Saint Helena

This article is about the tropical island in the South Atlantic. For the British Overseas Territory, seeSaint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha.For other uses, seeSaint Helena (disambiguation).

Saint Helena
Constituent part of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Loyal and Unshakable"
Anthem:"God Save the King"
Unofficial anthem: "My Saint Helena Island"
Map of Saint Helena
Location of Saint Helena in the southernAtlantic Ocean
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Colonial charter	1657
Crown colony	22 April 1834
Current constitution	1 September 2009
Capital	Jamestown 15°56′S05°43′W
Largest city	Half Tree Hollow 15°56′0″S5°43′12″W
Official languages	English
Demonym(s)	Saint Helenian Helenian Saint(informally)
Government	Devolvedparliamentarydependencyunder aconstitutional monarchy
•Monarch	Charles III
•Governor	Nigel Phillips
•Chief Minister	Julie Thomas
Legislature	Legislative Council
Government of the United Kingdom
•Minister	Stephen Doughty
Area
• Total	121.8 km2(47.0 sq mi)
Highest elevation	820 m (2,690 ft)
Population
• 2021 census	4,439
• Density	36.5/km2(94.5/sq mi)
Currency	Pound sterling Saint Helena pound(£) (SHP)
Time zone	UTC±00:00(GMT)
Driving side	left
Calling code	+290
ISO 3166 code	SH SHN
Internet TLD	.sh

Saint Helena(/ˌsɛnt(h)ɪˈliːnə,ˌsɪnt-,sənt-/,US:/ˌseɪnt-/) is one of the three constituent parts ofSaint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha,a remoteBritish overseas territory.

Saint Helena is a volcanic and tropical island, located in theSouth Atlantic Ocean,some 1,874 km (1,165 miles) west of mainland Africa, withAngolaandNamibiabeing the closest nations, geographically. The island is located around 1,950 km (1,210 mi) west of the coast of southwesternSouth Africa,and 4,000 km (2,500 mi) east ofRio de Janeiro,Brazil. Until 2018, the primary method of reaching Saint Helena was by booking a spot on theRMSSt Helena—a cargo and post delivery vessel that also ferried visitors—which routinely made the 3,141 km (1,951 mi), six-day journey fromCape Town, South Africa.It is now served by theSt Helena Airport.

Saint Helena measures about 16 by 8 km (10 by 5 mi) and has a population of 4,439 per the 2021 census.It was named afterHelena, mother of Constantine I.It is one of the most remote major islands in the world and was uninhabited whendiscovered by the Portugueseenroute to theIndian subcontinentin 1502. For about four centuries, the island was an important stopover for ships from Europe to Asia and back, while sailing around the African continent, until the opening of theSuez Canal.Saint Helena is theUnited Kingdom's second-oldest overseas territory afterBermuda.

Saint Helena is known for being the site ofNapoleon's second exile, following hisfinal defeatin 1815.

History

Main article:History of Saint Helena

Discovery

João da Nova,a Galician navigator serving thePortuguese Empire,was the first person to sight Saint Helena.

According to long-established tradition, the island was sighted on 21 May 1502 by the four ships of the3rd Portuguese Armada,commanded byJoão da Nova,aGaliciannavigator in the service of Portugal, during his return voyage to Lisbon, who named it Santa Helena afterSaint Helena of Constantinople.This tradition was reviewed by a 2022 paperwhich concluded that the Portuguese chroniclespublished at least fifty years after the sighting are the sole primary source for the discovery. Although contradictory in describing other events, these chronicles almost unanimously claim that João da Nova found Saint Helena sometime in 1502, although none of them gives a precise date.

However, there are several reasons to doubt that da Nova made this discovery:

1. Given that da Nova returned either on 11 Septemberor on 13 September 1502it is usually assumed that theCantino planisphere,completed by the following November,includes his discovery ofAscension Island(shown as anarchipelago,with one of six islands marked as "ilha achada e chamada Ascenssam" ), yet this map fails to show Saint Helena.
2. When a section of theFourth Armadaunder the command ofEstêvão da Gamasighted and landed at Saint Helena the following year on 30 July 1503, itsscrivenerThomé Lopesregarded it as an unknown island, yet named Ascension as one of five reference points for the new island's location. On 12 July 1503, nearly three weeks before reaching Saint Helena, Lopes described how Estêvão da Gama's ships met up with a section of theFifth Armadaled byAfonso de Albuquerqueoff theCape of Good Hope.The latter had left Lisbon about six months after João da Nova's return, so Albuquerque and his captains should all have known whether João da Nova had indeed found St Helena. An anonymous Flemish traveler on one of da Gama's ships reported that bread and victuals were running short by the time they reached the Cape, so from da Gama's perspective there was a pressing need that he be told that water and meat could be found at Saint Helena.But nothing seems to have been said about the island, and Lopes regarded the island as unknown. This again implies that da Nova found Ascension but not St Helena.

The 2022 paper also reviews cartographic evidence that Saint Helena and Ascension were known to the Spanish in 1500, before either João da Nova or Estêvão da Gama sailed for India. The suggestion that da Nova discovered Tristan da Cunha and named it Saint Helena is discounted.

A 2015 paper notes that 21 May is the feast day of St Helena in the Eastern Orthodox and mostProtestantchurches, but the Roman Catholic one is in August, and the day and the month were first quoted in 1596 byJan Huyghen van Linschoten,who was probably mistaken, because the island was discovered several decades before theReformationand the start of Linschoten's Protestant faith.An alternative discovery date of 3 May is suggested as being historically more credible; it is the Catholic feast day of the finding of theTrue Crossby Saint Helena inJerusalem,and cited by Odoardo Duarte LopesandSir Thomas Herbert.

