home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Saint Helena
- Header
-
-
- Affiliation:
- (dependent territory of the UK)
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Saint Helena
- Geography
-
-
- Location:
- Southern Africa, island in the South Atlantic Ocean, west of Angola, about
- two-thirds of the way from South America to Africa
- Map references:
- Africa
- Area:
- total area:
- 410 sq km
- land area:
- 410 sq km
- 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 sq km
- Environment:
- current issues:
- NA
- natural hazards:
- active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha
- international agreements:
- NA
- Note:
- Napoleon Bonaparte's place of exile and burial (the remains were taken to
- Paris in 1840); harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown anywhere else
- in the world
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Saint Helena
- People
-
-
- Population:
- 6,762 (July 1995 est.)
- Age structure:
- 0-14 years:
- NA
- 15-64 years:
- NA
- 65 years and over:
- NA
- Population growth rate:
- 0.31% (1995 est.)
- Birth rate:
- 9.5 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
- Death rate:
- 6.43 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
- Net migration rate:
- 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
- Infant mortality rate:
- 36.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth:
- total population:
- 75.07 years
- male:
- 73.01 years
- female:
- 76.89 years (1995 est.)
- Total fertility rate:
- 1.13 children born/woman (1995 est.)
- Nationality:
- noun:
- Saint Helenian(s)
- adjective:
- Saint Helenian
- Ethnic divisions:
- NA
- Religions:
- Anglican (majority), Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic
- Languages:
- English
- Literacy:
- age 20 and over can read and write (1987)
- total population:
- 97%
- male:
- 97%
- female:
- 98%
- Labor force:
- 2,516
- by occupation:
- professional, technical, and related workers 8.7%, managerial,
- administrative, and clerical 12.8%, sales people 8.1%, farmer, fishermen,
- etc. 5.4%, craftspersons, production process workers 14.7%, others 50.3%
- (1987)
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Saint Helena
- Government
-
-
- Names:
- conventional long form:
- none
- conventional short form:
- Saint Helena
- Digraph:
- SH
- Type:
- dependent territory of the UK
- Capital:
- Jamestown
- Administrative divisions:
- 1 administrative area and 2 dependencies*; Ascension*, Saint Helena, Tristan
- da Cunha*
- Independence:
- none (dependent territory of the UK)
- National holiday:
- Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen, 10 June 1989 (second Saturday in
- June)
- Constitution:
- 1 January 1989
- Legal system:
- NA
- Suffrage:
- NA
- Executive branch:
- chief of state:
- Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
- head of government:
- Governor A. N. HOOLE (since NA 1991)
- cabinet:
- Executive Council
- Legislative branch:
- unicameral
- Legislative Council:
- elections last held July 1993 (next to be held NA); results - percent of
- vote NA; seats - (15 total, 12 elected) independents 15
- Judicial branch:
- Supreme Court
- Political parties and leaders:
- none
- Member of:
- ICFTU
- Diplomatic representation in US:
- none (dependent territory of the UK)
- US diplomatic representation:
- none (dependent territory of the UK)
- Flag:
- 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
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Saint Helena
- Economy
-
-
- Overview:
- The economy depends primarily on financial assistance from the UK. The local
- population earns some 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.
- National product:
- GDP $NA
- National product real growth rate:
- NA%
- National product per capita:
- $NA
- Inflation rate (consumer prices):
- -1.1% (1986)
- Unemployment rate:
- NA%
- Budget:
- revenues:
- $11.2 million
- expenditures:
- $11 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92/93)
- Exports:
- $27,400 (f.o.b., FY92/93)
- commodities:
- fish (frozen and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), handicrafts
- partners:
- South Africa, UK
- Imports:
- $9.8 million (c.i.f., FY92/93)
- commodities:
- food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor
- vehicles and parts, machinery and parts
- partners:
- UK, South Africa
- External debt:
- $NA
- Industrial production:
- growth rate NA%
- Electricity:
- capacity:
- 9,800 kW
- production:
- 10 million kWh
- consumption per capita:
- NA kWh (1993)
- Industries:
- crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing
- Agriculture:
- maize, potatoes, vegetables; timber production being developed; crawfishing
- on Tristan da Cunha
- Economic aid:
- recipient:
- Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1992-93),
- $13.5 million
- Currency:
- 1 Saint Helenian pound (#S) = 100 pence
- Exchange rates:
- Saint Helenian pounds (#S) per US$1 - 0.6350 (January 1995), 0.6529 (1994),
- 0.6033 (1993), 0.5664 (1992), 0.5652 (1991), 0.5603 (1990); note - the Saint
- Helenian pound is at par with the British pound
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Saint Helena
- Economy
- Fiscal year:
- 1 April - 31 March
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Saint Helena
- Transportation
-
-
- Railroads:
- 0 km
- Highways:
- total:
- NA (mainland 107 km, Ascension NA, Tristan da Cunha NA)
- paved:
- 169.7 km (mainland 87 km, Ascension 80 km, Tristan da Cunha 2.70 km)
- unpaved:
- NA (mainland 20 km earth roads, Ascension NA, Tristan da Cunha NA)
- Ports:
- Georgetown, Jamestown
- Merchant marine:
- none
- Airports:
- total:
- 1
- with paved runways over 3,047 m:
- 1
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Saint Helena
- Communications
-
-
- Telephone system:
- 550 telephones; automatic network
- local:
- NA
- intercity:
- HF radio links 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; 2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth stations
- Radio:
- broadcast stations:
- AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0
- radios:
- 1,500
- Television:
- broadcast stations:
- 0
- televisions:
- NA
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Saint Helena
- Defense Forces
-
-
- Note:
- defense is the responsibility of the UK
-