2003 Edition

Administrative divisions

1 administrative area and 2 dependencies*; Ascension*, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha*

Age structure

0-14 years: 18.9% (male 704; female 685) 15-64 years: 71.6% (male 2,732; female 2,545) 65 years and over: 9.5% (male 309; female 392) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

corn, potatoes, vegetables; timber; fish, crawfish (on Tristan da Cunha)

Airports

1 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

1 (2002) Military Saint Helena

total

1

Area

land

410 sq km

note

includes Saint Helena Island, Ascension, and the island group of Tristan da Cunha, which consists of Tristan da Cunha Island, Gough Island, Inaccessible Island, and the three Nightingale Islands

total

410 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC

Background

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. Ascension Island is the site of a US Air Force auxiliary airfield; Gough Island has a meteorological station. Geography Saint Helena

Birth rate

12.9 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$11 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92)

revenues

$11.2 million

Capital

Jamestown

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

Communications - note

Gough Island has a meteorological station Transportation Saint Helena

Constitution

1 January 1989

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Saint Helena

Currency

Saint Helenian pound (SHP)

Currency code

SHP

Death rate

6.24 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

$NA

Dependency status

overseas territory of the UK

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Disputes - international

none This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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 1997 or almost one-half of annual budgetary revenues. The local population earns income from fishing, the raising of 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.

Electricity - consumption

4.65 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

5 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha 2,060 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

NA

Ethnic groups

African descent 50%, white 25%, Chinese 25%

Exchange rates

Saint Helenian pounds per US dollar - 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998),

Executive branch

cabinet

Executive Council consists of the governor, two ex officio officers, and six elected members of the Legislative Council

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)

elections

none; the monarch is hereditary; governor is appointed by the monarch

head of government

Governor and Commander in Chief Michael CLANCY (since NA October 2003)

Exports

$704,000 f.o.b. (1995)

Exports - commodities

fish (frozen, canned, and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), coffee, handicrafts

Exports - partners

US 23.7%, Japan 20.5%, Netherlands 16%, Tanzania 15.4%, Spain 6.4%, UK 5.1%, Indonesia 4.5% (2002)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March Communications Saint Helena

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 Saint Helena

GDP

purchasing power parity - $18 million (1998 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

NA%

industry

NA%

services

NA%

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $2,500 (1998 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

Geographic coordinates

15 56 S, 5 42 W

Geography - note

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 Saint Helena

Government type

NA

Highways

paved

168 km (Saint Helena 118km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da Cunha 10 km)

total

198 km (Saint Helena 138 km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da Cunha 20 km)

unpaved

30 km (Saint Helena 20 km, Ascension 0 km, Tristan da Cunha 10 km) (2000)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA%

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 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 47.6%, Tanzania 14.6%, Italy 12.1%, South Africa 10.9%, US 5.3% (2002)

Independence

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

construction, crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing

Infant mortality rate

female

16.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

male

24.66 deaths/1,000 live births

total

20.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.2% (1997 est.)

International organization participation

ICFTU

Internet country code

.sh

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (2000)

Internet users

NA

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Judicial branch

Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court; Small Debts Court; Juvenile Court

Labor force

3,500

note

1,200 work offshore (1998 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture and fishing 6%, industry (mainly construction) 48%, services 46% (1987 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

12.9%

other

87.1% (1998 est.)

permanent crops

0%

Languages

English

Legal system

NA

Legislative branch

unicameral Legislative Council (16 seats, including the speaker, 3 ex officio and 12 elected members; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

election results

percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 15

elections

last held 27 June 2001 (next to be held NA June 2005)

Life expectancy at birth

female

80.42 years (2003 est.)

male

74.49 years

total population

77.38 years

Literacy

definition

age 20 and over can read and write

female

98% (1987 est.) Government Saint Helena

male

97%

total population

97%

Location

islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South America and Africa

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

exclusive fishing zone

200 NM

territorial sea

12 NM

Median age

female

33.9 years (2002)

male

34.4 years

total

34.2 years

Merchant marine

none (2002 est.)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK Transnational Issues Saint Helena

National holiday

Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926)

Nationality

adjective

Saint Helenian

noun

Saint Helenian(s)

Natural hazards

active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha

Natural resources

fish

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

200 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Political parties and leaders

none

Political pressure groups and leaders

none

Population

7,367 (July 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Population growth rate

0.67% (2003 est.)

Ports and harbors

Georgetown (on Ascension), Jamestown

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

3,000 (1997)

Railways

0 km

Religions

Anglican (majority), Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic

Sex ratio

at birth

1.07 male(s)/female

total population

1.03 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

under 15 years

1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female

Suffrage

NA years of age

Telephone system

domestic

automatic network

general assessment

can communicate worldwide

international

HF radiotelephone from Saint Helena to Ascensionm, which is a major coaxial submarine cable relay point between South Africa, Portugal, and UK; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

2,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular

0 (1997)

Television broadcast stations

note

television programs are received in Saint Helena via satellite and distributed by cable (2002)

Televisions

2,000 (1997)

Terrain

Saint Helena - rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains

note

the other islands of the group have a volcanic origin

Total fertility rate

1.54 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate

14% (1998 est.)

Waterways

none