When Linschoten arrived at the island on 12 May 1589, he reported seeing carvings made by visiting seamen on a fig tree that were dated as early as 1510.The Portuguese probably planted saplings rather than mature trees, and for these to be sufficiently large by 1510 to carry carvings suggests the plants were shipped to the island and planted there some years earlier, possibly within a few years of discovery.

A third discovery story, told by 16th-century historianGaspar Correia,holds that the island was found by Portuguese nobleman and warrior DomGarcia de Noronha,who sighted the island on his way to India in late 1511 or early 1512. His pilots entered the island onto their charts, and this event likely led to the island being used as a regular stopover for rest and replenishment for ships en route from India to Europe, from that date until well into the 17th century.An analysis has been published of the Portuguese ships arriving at Saint Helena in the period 1502–1613.

Exploitation of the island

The Portuguese found the island uninhabited, with an abundance of trees and fresh water. They imported livestock, fruit trees, and vegetables, and built a chapel and one or two houses. The long tradition that João da Nova built a chapel from one of his wreckedcarrackshas been shown to be based on a misreading of the records.They formed no permanent settlement, but the island was an important rendezvous point and source of food for ships travelling by theCape Routefrom Asia to Europe, and frequently sick mariners were left on the island to recover before taking passage on the next ship to call at the island.

EnglishPirateSirFrancis Drake,acting as aprivateer,probably located the island on the final leg of his circumnavigation of the world (1577–1580).Further visits by other British explorers followed and, once Saint Helena's location was more widely known, British ships of war began to lie in wait in the area to attack Portuguese India carracks on their way home.

In developing their Far East trade, theDutchalso began to frequent the island. The Portuguese and Spanish soon gave up regularly calling at the island, partly because they used ports along theWest Africancoast, but also because of attacks on their shipping, the desecration of their chapel and religious icons, killings of their livestock, and destruction of theirplantationsby Dutch pirates.

TheDutch Republicformally claimed Saint Helena in 1633, although no evidence indicates they ever occupied it. The Dutch lost interest in the island after establishingtheir colonyat theCape of Good Hope.

East India Company (1658–1815)

Main article:East India Company

A View of the Town and Island of Saint Helena in the Atlantic Ocean belonging to theBritish East India Company,engraving,c. 1790

In 1657,Oliver Cromwellgranted theEast India Company(EIC) a charter to govern Saint Helena. The following year, the company decided to fortify the island and settle it with planters.A theory, which had its origins in the early 20th century, that the early settlers included many who had lost their homes in the 1666Great Fire of London,was shown to be a myth in 1999.

The first governor, Captain John Dutton, arrived in 1659, making Saint Helena one of Britain's earliest colonies outside Europe, North America and the Caribbean. A fort and houses were built: Jamestown had been founded, "in the narrow valley between steep cliffs".

After theRestorationof the Stuart monarchy in the kingdoms ofEngland,ScotlandandIrelandtook place in 1660, the EIC received aroyal charter,giving it the sole right to fortify and colonise the island. The fort was renamed James Fort and the town was calledJamestown,in honour of theDuke of York,laterKing James II.

Between January and May 1673, theDutch East India Companyseized the island, but British reinforcements restored EIC control. The island was fortified with about 230 gun turrets.

The British government sent some settlers and gave them land that they could farm,but the company found it hard to attract enough settlers, despite advertisements in London and free tracts of land. By 1670, the population was only 66, including slaves.Also unrest and rebellion occurred among the inhabitants. Ecological problems, such as deforestation, soil erosion, vermin, and drought, led Governor Isaac Pyke to suggest in 1715 that the population be moved toMauritius,but that was not acted upon. The company continued to subsidise the community because of the island's strategic location. A census in 1723 recorded 1,110 inhabitants, including 610 slaves.

In the peak era, about 1,000 ships per year stopped there, leaving the governor to try to police the numerous visitors and to limit the consumption ofarrack,a distilled alcoholic drink made from potatoes. There were two mutinies, perhaps fueled by alcohol. Because Jamestown was "too raucous with its taverns and brothels", St Paul's Cathedral was built outside the town.

Eighteenth-century governors tried to tackle the island's problems by planting trees, improving fortifications, eliminating corruption, building a hospital, tackling the neglect of crops and livestock, controlling the consumption of alcohol, and introducing legal reforms. The island enjoyed a lengthy period of prosperity from about 1770. CaptainJames Cookvisited the island in 1775 on the final leg of his second circumnavigation of the world.St. James' Churchwas built in Jamestown in 1774, andPlantation Housein 1791–1792; the latter has since been the official residence of the governor.

Edmond Halleyvisited Saint Helena on leaving theUniversity of Oxfordin 1676, and set up an astronomicalobservatorywith a 7.3-metre-long (24 ft)aerial telescope,intending to study the stars of theSouthern Hemisphere.The site of this telescope is nearSaint Mathew's Churchat Hutt's Gate in theLongwooddistrict. The 680-metre-high (2,230 ft) hill there is called Halley's Mount.

Throughout that period, Saint Helena was an importantport of call of the EIC.East Indiamenwould stop there on the return leg of their voyages to British India and China. At Saint Helena, ships could replenish supplies of water and provisions and, during wartime, form convoys that would sail under the protection of vessels of theRoyal Navy.

