St. Helena--Geography

CIA FactbookThe World Factbook 1993: Saint Helena Geography

Location: in the South Atlantic Ocean, 1,920 km west of Angola, about two-thirds of the way between South America and Africa

Area: total area: 410 km2 land area: 410 km2 comparative area: slightly more than 2.3 times the size of Washington, DC

note: includes Ascension, Gough Island, Inaccessible Island, Nightingale Island, and Tristan da Cunha

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 60 km

Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: none

Climate: tropical; marine; mild, tempered by trade winds

Terrain: rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains

Natural resources: fish; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles and sooty terns, no minerals

Land use: arable land: 7% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 7% forest and woodland: 3% other: 83%

Irrigated land: NA km2

Environment: very few perennial streams

Note: Napoleon Bonaparte's place of exile and burial; harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown anywhere else in the world