(From the CIA World Fact Book 1995)


SAINT HELENA

Geography People Government Economy Transportation Communications Defense Forces

SAINT HELENA

 (dependent territory of the UK) 

@Saint Helena:Geography

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

 Map references: Africa

 Area:
 total area: 410 sq km
 land area: 410 sq km
 comparative area: slightly more than 2.3 times the size of Washington,
 DC
 note: includes Ascension, Gough Island, Inaccessible Island,
 Nightingale Island, and Tristan da Cunha

 Land boundaries: 0 km

 Coastline: 60 km

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

 International disputes: none

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

 Terrain: rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains

 Natural resources: fish; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea
 turtles and sooty terns, no minerals

 Land use:
 arable land: 7%
 permanent crops: 0%
 meadows and pastures: 7%
 forest and woodland: 3%
 other: 83%

 Irrigated land: NA sq km

 Environment:
 current issues: NA
 natural hazards: active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha
 international agreements: NA

 Note: Napoleon Bonaparte's place of exile and burial (the remains were
 taken to Paris in 1840); harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown
 anywhere else in the world

@Saint Helena:People

 Population: 6,762 (July 1995 est.)

 Age structure:
 0-14 years: NA
 15-64 years: NA
 65 years and over: NA

 Population growth rate: 0.31% (1995 est.)

 Birth rate: 9.5 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

 Death rate: 6.43 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

 Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

 Infant mortality rate: 36.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

 Life expectancy at birth:
 total population: 75.07 years
 male: 73.01 years
 female: 76.89 years (1995 est.)

 Total fertility rate: 1.13 children born/woman (1995 est.)

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

 Ethnic divisions: NA

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

 Languages: English

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

 Labor force: 2,516
 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)

@Saint Helena:Government

 Names:
 conventional long form: none
 conventional short form: Saint Helena

 Digraph: SH

 Type: dependent territory of the UK

 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: Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen, 10 June
 1989 (second Saturday in June)

 Constitution: 1 January 1989

 Legal system: NA

 Suffrage: NA

 Executive branch:
 chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
 head of government: Governor A. N. HOOLE (since NA 1991)
 cabinet: Executive Council

 Legislative branch: unicameral
 Legislative Council: elections last held July 1993 (next to be held
 NA); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (15 total, 12 elected)
 independents 15

 Judicial branch: Supreme Court

 Political parties and leaders: none

 Member of: ICFTU

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

 US diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory of the UK)

 Flag: 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 primarily on financial assistance from
 the UK. The local population earns some income from fishing, the
 raising of livestock, and sales of handicrafts. Because there are few
 jobs, a large proportion of the work force has left to seek employment
 overseas.

 National product: GDP $NA

 National product real growth rate: NA%

 National product per capita: $NA

 Inflation rate (consumer prices): -1.1% (1986)

 Unemployment rate: NA%

 Budget:
 revenues: $11.2 million
 expenditures: $11 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
 (FY92/93)

 Exports: $27,400 (f.o.b., FY92/93)
 commodities: fish (frozen and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), handicrafts
 partners: South Africa, UK

 Imports: $9.8 million (c.i.f., FY92/93)
 commodities: food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed,
 building materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts
 partners: UK, South Africa

 External debt: $NA

 Industrial production: growth rate NA%

 Electricity:
 capacity: 9,800 kW
 production: 10 million kWh
 consumption per capita: NA kWh (1993)

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

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

 Economic aid:
 recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
 commitments (1992-93), $13.5 million

 Currency: 1 Saint Helenian pound (#S) = 100 pence

 Exchange rates: Saint Helenian pounds (#S) per US$1 - 0.6350 (January
 1995), 0.6529 (1994), 0.6033 (1993), 0.5664 (1992), 0.5652 (1991),
 0.5603 (1990); note - the Saint Helenian pound is at par with the
 British pound

 Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

@Saint Helena:Transportation

 Railroads: 0 km

 Highways:
 total: NA (mainland 107 km, Ascension NA, Tristan da Cunha NA)
 paved: 169.7 km (mainland 87 km, Ascension 80 km, Tristan da Cunha
 2.70 km)
 unpaved: NA (mainland 20 km earth roads, Ascension NA, Tristan da
 Cunha NA)

 Ports: Georgetown, Jamestown

 Merchant marine: none

 Airports:
 total: 1
 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1

@Saint Helena:Communications

 Telephone system: 550 telephones; automatic network
 local: NA
 intercity: HF radio links to Ascension, then into worldwide submarine
 cable and satellite networks
 international: major coaxial submarine cable relay point between South
 Africa, Portugal, and UK at Ascension; 2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean)
 earth stations

 Radio:
 broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0
 radios: 1,500

 Television:
 broadcast stations: 0
 televisions: NA

@Saint Helena:Defense Forces

 Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK


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