James Cook’s shipHMSEndeavouranchored and resupplied off the coast of Saint Helena in May 1771 on its return from the European discovery of the east coast of Australia and the rediscovery of New Zealand.

The British brought an estimated 25,000 slaves from west Africa to the island, in addition to the 3,000,000 they transported to the New World.The importation of slaves was made illegal in 1792, but the horrific conditions of slavery on St Helena were not abolished until 27 May 1839, when the 'Ordinance For the Abolition of Slavery in the Island of St Helena' was enacted.Rupert's Valley was the embarkation area for slaves; in 2008, when the road to the airport was being built, over 9,000 skeletal remains of slaves were uncovered in a mass burial area. They were reburied en masse in 2022 without ceremony of any kind.Governor Robert Patton (1802–1807) recommended that the company import workers from China to supplement the rural workforce. Many were allowed to stay, and their descendants became integrated into the population. In 1810, Chinese labourers began arriving, and by 1818, there were 650 in St Helena.An 1814 census recorded 3,507 people on the island. Many of the labourers were allowed to stay, though the need for their services had reduced by 1836.

British rule (1815–1821) and Napoleon's exile

Napoléon à Sainte-Hélèneby François-Joseph Sandmann

Longwood House in September 2014

See also:Napoleon § Exile on Saint Helena

In 1815, the British government selected Saint Helena as the place of exile forNapoleon Bonaparte,after theBattle of Waterloo,his secondabdication(on 22 June 1815) and his final surrender, to CaptainFrederick Maitland,onHMSBellerophon(15 July 1815).He was taken to the island in October 1815. Napoleon stayed at theBriars pavilion,on the grounds of theBalcombe family's home, until his permanent residence atLongwood Housewas completed in December 1815. He died there on 5 May 1821.

British East India Company (1821–1834)

Following Napoleon's death, the soldiers and other temporary residents linked to his presence on the island were withdrawn and the EIC resumed full control of Saint Helena. Between 1815 and 1830, the EIC made thepacketschoonerSt Helenaavailable to the government of the island, which made multiple trips per year between the island and the Cape, carrying passengers both ways and supplies of wine and provisions back to the island. Napoleon praised Saint Helena's coffee during his exile on the island, and the product enjoyed a brief popularity inParisin the years after his death.

The importation of slaves to Saint Helena was banned in 1792. In 1818, the governor freed children born of slaves on the island.The phased emancipation of over 800 resident slaves took place in 1827, some six years before the British parliament passed legislation to abolish slavery in the colonies.

Between 1791 and 1833, Saint Helena became the site of a series of experiments in conservation, reforestation, and attempts to boost rainfall artificially.This environmental intervention was closely linked to the conceptualisation of the processes of environmental change and helped establish the roots of environmentalism.

Crown colony (1834–1981)

Under the provisions of the 1833 India Act, control of Saint Helena passed from the EIC to the British Crown, and it became acrown colony.Subsequent administrative cost-cutting triggered a long-term population decline; those who could afford to do so tended to leave the island for better opportunities elsewhere. The latter half of the 19th century saw the advent of steamships not reliant ontrade winds,as well as the diversion of Far East trade away from the traditionalSouth Atlanticshipping lanes to a route via theRed Sea(which, prior to the building of theSuez Canal,involved a short overland section).

In 1840, a British naval station established to suppress theAtlantic slave tradewas based on the island, and between 1840 and 1849, over 15,000 freed slaves, known as "Liberated Africans", were landed there.

In 1858, French emperor Napoleon III purchased, in the name of the French government,Longwood Houseand the lands around it, the last residence of Napoleon I (who died there in 1821; his remains had been returned to France in 1840.)It is still French property, administered by a French representative and under the authority of the FrenchMinistry of Foreign Affairs.

A 2020 report states that the island's prosperity ended after 1869 when "the Suez Canal shifted trade routes north". A 2019 report explained that "ships no longer needed a stopping point on a longer journey to Europe".The number of ships calling at the island fell from 1,100 in 1855 to only 288 in 1889.

On 11 April 1898, AmericanJoshua Slocum,on his solo round-the-world voyage, arrived at Jamestown. He departed on 20 April 1898 for the final leg of his circumnavigation, having been extended hospitality by the governor,R. A. Sterndale.He presented two lectures on his voyage and was invited to Longwood by the French consular agent.

Boer prisoners of war, 1900

By the end of 1899, St Helena was connected to London by undersea cable; this allowed for telegraph communication. In 1900 and 1901, over 6,000Boerprisoners were held on the island, during theSecond Anglo-Boer War.A 2019 report stated, "no traces remain of the two POW camps", but added, "the Boer Cemetery is a poignant spot".Among the notables werePiet Cronjéand his wife after their defeat at theBattle of Paardeberg.The resulting population reached an all-time high of 9,850 in 1901. By 1911, however, that had declined to 3,520 people. In 1906, the British government withdrew the garrison; the island's economy suffered when spending by the soldiers stopped.

A local industry manufacturing fibre fromNew Zealand flaxwas successfully re-established in 1907 and generated considerable income during theFirst World War.Ascension Island was made a dependency of Saint Helena in 1922, and Tristan da Cunha followed in 1938. During theSecond World War,the United States builtWideawake Airporton Ascension in 1942, but no military use was made of Saint Helena except maintenance of its defences.

