Saint Helena — map and facts

About Saint Helena

Saint Helena is a British Overseas Territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean, approximately 1,900 kilometres west of the African coast. The capital is Jamestown, the only town on the island, and the territory's population is approximately 4,500 people. As a British Overseas Territory, residents hold British Overseas Territories citizenship, and since 2002 they have the right to full British citizenship. The territory encompasses not only Saint Helena itself but also the islands of Ascension and Tristan da Cunha as part of the broader territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. The island's economy has historically been constrained by its extreme remoteness, but the opening of Saint Helena Airport in 2016 — after years of construction — was intended to stimulate tourism. The currency is the Saint Helena pound, which is pegged to the British pound sterling. The island is perhaps most famous as the place of Napoleon Bonaparte's final exile and death.

Geography and Landscape

Saint Helena is a small volcanic island of approximately 122 square kilometres, rising dramatically from the South Atlantic. Despite its small size, the island has a surprisingly varied topography. The coastal areas are characterised by steep cliffs and rugged terrain, while the interior rises to a central ridge with the highest point, Diana's Peak, reaching 818 metres. The interior highlands receive considerably more rainfall and support lush vegetation, including dense cloud forest. The lower coastal zones are much drier and more barren. The island is famous for its endemic species, including the wirebird, or Saint Helena plover, which is critically endangered. The climate is mild and subtropical, moderated by the southeast trade winds. Sea temperatures remain relatively stable throughout the year. The island's isolation over millions of years has produced a unique array of endemic flora and fauna, though many species have been lost since human settlement.

History

Saint Helena was discovered by Portuguese navigator João da Nova in 1502 and quickly became a vital provisioning stop on the sea route between Europe and Asia around the Cape of Good Hope. The Dutch briefly claimed the island in 1633 before the English East India Company took possession in 1659, establishing it as a key base for trade. The island came under British Crown rule in 1834. Its most famous association is with Napoleon Bonaparte, who was exiled there after his defeat at Waterloo in 1815 and died on the island in 1821. The island's strategic importance declined with the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, which redirected shipping traffic away from the Cape route. Saint Helena was long home to a garrison and served various administrative functions. The territory gained a new constitution in 2009, and the completion of its airport in 2016 marked a significant step toward reducing the island's isolation and dependency on shipping.