British Overseas Territory
Territory under British sovereignty that does not form part of the United Kingdom. It has its own constitution and government; the United Kingdom is responsible for defense and external relations.
Listed by the United Nations as a Non-Self-Governing Territory.
National Identity
- Official name
- Saint Helena
- Name etymology
on the feast day of Saint Helena in 1502, Spanish navigator Joao da NOVA (sailing for Portugal) sighted and named the island that now bears the saint's name; da NOVA originally named Ascension "Conception Island" in honor of the Virgin Mary, but Portuguese navigator Afonso de ALBUQUERQUE later found the island on the feast day of the Ascension in 1508 and renamed it; Portuguese explorer Tristao da CUNHA sighted the third island in 1506 and named it after himself (the name was later anglicized)
Sources:- Saint Helena Government - https://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/st-helena-government-adopts-updated-coat-of-arms/
- The World Factbook: Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha - CIA
- Coat of arms
- National flag
- National anthem
- God Save the KingThe national anthem of the United Kingdom.1:03
- Title
- God Save the King
- Lyrics
- English
1God save our gracious King, Long live our noble King, God save the King: Send him victorious, Happy and glorious, Long to reign over us: God save the King.
2O Lord, our God, arise, Scatter his enemies, And make them fall. Confound their politics, Frustrate their knavish tricks, On Thee our hopes we fix, God save us all.
3Thy choicest gifts in store, On him be pleased to pour; Long may he reign: May he defend our laws, And ever give us cause With heart and voice to sing God save the King
Source: - Citizens
- Saint Helenians
- Official name:Saint Helena Government - https://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/st-helena-government-adopts-updated-coat-of-arms/
- Official name, Citizens:The World Factbook: Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha - CIA
- Coat of arms:Image credit
- National anthem:nationalanthems.info ↗
Geography
- Location
- islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South America and Africa; Ascension Island lies 1,300 km (800 mi) northwest of Saint Helena; Tristan da Cunha lies 4,300 km (2,700 mi) southwest of Saint Helena
- Total area
- 394 km²
- Land area
- 394 km²
- Water area
- 0.00 km²
- Land borders
- None
- Terrain
The islands of this group are of volcanic origin associated with the Atlantic Mid-Ocean Ridge
- Saint Helena
- Rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains
- Ascension
- Surface covered by lava flows and cinder cones of 44 dormant volcanoes; terrain rises to the east
- Tristan da Cunha
- Sheer cliffs line the coastline of the nearly circular island; the flanks of the central volcanic peak are deeply dissected; narrow coastal plain lies between The Peak and the coastal cliffs
- Highest point
- 2,060 mQueen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha
- Lowest point
- 0 mAtlantic Ocean
- Climate
- Saint Helena
- Tropical marine; mild, tempered by trade winds
- Ascension Island
- Tropical marine; mild, semi-arid
- Tristan da Cunha
- Temperate marine; mild, tempered by trade winds (tends to be cooler than Saint Helena)
- Avg. temperature
- 18.8 °C
- Avg. daily range
- 18.1 to 19.4 °C
- Annual precipitation
- 703 mm
Temperature °CMeanDaily rangePrecipitation mmMonthly climate normals Month Avg. high, °C Mean, °C Avg. low, °C Precipitation, mm January 20.8 20.1 19.5 47 February 21.6 20.9 20.3 38 March 21.8 21.1 20.5 59 April 21.3 20.6 19.9 67 May 20.2 19.5 18.8 77 June 19.1 18.4 17.7 73 July 18.1 17.4 16.7 68 August 17.5 16.8 16.1 64 September 17.3 16.6 15.9 59 October 17.6 17 16.4 57 November 18.3 17.8 17.2 49 December 19.6 19 18.4 46 Country-wide averages over 1991–2020.