Attendance at school became mandatory in 1942, for ages 5 to 15 in 1941, and the government took over control of the education system. The first secondary school opened in 1946. The American construction of Wideawake Airfield generated numerous jobs for St Helena; the sale of flax for rope also generated revenue for the island.However, the industry declined after 1951 because of transport costs and competition from synthetic fibres. The decision in 1965 by the BritishPost Officeto use synthetic fibres for its mailbags was a further blow, contributing to the closure of the island's flax mills in 1965.

From 1958, theUnion-Castleshipping line gradually reduced its service calls to the island. Curnow Shipping, based inAvonmouth,replaced the Union-Castle Line mailship service in 1977, using theRMSSt Helena,which was introduced in 1989.

1981 to present

Francis Eustace Baker,wearing full dress tropical uniform, is sworn in as Governor of Saint Helena in 1984.

TheBritish Nationality Act 1981reclassified Saint Helena and the othercrown coloniesasBritish Dependent Territories.For the next 20 years, many could find only low-paid work with the island government, and the only available employment outside Saint Helena was on theFalkland IslandsandAscension Island.The Development and Economic Planning Department (which still operates) was formed in 1988 to contribute to raising the living standards of the people of Saint Helena.

The Commission on Citizenship was established in 1992, restoring the islanders' rights including the right of abode. In 2002, the right to British citizenship was restored.

In 1989,Prince Andrewlaunched the replacementRMSSt Helenato serve the island; the vessel was specially built for theCardiff–Cape Townroute and featured a mixed cargo/passenger layout.

The Saint Helena Constitution took effect in 1989, and provided that the island would be governed by a governor, a commander-in-chief, and an elected executive and legislative council. In 2002, theBritish Overseas Territories Act 2002granted full British citizenship to the islanders and renamed the dependent territories (including Saint Helena) the British Overseas Territories. In 2009,The St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Constitution Order 2009gave all three equal status; the British Overseas Territory was renamedSaint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha.

In 2021, a ministerial system was introduced in Saint Helena after UK's approval of a constitutional amendment.

In January 2024,Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburghvisited the island. "Prince Edward is the first royal trip to the island sincePrincess Anne,the Princess Royal visited in 2002. Other royal guests includeKing George VI,Queen Elizabeth II,Prince Philip,Princess MargaretandThe Queen Mother."While there, he visited Jonathan, a 191-year old tortoise, confirmed by theGuinness World Recordsto be the oldest living land animal.He toured the island, met residents, ceremonially opened the island'sairport,and gave an address in the island's capital, Jamestown.

Geography

Positions (north to south) ofAscension Island,Saint Helena, andTristan da Cunhain the SouthAtlantic Ocean

Saint Helena seen from space (photo is oriented with north-west towards the top)

Main article:Geography of Saint Helena

Situated in theSouth Atlantic Oceanon theMid-Atlantic Ridge,more than 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) from the nearest major landmass, Saint Helena is remote. The nearest port on the continent isMoçâmedesin southernAngola;connections to Cape Town, South Africa are used for most shipping needs via the regular cargo ship that serves the island, the MSHelena.

The island is on the same ridge as two other islands in the southern Atlantic, also British territories:Ascension Island,about 1,300 kilometres (810 mi) due north-west in more equatorial waters, andTristan da Cunha,which is outside the tropics 2,430 kilometres (1,510 mi) to the south. The island, in theWestern Hemisphere,has the samelongitudeasLand's End(westCornwall,England), and westernSpain.For sharing several trading patterns,and climate effect traits, the island is grouped underWest Africa/Africa in most projects, committees and papers of theUnited Nations.

The island is 122 km²(47 sq mi) in area, and is composed largely of rugged terrain of volcanic origin (the last volcanic eruptions occurred about 7 million years ago).Coastal areas are scattered with vegetation on volcanic rock and are warmer and drier than the centre. The highest point of the island isDiana's Peakat 818 m (2,684 ft). In 1996 it became the island's firstnational park.Much of the island is covered byNew Zealand flax,a legacy of former industry, but there are some original trees augmented by plantations, including those of the Millennium Forest project, which was established in 2002 to replant, particularly with indigenousgumwood,part of the lost Great Wood and is now managed by theSaint Helena National Trust.

When the island was discovered, it was covered with unique indigenous vegetation, including a remarkablecabbage treespecies. The island's interior must have been a dense tropical forest but the coastal areas were probably also quite green. The modern landscape is very different, with widespread bare rock in the lower areas, although inland it is green, mainly due to introduced vegetation. There are no native land mammals, but cattle, cats, dogs, donkeys, goats, mice, rabbits, rats and sheep have been introduced. The dramatic change in landscape must be attributed to these introductions. As a result, the string tree (Acalypha rubrinervis) and the Saint Helena olive (Nesiota elliptica) are now extinct, and many of the other endemic plants are threatened with extinction.

Some 22 named rocks and islets are offshore: 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 within one kilometre (0.62 mi) of the shore.

Thenational birdof Saint Helena is theSaint Helena plover,known locally as the wirebird, on account of its wire-like legs. It appears on thecoat of arms of Saint Helenaand on the flag.

Climate

See also:Jamestown, Saint Helena § Climate

The climate of Saint Helena is tropical, marine and mild, tempered by theBenguela Currentand trade winds that blow almost continuously.The climate varies noticeably across the island. Temperatures inJamestown,on the north leeward shore, are in the range 21–28 °C (70–82 °F) in the summer (January to April) and 17–24 °C (63–75 °F) during the remainder of the year. The temperatures in the central areas are, on average, 5–6 °C (9.0–10.8 °F) lower.Jamestown also has a very low annual rainfall, while 750–1,000 mm (30–39 in) falls per year on the higher ground and the south coast, where it is also noticeably cloudier.There areweather recording stationsin theLongwoodandBlue Hilldistricts.

