| Saint Helena |
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| Introduction | Saint Helena |
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Background:
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Uninhabited when first discovered by the Portuguese in 1502, Saint Helena was garrisoned by the British during the 17th century. It acquired fame as the place of Napoleon BONAPARTE's exile, from 1815 until his death in 1821, but its importance as a port of call declined after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. Ascension Island is the site of a US Air Force auxiliary airfield; Gough Island has a meteorological station. |
| Geography | Saint Helena |
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Location:
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islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South America and Africa |
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Geographic coordinates:
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15 56 S, 5 42 W |
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Map references:
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Africa |
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Area:
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total: 410 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 water: 0 sq km land: 410 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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60 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
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Climate:
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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) |
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Terrain:
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Saint Helena - rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains
note: the other islands of the group have a volcanic origin |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha 2,060 m |
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Natural resources:
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fish |
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Land use:
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arable land: 12.9%
permanent crops: 0% other: 87.1% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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NA sq km |
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Natural hazards:
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active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha |
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Environment - current issues:
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NA |
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Geography - note:
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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 | Saint Helena |
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Population:
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7,460 (July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 18.8% (male 715/female 691)
15-64 years: 71.3% (male 2,745/female 2,575) 65 years and over: 9.8% (male 330/female 404) (2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 35.4 years
male: 35.61 years female: 35.21 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.59% (2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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12.33 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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6.43 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 19 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 15.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) male: 22.74 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 77.76 years
male: 74.86 years female: 80.81 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.54 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA |
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Nationality:
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noun: Saint Helenian(s)
adjective: Saint Helenian |
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Ethnic groups:
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African descent 50%, white 25%, Chinese 25% |
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Religions:
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Anglican (majority), Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic |
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Languages:
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English |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 20 and over can read and write
total population: 97% male: 97% female: 98% (1987 est.) |
| Government | Saint Helena |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Saint Helena |
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Dependency status:
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overseas territory of the UK |
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Government type:
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NA |
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Capital:
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Jamestown |
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Administrative divisions:
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1 administrative area and 2 dependencies*; Ascension*, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha* |
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Independence:
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none (overseas territory of the UK) |
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National holiday:
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Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926) |
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Constitution:
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1 January 1989 |
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Legal system:
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NA |
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Suffrage:
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NA years of age |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor is appointed by the monarch head of government: Governor and Commander in Chief Michael CLANCY (since 15 October 2004) cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, two ex officio officers, and six elected members of the Legislative Council |
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Legislative branch:
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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 June 2005) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 15 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court; Small Debts Court; Juvenile Court |
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Political parties and leaders:
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none |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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none |
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International organization participation:
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ICFTU, UPU |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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none (overseas territory of the UK) |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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none (overseas territory of the UK) |
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Flag description:
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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 | Saint Helena |
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Economy - overview:
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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, raising 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. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $18 million (1998 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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NA |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $2,500 (1998 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: NA
industry: NA services: NA |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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3.2% (1997 est.) |
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Labor force:
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3,500
note: 1,200 work offshore (1998 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture and fishing 6%, industry (mainly construction) 48%, services 46% (1987 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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14% (1998 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $11.2 million
expenditures: $11 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY92/93) |
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Agriculture - products:
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corn, potatoes, vegetables; timber; fish, crawfish (on Tristan da Cunha) |
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Industries:
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construction, crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA |
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Electricity - production:
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5 million kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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4.65 million kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2002) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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200 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA |
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Oil - imports:
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NA |
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Exports:
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$17 million f.o.b. (2002) |
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Exports - commodities:
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fish (frozen, canned, and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), coffee, handicrafts |
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Exports - partners:
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US 26.7%, Tanzania 21.9%, Indonesia 9.3%, UK 8.7%, Netherlands 7.4%, Spain 7.2%, Japan 6.8% (2003) |
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Imports:
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$42 million c.i.f. (2002) |
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Imports - commodities:
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food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts |
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Imports - partners:
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UK 28.8%, South Africa 24.4%, Spain 16.2%, Tanzania 8.7%, Italy 8.1%, US 5.7% (2003) |
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Debt - external:
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NA (1996) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$12.6 million (1995); note - $5.3 million from UK (1997) |
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Currency:
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Saint Helenian pound (SHP) |
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Currency code:
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SHP |
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Exchange rates:
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Saint Helenian pounds per US dollar - 0.5393 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.67 (2002), 0.69 (2001), 0.66 (2000)
note: the Saint Helenian pound is at par with the British pound |
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Fiscal year:
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1 April - 31 March |
| Communications | Saint Helena |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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2,200 (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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0 (1997) |
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Telephone system:
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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) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) |
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Radios:
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3,000 (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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0
note: television programs are received in Saint Helena via satellite and distributed by cable (2002) |
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Televisions:
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2,000 (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.sh |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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1 (2000) |
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Internet users:
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500 (2002) |
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Communications - note:
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Gough Island has a meteorological station |
| Transportation | Saint Helena |
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Highways:
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total: 198 km (Saint Helena 138 km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da Cunha 20 km)
paved: 168 km (Saint Helena 118km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da Cunha 10 km) unpaved: 30 km (Saint Helena 20 km, Ascension 0 km, Tristan da Cunha 10 km) (2000) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Georgetown (on Ascension), Jamestown |
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Airports:
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1 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
| Military | Saint Helena |
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Military - note:
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defense is the responsibility of the UK |
| Transnational Issues | Saint Helena |
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Disputes - international:
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none |
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This page was last updated on 17 May, 2005 |