Saint Helena
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- For alternate uses, see Saint Helena (disambiguation).
Saint Helena refers to both an island and administrative unit in the South Atlantic Ocean 2,800 km off the west coast of Angola, and to the British Overseas territory that includes it and the dependencies of Ascension and Tristan da Cunha; this article describes both. The United Nations Committee on Decolonization includes St. Helena on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.
| Administrative Unit | Area (km2) | Population 1998 | Capital |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Helena (administrative area) | 122 | 5157 | Jamestown |
| Ascension (dependency) | 88 | 1122 | Georgetown |
| Tristan da Cunha (dependency) | 200 | 284 | Settlement of Edinburgh |
| SAINT HELENA Overseas Territory | 410 | 6563 | JAMESTOWN |
The island of Saint Helena (administrative area), including tiny satellite islets and rocks like Castle Rock, Speery Island, The Needle, Lower Black Rock, Upper Black Rock (South), Bird Island (Southwest), Black Rock, Thompson's Valley Island, Peaked Island, Egg Island, Lady's Chair, Lighter Rock (West), Long Ledge (Northwest), Shore Island, George Island, Rough Rock Island, Flat Rock (East), The Buoys, Sandy Bay Island, The Chimney, White Bird Island and Frightus Rock (Southeast), all of which are within one kilometer of the shore, but excluding the dependencies of Ascension (1270 km Northwest) and Tristan da Cunha (2420 km SSW), is further subdivided into eight districts:
| District | Area (km2) | Population 1998 |
|---|---|---|
| Alarm Forest | 5.9 | 279 |
| Blue Hill | 36.5 | 175 |
| Half Tree Hollow | 1.6 | 1126 |
| Jamestown | 3.6 | 864 |
| Levelwood | 14.0 | 373 |
| Longwood | 33.4 | 951 |
| Sandy Bay | 15.3 | 254 |
| Saint Paul's | 11.4 | 893 |
| SAINT HELENA (Island) | 121.7 | 4915 |
The dependencies do not have a comparable subdivision into districts. For Ascension, which - apart from a few tiny satellite islands and rocks - consist of just one island, usually a breakdown by the five settlements is given. For Tristan da Cunha, which has just one settlement, but consists of several separate islands, usually a breakdown by islands is given.
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| National motto: Loyal and Unshakeable | |||||
| Missing image LocationSaintHelena.png Image:LocationSaintHelena.png | |||||
| Official language | English | ||||
| Political status | Overseas territory of the UK | ||||
| Capital | Jamestown | ||||
| Governor and Commander-in-Chief | Michael Clancy | ||||
| Area | 410 km² | ||||
| Population | 7,367 18/km² | ||||
| Currency | Saint Helenian pound (SHP) at parity with the UK Pound Sterling (GBP) | ||||
| Time zone | UTC +0 | ||||
| National anthem | God Save the Queen, My St. Helena Island (unofficial) | ||||
| Internet TLD | .sh | ||||
| Calling Code | 290 | ||||
| Contents |
History
See main article History of Saint Helena.
The island was uninhabited in 1502 when it was discovered by Portuguese mariners.
Like every remote island in the age of sail, it was a crucial resource for sailing ships that ventured into its waters. (The important ships among these were of naval and commercial nature.) Its position on the only practical route, until construction of the Suez Canal, between Western Europe to the Indian Ocean enhanced that general role. It became a British military garrison for those reasons.
Napoleon Bonaparte spent the last part of his life in exile on St. Helena. Prominent Anglo-Boer War prisoners, including General Piet Cronje were also detained on St. Helena.
Demographics
See main article Demographics of Saint Helena.
St. Helena has a small population that remains loyal to Britain. However, the island's diminutive size and geopolitical insignificance has led many Islanders to accuse the British government of ignoring the island.
Economy
See main article Economy of Saint Helena.
The island's economy was a one crop economy for many years, but is now very weak, and is almost entirely sustained on aid from London.
The St. Helena tourist industry is heavily based around the promotion of Napoleon's imprisonment. Two sites where Napoleon lived and the valley where he was buried are French territory.
The Saint Helenian pound is the local currency, and is on a par with the Pound Sterling. The government of St. Helena produces its own coinage and banknotes.
Geography
See main article Geography of Saint Helena.
Politics
See main article Politics of Saint Helena.
Communications
See main article Communications on Saint Helena.
Transport
See main article Transport on Saint Helena.
Military
See main article Military of Saint Helena.
St_helena.gif
Map of Saint Helena
External links
- Saint Helena - The Official Government Website (http://www.sainthelena.gov.sh)
- The French possessions on St Helena (http://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/tourism/museums2.html)
- Saint Helena (http://www.sthelena.se) - St. Helena Foundation
- Saint Helena (http://www.news.co.sh/) - St. Helena News
- Saint Helena (http://www.sthelena.tk) - Geographical research of the identity of the St Helenians
- Bank of Saint Helena (http://www.sainthelenabank.co.sh)
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| Dependencies: Canary Islands | Ceuta and Melilla | Madeira Islands | Mayotte | Réunion | Saint Helena and dependencies | ||
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