Administrative divisions

Districts of Saint Helena

See also:Category:Parishes of Saint Helena

Saint Helena is divided into eight districts,with the majority housing a community centre. The districts also serve as statistical divisions. The island is a single electoral area and elects 12 representatives to theLegislative Councilof 15.

District	Seat	Area		Population				Pop./km2 2016
		km2	sq mi	1998	2008	2016	2021
Alarm Forest	The Briars	5.4	2.1	289	276	383	394	70.4
Blue Hill	Blue Hill Village	36.8	14.2	177	153	158	174	4.3
Half Tree Hollow	Half Tree Hollow	1.6	0.6	1,140	901	984	1,034	633.2
Jamestown	Jamestown	3.9	1.5	884	716	629	625	161.9
Levelwood	Levelwood	14.8	5.7	376	316	369	342	25.0
Longwood	Longwood	33.4	12.9	960	715	790	765	23.6
Sandy Bay	Sandy Bay	16.1	6.2	254	205	193	177	12.0
Saint Paul's	Saint Paul's Village	11.4	4.4	908	795	843	928	74.0
Total		123.3	47.6	5,157	4,257	4,349	4,439	35.3

The difference between the total population of the Administrative Districts and that recorded in the 2016 Census arises because the census included 183 people on board the RMS St. Helena and 13 people who were on yachts in the harbour.

Population

Demographics

Main article:Demographics of Saint Helena

Jamestown,from above

Jamestown,the capital of Saint Helena

Saint Helena was first settled by the English in 1659. As of January 2018,the island had a population of 4,897 inhabitants,mainly descended from people from Britain,settlers( "planters" ) and soldiers, and slaves who were brought there from the beginning of settlement, initially from Africa (theCape Verde Islands,Gold Coastand west coast of Africa are mentioned in early records), thenIndiaandMadagascar.The importation of slaves was made illegal in 1792.

In 1840, Saint Helena became a provisioning station for the BritishWest Africa Squadron,preventing the transportation of slaves toBrazil(mainly), and many thousands of slaves were freed on the island. These were all African, and about 500 stayed while the rest were sent on to theWest IndiesandCape Town,and eventually toSierra Leone.

Imported Chinese labourers arrived in 1810, reaching a peak of 618 in 1818, after which numbers were reduced. Only a few older men remained after the British Crown took over the government of the island from theEast India Companyin 1834. The majority were sent back to China, although records in the Cape suggest that they never got any farther than Cape Town. There were also a few Indianlascarswho worked under the harbour master.

The citizens of Saint Helena holdBritish Overseas Territories citizenship.On 21 May 2002, full British citizenship was restored by theBritish Overseas Territories Act 2002.See alsoBritish nationality law.

During periods of unemployment, there has been a long pattern of emigration from the island since the post-Napoleonic period. The majority of "Saints" emigrated to the United Kingdom, South Africa and in the early years, Australia. The population had been steadily declining since the late 1980s and dropped from 5,157 at the 1998 census to 4,257 in 2008.However, as of the 2021 census, the population has risen to 4,439a drop of 95 people from 2016. In the past emigration was characterised by young unaccompanied persons leaving to work on long-term contracts on Ascension and theFalkland Islands,but since "Saints" were re-awarded British citizenship in 2002, emigration to Britain by a wider range of wage-earners has accelerated due to the prospect of higher wages and better progression prospects.By 2018Swindon,Wiltshire,had a concentration of people originating from Saint Helena, and therefore it got the nickname "Swindolena".

Religion

St Paul's Anglican Cathedral,located to the south of Jamestown

Most residents areAnglicanand are members of theDiocese of St Helena,which has its own bishop and includesAscension Island.The 150th anniversary of the diocese was celebrated in June 2009.

Other Christian denominations on the island include theRoman Catholic(since 1852), theSalvation Army(since 1884),Baptist(since 1845)and, in more recent times, theSeventh-day Adventist(since 1949), theNew Apostolic Church,andJehovah's Witnesses(of which one in 35 residents is a member, the highest ratio of any country).

The Roman Catholics are pastorally served by theMission sui iuris of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha,whose office of ecclesiastical superior is vested in theApostolic Prefecture of the Falkland Islands.

Government

Main article:Politics of Saint Helena

Executive authority in Saint Helena is vested inKing Charles IIIand is exercised on his behalf by theGovernor of Saint Helena.The Governor is appointed by the King on the advice of theBritish government.Defence and foreign affairs remain the responsibility of the United Kingdom.

The Executive Council is presided over by the Governor and consists of threeex officioofficers and five elected members of the Legislative Council appointed by the Governor. There is no elected Chief Minister, and the Governor acts as the head of government. In January 2013 it was proposed that the Executive Council would be led by a Chief Councillor who would be elected by the members of the Legislative Council and would nominate the other members of the Executive Council. These proposals were put toa referendum on 23 March 2013,when they were defeated by 158 votes to 42 on a 10% turnout.Another referendum in 2021,however, saw the population approve the changes.

