Saint Helena
Encyclopedia : S : SA : SAI : Saint Helena
- For alternate uses, see Saint Helena (disambiguation).
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| Motto: Loyal and Unshakeable | |||||
| Anthem: God Save the Queen My Saint Helena Island (unofficial) | |||||
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| Capital | Jamestown | ||||
| Status | British Overseas Territory | ||||
| Official language(s) | English | ||||
| Governor | Michael M Clancy | ||||
| Area | 410 km² | ||||
| Population •2005 estimate •Density | 4,918 18/km² | ||||
| Currency | Saint Helenian pound (SHP) at parity with the UK Pound Sterling (GBP) | ||||
| Time zone | UTC +0 | ||||
| Internet TLD | .sh | ||||
| Calling Code | 290 | ||||
Saint Helena is famous for being the place of exile of Napoleon Bonaparte between 1815 and his death in 1821. Two sites where Napoleon lived and the valley where he was buried are French territory.
Saint Helena is a member of the International Island Games Association.
History
The island was discovered on 21 May 1502 by the Portuguese navigator João da Nova and named for Helena of Constantinople. The Portuguese found it uninhabited, and built a chapel and some houses, although no permanent settlement was founded.
Thomas Cavendish became the first Englishman to visit the island, on his ill-fated expedition of 1591.
A temporary Dutch settlement was maintained from 1645 until 1651, after which the Island was controlled by the British East India Company.
The Dutch retook the Island in 1673, but were ejected after two months occupation. The British East India Company used the Island as a stop off on the long voyage to India via the Cape of Good Hope. A permanent settlement was founded at Jamestown, named after James, Duke of York (later King James II).
In 1815 the British government selected Saint Helena as the place of detention of Napoleon Bonaparte. He was brought to the island in October 1815 and lodged at "The Briars", just outside Jamestown, from his arrival until December 1815, when he moved to Longwood where he died in May 1821. During this period the island was strongly garrisoned by regular troops, and the governor, Sir Hudson Lowe, was nominated by the Crown. The British also took control of Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha at this time, to prevent any French attempts to free Napoleon from being launched from these nearby territories. After Napoleon's death the East India Company resumed full control of Saint Helena until April 22, 1834, on which date it was, in virtue of an act passed in 1833, vested in the British Crown.
During the Second Boer War (1899-1902), the British military, fearing that Boer prisoners of war might be freed by sympathizers in South Africa, detained about 5,000 POWs on the island.
As a port of call on the long route to the Cape Colonies and India, the Island enjoyed an increased prosperity, until the construction of the Suez Canal reduced the need for long voyages via the Cape of Good Hope. During World War II, Ascension Island was leased to the United States, where a large airbase was constructed.
After World War II, the prosperity of the Island and its dependencies decreased. A visit by the Duke of Edinburgh, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II to Ascension, Saint Helena and Tristan da Cunha thrust the remote islands back into the limelight. A volcanic eruption on Tristan da Cunha in 1961 forced the evacuation of the entire population to the UK, although they were able to return in 1963.
In more recent times, the British Government has announced plans to construct an airport in Saint Helena to bolster the Island's economy, and reduce the dependence on boats to supply the Island.
Demographics
See main article Demographics of Saint Helena.
Saint Helena has a small population of several thousand inhabitants, mainly descended from people from the British Isles, Scandinavia and Western and Southern Africa. In recent decades, many have migrated to the Falkland Islands or to the United Kingdom. According to the statistics in the 2005 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, Saint Helena has the largest proportion of members of that cult of any country or territory in the world; one person in twenty-nine is a Jehovah's Witness (roughly equaling a total of 250 people).
Tristan da Cunha has a population of about 300 inhabitants of mainly British descent. Christianity is the main religion, with the largest denominations being Anglican and Roman Catholic.
Ascension Island has no native inhabitants officially. A transient population of approximately 3,000 live on the Island, made up mainly of members of the American and British militaries, supporting civilian contractors who serve on the joint Anglo-American airbase, and members of their families (a few of whom were born on the island).