Sources:- The World Factbook: Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha - CIA
- Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Weather
- Loading
- Land use2023
- Arable10.3%Pasture20.5%Forest5.2%Other64.1%
- Arable land
- 4,000 hectares (10.3%)
- Permanent meadows & pastures
- 8,000 hectares (20.5%)
- Forest
- 2,020 hectares (5.2%)
- Other land
- 24,980 hectares (64.1%)
Source:
- Location, Land borders, Terrain, Highest point, Lowest point, Climate:The World Factbook: Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha - CIA
- Climate:Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Land use:FAOSTAT Land Use domain ↗ - FAO
Demographics
- Population change2026
- −0.94% per year−49 people/yearWorld Rank225thof 237
- Birth rate
- 7.1 per 1,000 population
- Death rate
- 17.3 per 1,000 population
- Net migration rate
- 0.0 per 1,000 population
- 2026
- 51.0 yearsWorld Rank3rdof 237
- Age structure2026
- 0-14 years13.2%15-64 years58.5%65 years +28.3%
- Share aged 65 and over
- 28.3%
- Share aged under 18
- 16.4%
- Total dependency ratio
- 71
- Youth dependency ratio
- 22
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 48
- Sex ratio
- 0.98 male / female
MaleAgeFemalePopulation by age group, % of total population Age Male Female 80+ 3.2% 3.4% 70-79 6.6% 6.7% 60-69 8.6% 8.4% 50-59 7.8% 8.3% 40-49 4.9% 6.5% 30-39 5.2% 4.8% 20-29 3.9% 3.9% 10-19 5.4% 5.0% 0-9 4.1% 3.9% - 2026
- 0.46 below the replacement level for Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha ()1.64 births per womanreplacement 2.10123World Rank145thof 237
- 0.78 daughters per woman0.22 below replacement, long-run each generation smaller than the lastreplacement 1.000.511.5
- 2026
- −10.2 per 1,000 populationfor every 1,000 people, 10.2 more deaths than births a year
- 2026
- 0.0 per 1,000 population
- Urbanization2026
- 37.2% live in cities1,913 urban residents
- Largest places2021
- Half Tree Hollow, St. Paul's, Longwood, JamestownRankPlacePopulation (2021 census)1Half Tree Hollow1,0342St. Paul's9283Longwood7654Jamestown6255Georgetown450(2008)6Alarm Forest3947Levelwood3428Edinburgh of the Seven Seas2609Cat Hill US Military Base210(2008)10Sandy Bay177Source:
- St Helena Statistics Office (2021 census), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution
- Saint Helena
- Population is concentrated in and around the capital of Jamestown in the northwest, with another significant cluster in the interior Longwood area.
- Ascension
- Most of the population lives in and around Georgetown.
- Tristan da Cunha
- Most of the nearly 300 inhabitants live in the northern coastal town of Edinburgh of the Seven Seas.
- Ethnic groups2021
- Figures count country of birth, not ethnicity.St. Helena82.1%UK7.6%South Africa3.6%Ascension2.8%Other3.9%
- Religions2021
- Covers Saint Helena only.Anglican63.2%Unspecified11.4%None9.0%Jehovah's Witness3.8%Baptist2.3%Salvation Army2.0%Roman Catholic2.2%Seventh Day Adventist1.9%New Apostolic1.6%Other Christian1.4%Other1.1%
- Languages
- English
- Population, Population change, Median age, Age structure, Total fertility rate, Net reproduction rate, Natural change, Net migration rate:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Urbanization:UN World Urbanization Prospects ↗
- Largest cities:St Helena Statistics Office (2021 census), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution, Ethnic groups, Religions:The World Factbook: Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha - CIA
Government & Administration
- Form of state
- Constitutional monarchyShared with the United Kingdom: the British monarch is head of state.With Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, St Helena forms "a single territorial grouping under the Crown"; its Governor is appointed by the monarch and holds office at the monarch's pleasure (Preamble; s. 26).
- System of government
- ParliamentaryThe elected Legislative Council members elect the Chief Minister; the Executive Council is collectively responsible to the Legislative Council, which the Governor dissolves on the Chief Minister's advice or, with Secretary of State approval, on his or her own judgement (ss. 36, 37, 76).
