1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (Internet Archive)
Geography
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
Area--comparative
slightly more than two times 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
Environment--international agreements
party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA
Geographic coordinates
15 56 S, 5 42 W
Geography--note
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
Irrigated land
NA sq km
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 6% permanent crops: NA% permanent pastures: 6% forests and woodland: 6% other: 82% (1993 est.)
Location
islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about mid-way between South America and Africa
Map references
Africa
Maritime claims
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 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
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 20% (male 713; female 690) 15-64 years: 72% (male 2,664; female 2,449) 65 years and over: 8% (male 259; female 370) (1999 est.)
Birth rate
13.86 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate
6.44 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups
African descent, white
Infant mortality rate
27.98 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Languages
English
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 75.88 years male: 72.78 years female: 79.13 years (1999 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 20 and over can read and write total population: 97% male: 97% female: 98% (1987 est.)
Nationality
noun: Saint Helenian(s) adjective: Saint Helenian
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Population
7,145 (July 1999 est.)
Population growth rate
0.74% (1999 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: 1.09 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.5 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Government
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
Data code
SH
Dependency status
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 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 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 Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas territory of the UK) Diplomatic representation from the US: none (overseas territory of the UK)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court Political parties and leaders: none
Legal system
NA
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 vote--NA; seats--independents 15
National holiday
Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen (second Saturday in June)
Suffrage
NA years of age
Economy
Agriculture--products
maize, 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
1 Saint Helenian pound (LS) = 100 pence
Debt--external
$NA
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 1998. The local population earns 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.
Electricity--consumption
6 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--production
6 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Exchange rates
Saint Helenian pounds (LS) per US$1--0.6057 (January 1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6047 (1997), 0.6403 (1996), 0.6335 (1995), 0.6529 (1994); note--the Saint Helenian pound is at par with the British pound
Exports
$704,000 (f.o.b., 1995)
Exports--commodities
fish (frozen, canned, and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), coffee, handicrafts
Exports--partners
South Africa, UK
Fiscal year
1 April--31 March
GDP
purchasing power parity--$13.9 million (FY94/95 est.)
GDP--composition by sector
agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
GDP--per capita
purchasing power parity?$2,000 (FY94/95 est.)
GDP--real growth rate
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$14.434 million (c.i.f., 1995)
Imports--commodities
food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts
Imports--partners
UK, South Africa
Industrial production growth rate
NA%
Industries
crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
NA%
Labor force
2,416 (1991 est.) note: a large proportion of the work force has left to seek employment overseas
Labor force--by occupation
professional, technical, and related workers 8.7%, managerial, administrative, and clerical 12.8%, sales people 8.1%, farmers, fishermen 5.4%, craftspersons, production process workers 14.7%, others 50.3% (1987)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Communications--note
Gough Island has a meteorological station
Radio broadcast stations
AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios
2,500 (1993 est.)
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 stations--2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones
550
Television broadcast stations
0 (1997)
Televisions
NA
Transportation
Airports
1 (1998 est.) Airports--with paved runways: total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (1998 est.)
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
Railways
0 km
Military and Security
Military--note
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international
none