Legend:
 Definition
 Field Listing
 Rank Order
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Background:
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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.
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Location:
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islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South America and Africa
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Geographic coordinates:
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15 56 S, 5 42 W
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Map references:
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Africa
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Area:
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total: 410 sq km
land: 410 sq km
water: 0 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
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Area - comparative:
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slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
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Land boundaries:
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0 km
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Coastline:
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60 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
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Climate:
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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)
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Terrain:
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Saint Helena - rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains
note: the other islands of the group have a volcanic origin
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha 2,060 m
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Natural resources:
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fish
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Land use:
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arable land: 12.9%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 87.1% (2001)
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Irrigated land:
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NA sq km
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Natural hazards:
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active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha
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Environment - current issues:
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NA
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Geography - note:
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harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown anywhere else in the world; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles and sooty terns
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Population:
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7,460 (July 2005 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 18.8% (male 715/female 691)
15-64 years: 71.3% (male 2,745/female 2,575)
65 years and over: 9.8% (male 330/female 404) (2005 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 35.4 years
male: 35.61 years
female: 35.21 years (2005 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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0.59% (2005 est.)
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Birth rate:
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12.33 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
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Death rate:
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6.43 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 19 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 22.74 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 15.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 77.76 years
male: 74.86 years
female: 80.81 years (2005 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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1.54 children born/woman (2005 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA
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Nationality:
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noun: Saint Helenian(s)
adjective: Saint Helenian
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Ethnic groups:
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African descent 50%, white 25%, Chinese 25%
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Religions:
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Anglican (majority), Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic
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Languages:
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English
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Literacy:
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definition: age 20 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 97%
female: 98% (1987 est.)
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Economy - overview:
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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, raising 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.
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$18 million (1998 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
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NA
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $2,500 (1998 est.)
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: NA
industry: NA
services: NA
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Labor force:
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3,500
note: 1,200 work offshore (1998 est.)
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture and fishing 6%, industry (mainly construction) 48%, services 46% (1987 est.)
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Unemployment rate:
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14% (1998 est.)
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Population below poverty line:
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NA
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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3.2% (1997 est.)
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Budget:
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revenues: $11.2 million
expenditures: $11 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY92/93)
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Agriculture - products:
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corn, potatoes, vegetables; timber; fish, crawfish (on Tristan da Cunha)
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Industries:
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construction, crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA
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Electricity - production:
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5 million kWh (2002)
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Electricity - consumption:
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4.65 million kWh (2002)
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2002)
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2002)
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
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Oil - consumption:
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200 bbl/day (2001 est.)
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Oil - exports:
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NA
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Oil - imports:
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NA
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Exports:
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$17 million f.o.b. (2002)
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Exports - commodities:
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fish (frozen, canned, and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), coffee, handicrafts
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Exports - partners:
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Tanzania 30.3%, US 23.8%, Japan 10.4%, UK 7.1%, Spain 6.3% (2004)
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Imports:
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$42 million c.i.f. (2002)
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Imports - commodities:
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food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts
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Imports - partners:
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UK 35.7%, US 17.6%, South Africa 17.5%, Tanzania 10.4%, Australia 5.5%, Spain 4.1% (2004)
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Debt - external:
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NA (1996)
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$12.6 million (1995); note - $5.3 million from UK (1997)
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Currency (code):
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Saint Helenian pound (SHP)
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Exchange rates:
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Saint Helenian pounds per US dollar - 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001), 0.6609 (2000)
note: the Saint Helenian pound is on par with the British pound
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Fiscal year:
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1 April - 31 March
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Military - note:
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defense is the responsibility of the UK
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Disputes - international:
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none
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This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005
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