Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha - Geography

Here, let us take a look at the Geography of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. Saint Helena harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown elsewhere in the world; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles and sooty terns; Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha is the highest island mountain in the South Atlantic and a prominent landmark on the sea lanes around southern Africa. Mother's mean age at first birth is (), whereas, the Maternal mortality ratio is

Geographical data of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
Location islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South America and Africa; Ascension Island lies 1,300 km (800 mi) northwest of Saint Helena; Tristan da Cunha lies 4,300 km (2,700 mi) southwest of Saint Helena
Geographic coordinates

Saint Helena: 15 57 S, 5 42 W;

Ascension Island: 7 57 S, 14 22 W;

Tristan da Cunha island group: 37 15 S, 12 30 W

Map references Africa
Tarrain

the islands of this group are of volcanic origin associated with the Atlantic Mid-Ocean Ridge

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

Ascension: surface covered by lava flows and cinder cones of 44 dormant volcanoes; terrain rises to the east;

Tristan da Cunha: sheer cliffs line the coastline of the nearly circular island; the flanks of the central volcanic peak are deeply dissected; narrow coastal plain lies between The Peak and the coastal cliffs

Natural Resources fish, lobster
Natural Hazards

active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha

volcanism: the island volcanoes of Tristan da Cunha (2,060 m) and Nightingale Island (365 m) experience volcanic activity; Tristan da Cunha erupted in 1962 and Nightingale in 2004

Irrigated Land 0 sq km (2022)
Major rivers (by length in km)
Major aquifers
Land Boundaries 0 km
Border Countries
Coastline Saint Helena: 60 km
Ascension Island: NA
Tristan da Cunha (island only): 34 km
Climate

Saint Helena: tropical marine; mild, tempered by trade winds

Ascension Island: tropical marine; mild, semi-arid

Tristan da Cunha: temperate marine; mild, tempered by trade winds (tends to be cooler than Saint Helena)

Area
Total Area
Land Area 122 sq km Saint Helena Island
Water Area 0 sq km
comparative Area slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Maritime Claims
Territorial sea 12 nm
Exclusive fishing zone 200 nm
Elevations
Highest point Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha 2,060 m; Green Mountain on Ascension Island 859 m; Diana's Peak on Saint Helena Island 818 m
Lowest point Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Land Use
Agricultural land 30.8% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land arable land: 10.3% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture permanent pasture: 20.5% (2018 est.)
Forest 5.1% (2018 est.)
Other 64.1% (2018 est.)
Population Distribution

Saint Helena - population is concentrated in and around the capital Jamestown in the northwest, with another significant cluster in the interior Longwood area; Ascension - largest settlement, and location of most of the population, is Georgetown; Tristan da Cunha - most of the nearly 300 inhabitants live in the northern coastal town of Edinburgh of the Seven Seas

People and Society

In Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, the different Ethnic groups are such that we have: St. Helena 82.1%, UK 7.6%, South Africa 3.6%, Ascension 2.8%, other 3.9% (2021 est.)

Population
Pop growth rate 0.1% (2024 est.)
Birth rate 9.3 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Death rate 8.3 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Health expenditure NA
Physicians Density
Hospital bed Density
Total fertility rate 1.61 children born/woman (2024 est.)
Gross reproduction rate 0.78 (2024 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate NA
Est married women (ages 15-49)
Literacy
Education expenditures NA
Net Migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Nationality Saint Helenian | Saint Helenian(s)
Languages English
Religions Protestant 69.4% (includes Anglican 63.2%, Baptist 2.3%, Salvation Army 2%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.9%), Jehovah's Witness 3.8%, Roman Catholic 2.2%, New Apostolic 1.6%, other Christian 1.4%, other 1.1%, none 9%, unspecified 11.4% (2021 est.)
Age Structure
0-14 years 14.3% (male 579/female 556)
15-64 years 66.5% (male 2,626/female 2,655)
65 years and over 19.2% (2024 est.) (male 773/female 754)
Dependency Ratios
Total dependency ratio 68.6 NA
Youth dependency ratio 23.6 NA
Elderly dependency ratio 45.1 NA
Potential support ratio 2.2 (2021) NA
Median Age
Total 45.1 years (2024 est.)
Male 44.8 years
Female 45.4 years
Urbanization
Urban population 40.7% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization 0.98% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas (Pop) 1,000 JAMESTOWN (capital) (2018).
Sex Ratio
At birth 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over 1.03 male(s)/female
Total population 1 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Infant Motality
Total 18.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male 21.7 deaths/1,000 live births
Female 14.2 deaths/1,000 live births
Life Expectancy at birth
Total population 80.9 years (2024 est.)
Male 78.1 years
Female 83.9 years
Drinking Water Sources
Improved: urban urban: NA
Improved: rural rural: NA
Improved: total total: 99.1% of population
Unimproved: urban urban: NA
Unimproved: rural rural: NA
Unimproved: total total: 0.9% of population (2020)
Sanitation facility acess
Improved: urban urban: NA
Improved: rural rural: NA
Improved: total total: 100% of population
Unimproved: urban urban: NA
Unimproved: rural rural: NA
Unimproved: total total: 0% of population (2020)
Demographic profile

The vast majority of the population of Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha live on Saint Helena. Ascension has no indigenous or permanent residents and is inhabited only by persons contracted to work on the island (mainly with the UK and US military or in the space and communications industries) or their dependents, while Tristan da Cunha – the main island in a small archipelago – has fewer than 300 residents. The population of Saint Helena consists of the descendants of 17th century British sailors and settlers from the East India Company, African slaves, and indentured servants and laborers from India, Indonesia, and China. Most of the population of Ascension are Saint Helenians, Britons, and Americans, while that of Tristan da Cunha descends from shipwrecked sailors and Saint Helenians.

Change in Saint Helena’s population size is driven by net outward migration. Since the 1980s, Saint Helena’s population steadily has shrunk and aged as the birth rate has decreased and many working-age residents left for better opportunities elsewhere. The restoration of British citizenship in 2002 accelerated family emigration; from 1998 to 2008 alone, population declined by about 20%.

In the 2010s, the population experienced some temporary growth, as foreigners and returning Saint Helenians, came to build an international airport, but numbers faded as the project reached completion and workers departed. With the airport fully operational, increased access to the remote island has the potential to boost tourism and fishing, provide more jobs for Saint Helenians domestically, and could encourage some ex-patriots to return home. In the meantime, however, Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha have to contend with the needs of an aging population. The elderly population of the islands has risen from an estimated 9.4% in 1998 to 18% in 2022.

All Important Facts about Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

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Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha is found in Western Africa