- Official websites
- Capital
- Jamestown625 people(2021)
- National holidays
- 6 days in 2026
- FriApr 3Good Friday
- MonApr 6Easter Monday
- FriNov 13King's Birthday
- FriDec 25Christmas Day
- SatDec 26Boxing Day
- MonDec 28Boxing Day (observed)
Nationwide public holidays only, excluding regional, bank and government-only days.
- Time
- GMTGreenwich Mean TimeUTC+0
- Currency
- St. Helena Pound (SHP)
- Entry requirements
- Official visa and entry information
- Calling code
- +290
- Internet TLD
- .sh
- ISO 3166-1 codes
- SH, SHN
- Infrastructure
- Heliports
- 2
- Aircraft registration prefix
- VQ-H
Source:- The World Factbook: Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha - CIA
- Form of state, System of government:The St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Constitution Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/1751), Schedule: The Constitution of St Helena ↗ - The National Archives (United Kingdom)
- Form of state, System of government:The St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Constitution (Amendment) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/895) ↗ - The National Archives (United Kingdom)
- National holidays:Open World Holidays Framework (vacanza/holidays) ↗
- Infrastructure:The World Factbook: Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha - CIA
Economy
- Trade2023
- Singapore33%
- United States16%
- Japan10%
- Turkey (Türkiye)10%
- Senegal8%
Source:- The World Factbook: Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha - CIA
- Industries
- construction, crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing, collectible postage stamps
- Trade, Industries:The World Factbook: Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha - CIA
Cost of Living
Society
- Mobile subscriptions2022
- 3,968
- Fixed telephone lines
- 4,108
Counts subscriptions, not people.
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Official tourism site
- Official tourism site
- Mobile subscriptions:ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
Crime & Safety
Health
- Life expectancy2026
- 77.3 years
- Infant mortality2026
- 11.2 per 1,000 live births
- Life expectancy, Infant mortality:UN World Population Prospects ↗
Environment
- CO₂ emissions2024
- 0.02 Mt per yearup 1.3 percent on the previous year1.3% from 2023
- CO₂ per capita
- 4.4 t per personWorld Rank66thof 207
- Share of global CO₂
- < 0.01%
- Methane (CH₄)
- 0 Mt CO₂-eq
- Nitrous oxide (N₂O)
- 0 Mt CO₂-eq
- All greenhouse gases
- 0.02 Mt CO₂-eq
Source:- Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- 2024
- 2.5 µg/m³ of PM2.5Most polluted218thof 236
- WHO guideline
- 5 µg/m³
Source:- Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues
- development threatens wildlife on Saint Helena
- International agreements
- 1 of 20 landmark treaties in forceParty to 1 multilateral environmental agreements
Treaty Standing Joined Climate Paris Agreement not a party UN Framework Convention on Climate Change not a party Kyoto Protocol not a party Ozone layer Montreal Protocol not a party Vienna Convention (Ozone Layer) not a party Biodiversity Convention on Biological Diversity not a party CITES not a party Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn) not a party Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety not a party Nagoya Protocol not a party Land and heritage Ramsar Convention on Wetlands not a party World Heritage Convention not a party UN Convention to Combat Desertification in force 1997 Chemicals and waste Basel Convention not a party Rotterdam Convention (PIC) not a party Stockholm Convention (POPs) not a party Minamata Convention on Mercury not a party Oceans UN Convention on the Law of the Sea not a party High Seas Treaty (BBNJ) not a party MARPOL 73/78 not a party Source:- International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
- CO₂ emissions:Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- Air pollution:Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues:The World Factbook: Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha - CIA
- International agreements:International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
Food & Water
Energy
- Energy consumption2024
- 0 EJ per yeartotal primary energy
- Per capita
- 30.4 GJ per person
- Share of world total
- < 0.01%
- Supply
- No domestic productionconsumes 0 EJ in 2024
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Electricity2024
- No electricity trade0 TWh generated per year
- Generation
- 0 TWh per year
- Consumption
- 0 TWh per year
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Oil, gas & coal
- No domestic productionconsumes 72 b/d in 2024Consumption202472 b/d
Oil imports and exports count crude oil only.
- Energy consumption, Electricity, Oil, gas & coal:International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration