Saint Helena (həlē'nə) , island, 47 sq mi (122 sq km), in the S Atlantic Ocean, 1,200 mi (1,931 km) W of Africa. Together with the islands of Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, it comprises the British dependency of St. Helena (2005 est. pop. 7,500). The capital and port is Jamestown. Mountainous and of volcanic origin, the island rises to a height of 2,685 ft (818 m) on Mt. Actaeon. Corn, potatoes, vegetables, and livestock are raised, and there is a fishing industry.

Land and People

Saint Helena has a rugged, volcanic terrain. There are several rocks and islets off the coast, including: Castle Rock, Speery Island, The Needle, Lower Black Rock, Upper Black Rock (South), Bird Island (Southwest), Black Rock, Thompson's Valley Island, Peaked Island, Egg Island, Lady's Chair, Lighter Rock (West), Long Ledge (Northwest), Shore Island, George Island, Rough Rock Island, Flat Rock (East), The Buoys, Sandy Bay Island, The Chimney, White Bird Island and Frightus Rock (Southeast), all of which are within one kilometre of the shore
Ascension Island includes the main island and several uninhabited tiny satellite islands and rocks such as Boatswain Bird Island, Boatswain Bird Rock (East), White Rocks (South), and Tartar Rock. The main island has an area of approximately 35 square miles and is formed by volcanic peak rising from just west of the mid-Atlantic Ridge known as Green Mountain. Most of the island is a moonscape of rugged black lava flows and red windwhipped cinder cones. Where lava has penetrated to the ocean a striking seashore is dotted with white sand. The climate is subtropical, with temperatures at the coast ranging from about 68 to 88 degrees Fahrenheit (20 - 31 Celsius).
Tristan da Cunha includes the main Tristan da Cunha Island, the world's most remote inhabited island and several other uninhabited islands: Gough Island, Inaccessible Island, and the three Nightingale Islands. The islands are all mountainous and volcanic. Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha at 2,060 m is the highest peak.
Saint Helena is one of the most isolated places in the world, located more than 2000km from the nearest major landmass.
Saint Helena has a small population of several thousand inhabitants, mainly descended from people from the British Isles, Scandinavia and Western and Southern Africa. In recent decades, many have migrated to the Falkland Islands or to the United Kingdom. According to the statistics in the 2005 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, Saint Helena has the largest proportion of members of that religious organization of any country or territory in the world; one person in twenty-nine is a Jehovah's Witness (roughly equaling a total of 250 people).

Economy

The economy depends largely on financial assistance from the UK, which amounted to about $5 million in 1998. The local population earns 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.
A campaign is currently underway (reported on BBC Radio 4, Today programme, 10 July 2004) to encourage emigration from the UK to Saint Helena to aid development of the economy. UK government announced intention in early 2005 to fund building of international airport on the island by 2010.

Government

Politics of Saint Helena takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic dependency, whereby the Governor is the head of government. Saint Helena, an island in the southern Atlantic Ocean, is an internally self-governing overseas territory of the United Kingdom. It has a constitution since 1 January 1989. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Legislative Council. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. Military defence is the responsibility of the United Kingdom.

History

Discovered uninhabited by the Portuguese navigator João da Nova Castella in 1502, St. Helena was annexed by the Dutch in 1633. In 1659 it was annexed and occupied by the British East India Company, and in 1834 it became a British crown colony. The island served as a prison for South African Boers (Afrikaners) from 1900 to 1902. St. Helena is best known as the place of exile of Napoleon I, who was sent there in 1815 and who died at Longwood, near Jamestown, in 1821. His home has been maintained as a memorial.