Saint Helena
|
| Basic Facts |
| Country name |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Saint Helena |
| Gevernment type | NA |
| Capital |
name: Jamestown
geographic coordinates: 15 56 S, 5 44 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| 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 |
| Currency | Saint Helenian pound (SHP) |
| Internet country code | .sh; note - the IANA has assigned .ac as the ccTLD for Ascension Island |
| Ports and terminals |
Saint Helena: Jamestown
Ascension Island: Georgetown Tristan da Cunha: Calshot Harbor |
| Agriculture products | coffee, corn, potatoes, vegetables; timber; fish, lobster (on Tristan da Cunha) |
| Industries | construction, crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing, philatelic sales |
| Geography |
| Location | islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South America and Africa; Ascension Island lies 700 nm northwest of Saint Helena; Tristan da Cunha lies 2300 nm southwest of Saint Helena |
| Coordinates |
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 |
| Continent | Africa |
| Area |
total: 413 sq km
land: Saint Helena Island 122 sq km; Ascension Island 90 sq km; Tristan da Cunha island group 201 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Boundaries | 0 km |
| Coastline |
Saint Helena: 60 km
Ascension Island: NA Tristan da Cunha: 40 km |
| Climate |
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) |
| Terrain | the islands of this group result from volcanic activity 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; ground 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 |
| Natural resources | fish, lobster |
| Natural hazards | active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha, last eruption in 1961 |
| People |
| Population | 7,502
note: only Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha islands are inhabited (July 2006 est.) |
| Ethnic groups | African descent 50%, white 25%, Chinese 25% |
| Religions | Anglican (majority), Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic |
| Languages | English |
