(dependent territory of the UK)

Location: Southern Africa, island in the South Atlantic Ocean, west of Angola, about two-thirds of the way from South America to Africa

Geographic coordinates: 15 56 S, 5 42 W

Map references: Africa

Area:
total: 410 sq km
land: 410 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Ascension, Gough Island, Inaccessible Island, Nightingale Island, and Tristan da Cunha

Area - comparative: slightly more than two times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 60 km

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

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

Terrain: rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Queen Mary's Peak 2,060 m

Natural resources: fish

Land use:
arable land: 6%
permanent crops: NA%
permanent pastures : 6%
forests and woodland: 6%
other: 82% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha

Environment - current issues: NA

Environment - international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA

Geography - note: Napoleon Bonaparte's place of exile and burial (his remains were taken to Paris in 1840); harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown anywhere else in the world; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles and sooty terns

Population:7,317 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 18.8% (male 698; female 678)
15-64 years : 71.9% (male 2,727; female 2,531)
65 years and over: 9.3% (male 296; female 387) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.7% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 13.26 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 6.29 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth : 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
65 years and over:0.77 male(s)/female
total population:1.04 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 21.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.2 years
male : 74.31 years
female: 80.23 years (2002 est.)

Total fertility rate:1.53 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Saint Helenian(s)
adjective: Saint Helenian

Ethnic groups: African descent, white

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

Languages: English

Literacy:
definition : age 20 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 97%
female: 98% (1987 est.)

Country name:
conventional long form : none
conventional short form: Saint Helena

Data code: SH

Dependency status: dependent territory of the UK

Government type: NA

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

Constitution: 1 January 1989

Legal system: NA

Suffrage: NA years of age

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Governor and Commander in Chief David HOLLAMBY (since NA June 1999)
cabinet:Executive Council consists of the governor, two ex officio officers, and six elected members of the Legislative Council
elections:none; the monarch is hereditary; governor is appointed by the monarch

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)
elections: last held 27 June 2001 (next to be held NA June 2005)
election results : percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 15

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: none

International organization participation: ICFTU

Diplomatic representation in the US: none (dependent territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation from the US: none (dependent territory of the UK)

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 - 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.

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

GDP - real growth rate: NA%

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,500 (1998 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture : NA%
industry: NA%
services : NA%

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 3.2% (1997 est.)

Labor force:
total: 3,500 (1998 est.)
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)
note : a large proportion of the work force has left to seek employment overseas

Unemployment rate: 14% (1998 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $11.2 million
expenditures: $11 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92)

Industries: crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - capacity: NA kW

Electricity - production:5 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - consumption per capita:4.65 million kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products: maize, potatoes, vegetables; timber production being developed; crawfishing on Tristan da Cunha

Exports:
total value : $704,000 (f.o.b., 1995)
commodities: fish (frozen and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), handicrafts
partners : South Africa, UK

Imports:
total value: $14.434 million (c.i.f., 1995)
commodities: food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts
partners : UK, South Africa

Debt - external: $NA

Economic aid:
recipient: $12.6 million (1995); note - $5.3 million from UK (1997)

Currency: 1 Saint Helenian pound ((SHP) = 100 pence

Exchange rates:Saint Helenian pounds per US dollar - 0.6981 (January 2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6047 (1997); note - the Saint Helenian pound is at par with the British pound

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Telephones: 550

Telephone system:can communicate worldwide
domestic : automatic network; HF radiotelephone to Ascension, then into worldwide submarine cable and satellite networks
international:HF radiotelephone from Saint Helena to Ascension which is a major coaxial submarine cable relay point between South Africa, Portugal, and UK ; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios: 3,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 0

Televisions: 2,000 (1997)

Communications - note: Gough Island has a meteorological station

Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total :158 km (Saint Helena 118 km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da Cunha 0 km)
paved: 138 km (Saint Helena 98km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da Cunha 0 km)
unpaved: 20 km (Saint Helena 20 km, Ascension 0 km, Tristan da Cunha 0 km)

Ports and harbors: Georgetown (on Ascension), Jamestown

Merchant marine: none

Airports: 1 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2001)

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK

Disputes - international: none