is the site of a US Air Force auxiliary airfield;
Gough Island has a meteorological station.

Saint Helena Geography

Location: islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about mid-way between
South America and Africa

Geographic coordinates: 15 56 S, 5 42 W

Map references: Africa

Area: total: 410 sq km

land: 410 sq km

water: 0 sq km

note: includes St. 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

Area - comparative: slightly more than two times the size of
Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 60 km

Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM

territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: 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)

Terrain: Saint Helena - rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus
and plains

note: the other islands of the group have a volcanic origin

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point: Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha 2,060 m

Natural resources: fish

Land use: arable land: 6%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 6%

forests and woodland: 6%

other: 82% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha

Environment - current issues: NA

Geography - note: harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown
anywhere else in the world; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea
turtles and sooty terns

Saint Helena People

Population: 7,266 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 19.08% (male 699; female 687)

15-64 years: 71.72% (male 2,711; female 2,500)

65 years and over: 9.2% (male 286; female 383) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.72% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 13.49 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 6.33 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female

total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 22.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.01 years

male: 74.13 ye