Saint Helena (island)

Saint Helena , 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. About half the people are of African descent, while a quarter each are of European or Chinese background. The population is mainly Christian and English-speaking. The economy depends largely on support from Great Britain; livestock are raised and there is a fishing industry. Saint Helena is governed by the constitution of 1989. It has a unicameral 16-seat Legislative Council, whose members are elected by popular vote for four-year terms. The monarch of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, represented by a governor, is the head of state; the governor is the head of government. Saint Helena is divided into one administrative area and two dependencies.

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.

St Helena Rocky island in the s Atlantic, 1920km (1190mi) from the coast of w Africa; the capital is Jamestown. Discovered by the Portuguese in 1502, it was captured by the Dutch in 1633. It passed to the British East India Company in 1659, and became a British crown colony in 1834. It is chiefly known as the place of Napoleon I's exile (he died here in 1821). It is now a UK dependent territory and administrative centre for the islands of Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. It services ships and exports fish and handicrafts. Area: 122sq km (47sq mi). Pop. (2000) 10,000.

http://www.sainthelena.gov.sh