Thelegislatureof Saint Helena consists of theunicameralLegislative Council of Saint Helenaand theKing-in-Parliament(represented by the Governor). The Legislative Council consists of 15 members, of whom 12 are directly elected members who each serve a four-year term; a Speaker and Deputy Speaker who are chosen by the elected members; and oneex officiomember, the Attorney General. Members of the Council use the post-nominal letters "MLC" (Member of the Legislative Council)

The island is policed by theRoyal Saint Helena Police Service(RSHPS). The RSHPS is also the primary law enforcement agency forAscension Islandand thearchipelagoofTristan da Cunha.Like many otherCommonwealth nations,thewarranted personnelof the RSHPS are known as 'constables', and the service also usesspecial constables,in addition to employing non-warranted staff personnel. The RSHPS also uses a variety ofrankssimilar to other Commonwealth law enforcement agencies. Saint Helena has one police station,Coleman House,named after PC Leonard John Coleman who died in the line of duty on 2 December 1982.The Island's only prison—HMP Jamestown—was built in 1827 and in 2018.

One commentator has observed that notwithstanding the high unemployment resulting from the loss of full passports during 1981–2002, the Saint Helena population's loyalty to the British monarchy is probably not exceeded in any other part of the world.King George VIis the only reigning monarch to have visited the island. This was in 1947 when the King, accompanied byQueen Elizabeth(later The Queen Mother), Princess Elizabeth (laterQueen Elizabeth II) andPrincess Margaretwere travelling to South Africa. TheDuke of Edinburgharrived at Saint Helena in 1957, followed by his son,Prince Andrew,who visited as a member of the armed forces in 1984, and his daughter, thePrincess Royal,in 2002.Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburghmade an official visit to Saint Helena in late January 2024, where he was greeted by Jonathan the Tortoise, a 191 years-old Seychelles Giant Tortoise born during the reign of KingWilliam IV.

Human rights

In 2012, the government of Saint Helena funded the creation of the Saint Helena Human Rights Action Plan 2012–2015.Work is being done under this action plan, including publishing awareness-raising articles in local newspapers, providing support for members of the public with human rights queries, and extending several UN Conventions on human rights to St. Helena.

Legislation to set up an Equality and Human Rights Commission was passed by Legislative Council in July 2015. This commenced operation in October 2015.

Child safeguarding inquiry 2015

In 2014, there were reports of child abuse in Saint Helena. Britain'sForeign and Commonwealth Office(FCO) was accused of lying to theUnited Nationsabout child abuse in Saint Helena to cover up allegations.

Sasha WassQC and her team arrived on Saint Helena on 17 March 2015 to commence the Inquiry and departed on 1 April 2015.Announcements were made in local newspapers in the week ending 13 March 2015.

A government report was published on 10 December 2015. It found that the accusations were grossly exaggerated, and the lurid headlines in theDaily Mailhad come from information from two social workers, whom the report described as incompetent.

Same-sex marriage

In 2017, a male St Helenian made an application to the Registrar to marry his male fiancé on St Helena.The laws at the time had referred to marriages between men and women and it was not clear whether same-sex marriages were lawful. After consultation events, endorsement by the Social and Community Development Committee and Executive Council, the Marriage Ordinance was updated and agreed by Legislative Council in December 2017. Registrar Karen Yon oversaw the first same-sex wedding between the original 2017 applicants, Saint Helenian Lemarc Thomas and Swedish national Michael Wernstedt, in a ceremony at Plantation House on 31 December 2018.

Reburial of excavated human remains

In 2021, a wreath was placed by the Saint Helena's Equality & Human Rights Commission (EHRC) on the door of the Pipe Store inJamestown.The Pipe Store is a building where the remains of some 325 people, men, women, and children disinterred duringairport constructionwere being stored pending reburial since 2008. The remains belonged to liberated Africans who had been rescued by theRoyal Navy'sWest Africa Squadronduring the suppression of theAtlantic slave tradeand brought to Saint Helena.

Biodiversity

Main article:Wildlife of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

See also:List of birds of Saint Helena,List of mammals of Saint Helena,andFlora of Saint Helena

St Helena Ebony (Trochetiopsis ebenus) inCambridge University Botanic Garden

The St Helena Plover or wirebird (Charadrius sanctaehelenae)

Saint Helena has long been known for its high proportion ofendemicbirds and vascular plants. The highland areas contain most of the 400 endemic species recognised to date. Much of the island has been identified byBirdLife Internationalas being important for bird conservation, especially the endemicSaint Helena ploveror wirebird, and forseabirdsbreeding on the offshore islets andstacks,in thenorth-eastand thesouth-westImportant Bird Areas.

On the basis of these endemics and an exceptional range of habitats, Saint Helena is on the United Kingdom's tentative list for futureUNESCO World Heritage Sites.ArtistRolf Weijburgproduced original etchings of Saint Helena, picturing various species of these endemic birds.

Saint Helena's biodiversity, however, also includes marine vertebrates, invertebrates (freshwater, terrestrial and marine), fungi (including lichen-forming species), non-vascular plants, seaweeds and other biological groups. To date, very little is known about these, although more than 200 lichen-forming fungi have been recorded, including nine endemics,suggesting that many significant discoveries remain to be made.

Various flora and fauna on the island have become extinct. Due to deforestation, the last wild endemic St Helena olive tree,Nesiota ellipticadied in 1994, and by December 2003, the last cultivated olive tree died.The nativeSt.Helena earwigwas last seen in the wild in 1967.

A large reforestation project has been under way since 2000 in the north-eastern corner of the island, known as the Millennium Forest, to recreate the Great Wood that existed before colonisation.