The citizens of Saint Helena and its Dependencies hold British Overseas Territories citizenship. On 21 May 2002 they were granted access to full British citizenship by the British Overseas Territories Act 2002. Also see British nationality law.
Economy
See main article Economy of Saint Helena.
The island had a monocrop economy until 1966, based on the cultivation and processing of New Zealand flax for rope and string. St Helena's economy is now very weak, and the island is almost entirely sustained on aid from London.
The Saint Helena tourist industry is heavily based around the promotion of Napoleon's imprisonment. A golf course also exists and the possibility for sportfishing tourism is great.
Ascension Island, Tristan da Cunha and Saint Helena all issue their own postage stamps which provide a significant income.
The Saint Helenian pound is the local currency, and is on a par with the Pound Sterling. The government of Saint Helena produces its own coinage and banknotes.
Geography
Saint Helena has a total area of 410 km², and consists of three island groups: Saint Helena itself, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha. Each Island group has its own distinct geography.
Saint Helena has a rugged, volcanic terrain. There are several rocks and islets off the coast, including: 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 kilometre of the shore
Ascension Island includes the main island and several uninhabited tiny satellite islands and rocks such as Boatswain Bird Island, Boatswain Bird Rock (East), White Rocks (South), and Tartar Rock. The main island has an area of approximately 35 square miles and is formed by volcanic peak rising from just west of the mid-Atlantic Ridge known as Green Mountain. Most of the island is a moonscape of rugged black lava flows and red windwhipped cinder cones. Where lava has penetrated to the ocean a striking seashore is dotted with white sand. The climate is subtropical, with temperatures at the coast ranging from about 68 to 88 degrees Fahrenheit (20 - 31 Celsius).
Tristan da Cunha includes the main Tristan da Cunha Island, the world's most remote inhabited island and several other uninhabited islands: Gough Island, Inaccessible Island, and the three Nightingale Islands. The islands are all mountainous and volcanic. Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha at 2,060 m is the highest peak.
Saint Helena is one of the most isolated places in the world, located more than 2000km from the nearest major landmass.
Subdivisions
The territory is divided into three areas for administration purposes:
| Group | Area | Population | Capital |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Helena (administrative area) | 122 | 5157 | Jamestown |
| Ascension (dependency) | 88 | 1122 | Georgetown |
| Tristan da Cunha (dependency) | 200 | 284 | Edinburgh of the Seven Seas |
| SAINT HELENA Overseas Territory | 410 | 6563 | JAMESTOWN |
Saint Helena is also divided into the following 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 |
Politics
- More information on politics and government of Saint Helena can be found at the Politics and government of Saint Helena series.
There are 15 seats in the Legislative Council, a unicameral legislature. 12 of the 15 members are elected in elections held every four years. The other three members are the Governor and two ex officio officers. The Executive Council consists of the Governor, two ex officio officers, and six elected members of the Legislative Council appointed by the Governor. There is no elected Chief Minister, and the Governor acts as the head of government. The current Governor is Michael Clancy (since October 2004).
Both Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha have an Administrator appointed to represent the Governor of Saint Helena.
Transport
Saint Helena and its dependencies are among some of the most remote islands in the world. Although a large airfield is based in Ascension Island, with weekly flights to London, Saint Helena and Tristan da Cunha can only be reached by boat. The RMS Saint Helena runs between the Islands, and Cape Town.
The British Government announced plans to construct an airport in Saint Helena in March 2005. The airport is expected to be completed by 2010.
External links
- [The Official Government Website of Saint Helena]
- [The Official Government Website of Ascension Island]
- [The Official Tristan da Cunha Website]
- [The French possessions on St Helena]
- [Saint Helena] Geographical research on the sense of identity of the St Helenians
- [Bank of Saint Helena] Banking services for Saint Helena and Ascension Island
- [Saint FM] St Helena radio station with live streaming audio
- [Education on St Helena] All aspects of education for St Helena
- [Open Directory Project - Saint Helena] directory category
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