gees (country of origin): 37,691 (Democratic Republic of the
Congo)
IDPs: 4,158 (incursions by Hutu rebels from Democratic Republic of
the Congo, 1997-1999; most IDPs in northwest) (2004)

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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@Saint Helena

Introduction Saint Helena

Background:
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

Location:
islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South
America and Africa

Geographic coordinates:
15 56 S, 5 42 W

Map references:
Africa

Area:
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

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

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
60 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 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: 12.9%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 87.1% (2001)

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

People Saint Helena

Population:
7,415 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 yea