The island's shoreline is deep and is known to have abundantred crab.In 1991, a crab-fishing vessel,Oman Sea One,which was engaged in potting of crabs, capsized and later sank off the coast of Saint Helena on its way from Ascension Island, losing four crew members. One crew member was rescued byRMSSt Helena.

Since 2022, advances in the understanding of Saint Helena's spiders have been gained. Some studies published in 2023and 2024described new genera and species. Perhaps most notable was the Mole Spider (MolearachnesanctaehelenaeSherwood, Henrard, Logunov & Fowler, 2024), the first knownwolf spiderfrom outside of a cave environment known to have reducedanterior median eyes,and which builds unique 'mole hills' unlike any other spider.Other species described include the Mount Vesey Wolf Spider (Hognaveseyensis), which has a range currently restricted to a singlewaterfalland three which were named after local Saint Helenian scientists: the Liza Pirate Spider (Erolizae), the Natasha Pirate Spider (Eronatashae)and the Daryl Wolf Spider (Dolocosajoshuai).

Economy

Main article:Economy of Saint Helena

Note: Some of the data in this section have been sourced from theGovernment of St Helena Sustainable Development Plan

The island had amonocropeconomy until 1966, based on the cultivation and processing ofNew Zealand flaxfor rope and string.

A 2019 report states that "by the 1970s, a majority of Saints were working abroad and sending money home".

Saint Helena's economy is now developing, but is almost entirely sustained by aid from the British government. The public sector dominates the economy, accounting for about 50% of gross domestic product. However, the start of regular air services has led to a rise in tourism, and the Government is encouraging investment on the island, as shown by their Investment Policy and Strategy and the investmentprospectusfor potential investors.In 2019, Saint Helena achieved its first-ever "Investment Grade" credit rating, a credit rating of BBB− (stable), from global creditrating agencyStandard & Poors(S&P).

In 2019, the estimated average annual salary was only about 8,000 Saint Helena pounds (about US$10,000).

Saint Helena's Sustainable Economic Development Plan, 2018–28, was developed using more than six months of local and international consultation in 2017–2018. The document represented a 10-year plan to kick-start the economy after Saint Helena established air access and fibre connectivity and moved away from relying purely on tourism for growth, announcing a desire to "increase exports, and decrease imports". The SEDP stated that the island's comparative advantages are its natural resources and geography, its status as a British Overseas Territory, its currency, relatively inexpensive labour and property costs, and low crime. Targeted export growth sectors include tourism, fisheries, coffee, satellite ground stations,remote workersanddigital nomads,academia, research and conferences, liquor, wines and beers, ship registry and sailing qualifications, traditional products, honey and honey bees, and its use as a film location. Growth sectors for import substitution include agriculture, timber, bricks, blocks, minerals and rocks, and bottled water.

The tourist industry is heavily based on the promotion ofNapoleon's imprisonmentas well as nature activities such as scuba diving, swimming withwhale sharks,whale watching, bird watching, marine tours, and hiking. There is also a golf course, andsportfishingis possible. Several hotels, B&Bs, and self-catering apartments operate on the island. The arrival of tourists is linked to theSaint Helena Airport(and in the past, the arrival and departure schedule of the now-retiredRMSSt Helena).

Saint Helena produces the most expensive coffee in the world.It also produces and exportsTungi Spirit,made from the fruit of the prickly or cactus pears,Opuntia ficus-indica( "Tungi" is the local Saint Helenian name for the plant), and coffee liqueur, gin, and rum in its local distillery.Due to the absence of parasites and disease in bees, beekeepers collect some of the purest honey in the world.

Saint Helena has a small fishing industry, landing mostly tuna. The fishery is committed to one-by-one fishingand uses the motto "one pole, one line, one fish at a time". Some of Saint Helena's exported tuna has been served in restaurants inCape Town.

LikeAscension IslandandTristan da Cunha,Saint Helena is permitted toissue its own postage stamps,an enterprise that provides an income. Saint Helena also issues domain names under the top-level domain.sh.

Economic statistics

Between 2009 and 2017, Saint Helena'sHDIincreased from 0.714 to 0.756; this placed Saint Helena in the 'high' category of human development, according to the classification used by theUnited Nations.Compared to other countries around the globe, Saint Helena's HDI ranking rose from 93rd (out of 190 countries ranked) to 83rd in the world.

The average (median) annual wage on Saint Helena in 2018–19 was an estimated £8,410. The median male wage was higher than the median female wage. The gap between the two grew in 2013–14, but narrowed in 2017–18, as male wages fell on average, and the median female wage level grew. This is probably due to the completion of the construction of the airport, since workers employed on the project were predominantly male, and many of them either left Saint Helena or found alternative employment between 2016 and 2018. Nonetheless, both female and male median wage levels fell sharply in 2018–19.

The overall retail price index is measured quarterly on Saint Helena by theSHG Statistics Office.The RPI was measured at 105.9 in the first quarter of 2020. This was unchanged from the index for the fourth quarter of 2019, and an increase from 104.1 in the first quarter of 2019. This means that retail prices rose, on average, by 1.7% over the year between the first quarter of 2019 and the first quarter of 2020. As most of the goods available in retail outlets on Saint Helena are imported from either South Africa or the United Kingdom, Saint Helena's prices are heavily influenced by price inflation in those two countries, the value of the Saint Helena pound compared to the South African rand, the cost of freight, and import taxes. In the UK, the annual price inflation rate (using the consumer price index) was 1.7% for February 2020, down from 1.8% in January 2020. In South Africa, the consumer price index was 4.6% for February, up from 4.5% in January 2020. In addition, since early 2019 the value of the South African Rand has steadily weakened, from around 17 Rand per pound to around 20 at the end of March 2020; this has a counter-effect to the South African inflation, and in some cases may even have made South African goods cheaper to buy. This will mitigate against some pressures which might cause prices to rise, such as increasing freight prices on the MV Helena.

