Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

Official nameSaint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
Name in local languageSaint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (en)
ContinentAfrica
SubcontinentSouthern Africa
Population (ranking: 242e)5,705 inhabitants (2019)
Population growth0.91 % / year
Area415 km²
Density13.75 inhabitants / km²
GDP (ranking: 238e)0.043 billions $USD (2015)
GDP/capita (ranking)7,724 $USD (2015)
GDP growth0.00 % / year (2015)
Life expectancy (ranking)79.50 years (2016)
Birth rate9.70 ‰ (2016)
Fertility rate1.58 children / woman (2016)
Death rate (ranking)7.70 ‰ (2016)
Infant mortality rate (ranking)13.70 ‰ (2016)
Literacy rate100.00 % (2019)
Official languagesEnglish
CurrencySaint Helena pound (£ SHP) (Saint Helena & Ascension), Pound sterling (£ GBP) (Tristan)
HDI (ranking: 92e)0.797 / 1 (2008)
EPI (ranking)0.00 (2018)
GovernmentBritish Overseas Territory
Head of StateQueen Elizabeth II ; Governor Lisa Honan
National DaySecond Saturday of June (birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, 1926)
ISO CodesSH, SHN
DemonymSaint Helenian, Ascensionian, Tristanian
Tourists (ranking)2,367 people (2018)
Sainte-Hélène, Ascension et Tristan da Cunha – petite
A very isolated archipelago in the middle of the South Atlantic

Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha is a British overseas territory located in the southern Atlantic Ocean. It is composed of eight isolated islands in the middle of the South Atlantic: St. Helen’s Island; Ascension Island (1,131 kilometers to the northwest); the Tristan da Cunha archipelago (2,100 kilometers to the south); Tristan da Cunha Island; Gough Island; Inaccessible Island; Middle Island; Nightingale Island; Stoltenhoff Island.

Jamestown, capitale de Sainte-Hélène
Jamestown, capital of Saint Helena
Jamestown, capitale de Sainte-Hélène
Jamestown, capital of Saint Helena

Particularly isolated in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean, the territory has recently built an airport that can accommodate large aircraft, in order to partly open up, and secondly to create an economic craze around tourism. Until then, only a few cruise ships arrived in Saint Helena. For now, no airline has considered creating a regular line because this new airport is already considered very dangerous because of its environment. The track is in effect on a mountain and ends at the edge of a cliff plunging into the ocean.

1ère tombe de Napoléon, Vallée du Tombeau, Sainte-Hélène
1st tomb of Napoleon, Valley of the Tomb, Saint Helena. Photo: David Stanley

The territory is famous for having hosted Napoleon in exile, prisoner of the English, until his death, from 1815 to 1821. It was then used in particular as a prison camp and military base, according to the times and the wars.

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Urban areas (2019)
Urban areasPopulation
Jamestown4,715 inhabitants
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Administrative divisions
IslandsPopulationArea
Ascension742 inhabitants88 km²
Saint Helena4,715 inhabitants121 km²
Tristan da Cunha248 inhabitants206 km²
See all administrative divisions
See also