East India Company, African slaves, and indentured servants and laborers from India, Indonesia, and China. Most of the population of Ascension are Saint Helenians, Britons, and Americans, while that of Tristan da Cunha descends from shipwrecked sailors and Saint Helenians. | Change in Saint Helena’s population size is driven by net outward migration. Since the 1980s, Saint Helena’s population steadily has shrunk and aged as the birth rate has decreased and many working-age residents left for better opportunities elsewhere. The restoration of British citizenship in 2002 accelerated family emigration; from 1998 to 2008 alone, population declined by about 20%. | In the last few years, population has experienced some temporary growth, as foreigners and returning Saint Helenians, have come to build an international airport, but numbers are beginning to fade as the project reaches completion and workers depart. In the long term, once the airport is fully operational, increased access to the remote island has the potential to boost tourism and fishing, provide more jobs for Saint Helenians domestically, and could encourage some ex-patriots to return home. In the meantime, however, Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha have to contend with the needs of an aging population. The elderly population of the islands has risen from an estimated 9.4% in 1998 to 20.4% in 2016.
Ethnic groups [time series]
African descent 50%, white 25%, Chinese 25%
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]
NA
Infant mortality rate [time series]
total: 13.7 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 16.2 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 11.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 107
Languages [time series]
English
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
total population: 79.5 years | male: 76.6 years | female: 82.6 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 45
Major urban areas - population [time series]
JAMESTOWN (capital) 1,000 (2014)
Median age [time series]
total: 41.5 years | male: 41.5 years | female: 41.4 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 35
Nationality [time series]
noun: Saint Helenian(s) | adjective: Saint Helenian | note: referred to locally as "Saints"
Net migration rate [time series]
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 96
Population [time series]
7,795 | note: Saint Helena's statistical agency estimated the enumerated national population (including Ascension Island and Tristan da Cuhna) to be 5,901 in 2016, according to the 2016 census; only Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha islands are inhabited, none of the other nearby islands/islets (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 226
Population growth rate [time series]
0.21% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 185
Religions [time series]
Protestant 75.9% (includes Anglican 68.9, Baptist 2.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.8%, Salvation Army 1.7%, New Apostolic 1.4%), Jehovah's Witness 4.1%, Roman Catholic 1.2%, other 2.5% (includes Baha'i), unspecified 0.8%, none 6.1%, no response 9.4% | note: data represent Saint Helena only (2016 est.)
Sex ratio [time series]
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 0.98 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 1.04 male(s)/female | total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
Total fertility rate [time series]
1.58 children born/woman (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 186
Urbanization [time series]
urban population: 39.4% of total population (2015) | rate of urbanization: -0.59% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international [time series]
none
Transportation
Airports [time series]
2 (2015) | country comparison to the world: 232
Airports - with paved runways [time series]
total: 2 | over 3,047 m: 1 Ascension Island (Wideawake Field) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 Saint Helena; note - opened to limited operations in July 2016 (2016)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix [time series]
VQ-H (2016)
Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]
Saint Helena: Jamestown | Ascension Island: Georgetown | Tristan da Cunha: Calshot Harbor (Edinburgh)
Roadways [time series]
total: 198 km (Saint Helena 138 km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da Cunha 20 km) | paved: 168 km (Saint Helena 118 km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da Cunha 10 km) | unpaved: 30 km (Saint Helena 20 km, Tristan da Cunha 10 km) (2002) | country comparison to the world: 210
Transportation - note [time series]
the new airport on Saint Helena opened for limited operations in July 2016 with the goal of providing regular commercial traffic via South Africa in the near term; the military airport on Ascension Island is closed to civilian traffic; there is no air connection to Tristan da Cunha and very limited sea connections making it one of the most isolated communities on the planet