A British territory in the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean, located 1900 km from the southwest coast of Africa. In addition to Saint Helena Island, the territory administratively includes Ascension Island, Tristan da Cunha Island, and 5 uninhabited islands. The total area is 0.4 thousand km² (the area of Saint Helena Island is 122 km², Tristan da Cunha Island is 209 km²). The administrative center is Jamestown (1.5 thousand). The population is 7.6 thousand (2004), including Saint Helena Island - 6 thousand, Ascension Island - 1.35 thousand; descendants of English settlers, Creoles, Africans, and Chinese. The official language is English. Religion - Christianity; the majority of believers belong to the Anglican Church. The currency is the pound sterling.
According to the constitution of 1989, the governing authority on Saint Helena is exercised by the Queen of the United Kingdom's representative, the Governor-General, who is assisted by the Legislative and Executive Councils.
The Legislative Council consists of a speaker, 3 appointed members (the Chief Minister, the Treasurer, and the Attorney General), and 12 members elected in general elections. The Executive Council includes the governor (the president of the council), 3 appointed members, and representatives from various council committees. The governor is M. Clancy (since 2004).
There are no political parties. The trade union association is the General Union of Workers of Saint Helena.
The Portuguese first arrived on the island on May 21, 1502, on the feast day of Saint Helena, hence its name. There was a struggle for possession of the island between Great Britain and the Netherlands. In 1659, Saint Helena Island finally passed to Great Britain, which used it as a military base and a supply point for water and provisions for trading ships on their way to India. In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled here, where he died in 1821. After the opening of the Suez Canal, the island's significance declined. In 1942, with the consent of Great Britain, the USA established a military airbase on Ascension Island, and later a satellite tracking station and missile testing site, launching from Florida. In 1966, a British radio relay station was opened. In 1982, Ascension Island was used as a transshipment point and supply base for the British military fleet involved in combat operations against Argentina in the Falkland Islands.
The population is engaged in agriculture and fishing. Potatoes, vegetables, and grains are grown. The islands have more than 1,000 head of cattle, about 3,000 sheep and goats, over 300 mules, and about 600 pigs. The fish catch on Saint Helena Island is over 300 tons. On Tristan da Cunha Island, the lobster catch is 350 tons. The majority of food is imported. There are over 100 km of roads. The islands have 2,000 vehicles. Foreign trade is conducted only with Great Britain and South Africa.
GDP - £12 million (1998). In 2002, imports were £30 million, and exports were £12 million (to the USA, Tanzania, Indonesia, Spain, Japan).
A weekly publication "News Review" is issued. A government broadcasting service operates.
