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Saint Helena - General Country Information

Introduction
Geography
People
Government
Economy
Communications
Transnational Issues

Introduction

General Information: Saint Helena

The capital of Saint Helena is Jamestown.

Geography

Location:	islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South America and Africa
Coordinates:	15 56 S, 5 42 W
Area:	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
Area Comparative:	slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land Boundaries:	0 km
Coastline:	60 km
Maritime Claims:	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate:	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)
Terrain:	Saint Helena - rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains note: the other islands of the group have a volcanic origin
Elevation Extremes:	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha 2,060 m
Natural Resources:	fish
Land Use:	arable land: 12.9% permanent crops: 0% other: 87.1% (2001)
Irrigated Land:	NA sq km
Natural Hazards:	active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha
Note:	harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown anywhere else in the world; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles and sooty terns

People

Population:	7,415 (July 2004 est.)
Age Structure:	total: 34.7 years male: 34.9 years female: 34.5 years (2004 est.)
Population Growth Rate:	0.62% (2004 est.)
Birth Rate:	12.68 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death Rate:	6.47 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Migration Rate:	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Sex Ratio:	at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate:	total: 19.85 deaths/1,000 live births male: 23.7 deaths/1,000 live births female: 15.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Expectancy Birth:	total population: 77.57 years male: 74.67 years female: 80.61 years (2004 est.)
Fertility Rate:	1.54 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Nationality:	noun: Saint Helenian(s) adjective: Saint Helenian
Ethnic Groups:	African descent 50%, white 25%, Chinese 25%
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.)

Gouvernment

Country Name:	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Saint Helena
Capital:	Jamestown
Administrative Divisions:	1 administrative area and 2 dependencies; Ascension, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha*
Independence:	none (overseas territory of the UK)
National Holiday:	Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926)
Constitution:	1 January 1989
Suffrage:	NA years of age
Executive Branch:	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Governor and Commander in Chief David HOLLAMBY (since 1999); Michael CLANCY (taking office in October 2004) 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; Magistrate's Court; Small Debts Court; Juvenile Court
Political Parties Leaders:	none
Political Pressure Groups Leaders:	none
International Organization Participation:	ICFTU, UPU
Diplomatic in US:	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic from US:	none (overseas 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

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 Capital:	purchasing power parity - $2,500 (1998 est.)
GDP Composition:	agriculture: NA industry: NA services: NA
Household Income:	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA
Inflation Rate:	3.2% (1997 est.)
Labor Force:	3,500 note: 1,200 work offshore (1998 est.)
Labor Force Occupation:	agriculture and fishing 6%, industry (mainly construction) 48%, services 46% (1987 est.)
Unemployment Rate:	14% (1998 est.)
Budget:	revenues: $11.2 million expenditures: $11 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY92/93)
Agriculture Products:	corn, potatoes, vegetables; timber; fish, crawfish (on Tristan da Cunha)
Industries:	construction, crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing
Electricity Production:	5 million kWh (2001)
Electricity Consumption:	4.65 million kWh (2001)
Electricity Exports:	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity Imports:	0 kWh (2001)
Oil Production:	0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil Consumption:	200 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil Exports:	NA (2001)
Oil Imports:	NA (2001)
Exports:	$17 million f.o.b. (2002)
Exports Commodities:	fish (frozen, canned, and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), coffee, handicrafts
Exports Partners:	US 26.7%, Tanzania 21.9%, Indonesia 9.4%, UK 8.7%, Japan 7.4%, Netherlands 7.2%, Nigeria 6.8%, Poland 5%, Spain 4.9% (2003)
Imports:	$42 million c.i.f. (2002)
Imports Commodities:	food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts
Imports Partners:	UK 29.1%, South Africa 24.7%, Spain 16.4%, Italy 8.8%, Tanzania 8.2%, US 5.8% (2003)
Debt External:	NA (1996)
Currency:	Saint Helenian pound (SHP)
Currency Code:	SHP
Exchange Rates:	Saint Helenian pounds per US dollar - 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998),
Fiscal Year:	1 April - 31 March

Communications

Telephones Lines Use:	2,200 (2002)
Mobile Cellular:	0 (1997)
Telephone System:	general assessment: can communicate worldwide domestic: automatic network international: country code - 290; HF radiotelephone from Saint Helena to Ascension Island, which is a major coaxial submarine cable relay point between South Africa, Portugal, and UK; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio Stations:	AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)
Television Stations:	0 note: television programs are received in Saint Helena via satellite and distributed by cable (2002)
Internet Code:	.sh
Internet Users:	500 (2002)