Between January 2010 and March 2016, just before the first 40 people arrived by air in April 2016, the average number of arrivals per month by sea (excluding day visitors arriving on cruise ships) was 307, with an average of 245 arriving on the Royal Mail Ship (RMS) Saint Helena. Between October 2017 (when the first scheduled air service began) and September 2019, an average of 432 passengers arrived per month, with 314 of those passengers arriving by air. Since October 2017, a total of 3,337 people have arrived by air in the first 12-month period, and 4,188 in the second. The increase in the second year followed the introduction of a mid-week flight during the peak period of December 2018 to April 2019. Arrivals by air were higher in the second year, in every month apart from May and June.

Banking and currency

East India Company copperhalfpennyminted for St. Helena in 1821

1673–1973 tercentenary 25-pencecopper-nickelcoin of St. Helena

In 1821, Saul Solomon (the uncle ofSaul Solomon) issued 70,560 copper tokens worth a halfpenny eachPayable at St Helena by Solomon, Dickson and Taylor—presumably London partners—that circulated alongside the East India Company's local coinage until the Crown took over the island in 1836. The coin remains readily available to collectors.

Saint Helena has had its own currency since 1976, theSaint Helena pound,which is at parity with thepound sterlingand is also the currency ofAscension Island.The government of Saint Helena produces its own coinage, banknotes since 1976 and circulating coins since 1984. Whereas circulating coins are struck with "Saint Helena • Ascension", the banknotes only say "Government of St. Helena". There are also commemorative coins struck for Saint Helena only.

TheBank of Saint Helenawas established on Saint Helena and Ascension Island in 2004. It has branches inJamestownon Saint Helena, andGeorgetown, Ascension Island.The bank took over the business of the Saint Helena government savings bank and Ascension Island Savings Bank.

For more information on currency in the wider region, seeBritish currency in the South Atlantic and the Antarctic.

Tourism

A tourist map of Jamestown located at the top ofJacob's Ladder

Before the airport opened, the primary tourist groups were dedicated hikers and retirees, as the required voyage on theRMSSt Helenatook five days each way. That was unattractive to most tourists with regular jobs. The hikers seemed willing to use the extra days of leave to get to and from Saint Helena, and retirees would not be concerned with voyage times.

The decision to build the airport, in order to significantly boost tourism, was taken in 2011 by the governments of Saint Helena and the UK. Construction was completed by 2016. One reason for the delay was that the British decided to fill in a valley "with some 800 million pounds of dirt and rock" to create flat land for the runway.

The first flight did not arrive until October 2017, because of "dangerous wind conditions" that made landing large aircraft unsafe. The solution was to use smaller aircraft for the five- or six-hour flightfrom South Africa. The wind still causes problems: "only a special, stripped-down Embraer 190 jet with the best pilots in the world can stick the landing". The government's long-term goal is to get 30,000 visitors per year. Because of the few flights, and limited capacity of the aircraft, however, only 894 visitors arrived in the year the airport finally opened.

Passenger service on the Royal Mail ship was then discontinued.TheAirlinkflights, operating twice a week,increased the island's potential to attract a broader range of tourists.

St Helena Tourismupdated its tourism marketing strategy in 2018. This outlined the targeted markets and Saint Helena's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It also outlined the unique selling points of the island, including nature (whale sharks and wirebirds), Saint culture (safer environment), walking and hiking, diving, arts and crafts, twin destination with South Africa, photography, running, history and heritage (Napoleon), stargazing, and food and drink.

The island's first luxury hotel, the Mantis in Jamestown, opened in 2017 in the converted "former officers barracks built in 1774" according toCondé Nast Traveler.Most other types of accommodations were also available on the island.

A 2019 report byThe Guardianrecommended that tourists visit "Longwood House, where Napoleon was exiled after Waterloo... Plantation House, the residence of the governor" and to try one of the whale shark snorkelling expeditions. The report spoke highly of Jamestown, with its "pastel-toned houses, sweltering palm trees and colonial relics—stark reminders of imperialist ideals".Another 2019 report indicated that smartphones had become common, "with the 'Saint Memes' Facebook page and other social media exporting their sharp sense of humour". But, as the report concludes, the island "remains a place with an anchor in the past, where... there are single-digit car licence plates and motorists on the hairpin roads unfailingly wave at each other".

Before the lockdowns and restriction necessitated by theCOVID-19 global pandemic,Saint Helena was on track to meet its tourism targets of 12% growth a year, in order to achieve over 29,000 leisure visitors by the 25th anniversary of the air service.

As of April 2020, research indicated that arrivals in Saint Helena were primarily non-Saint tourists (without a connection to the island), followed by returning Saints (who were visiting friends and relatives), followed by returning residents and then business arrivals. Non-Saint tourists tend to stay for a week, whilst Saints visiting friends and relatives tend to stay for about a month. Around 37% of tourists are British, 21% South African, 13% European other than British, German or French and 9% American or from the Caribbean. Most non-Saint tourists are over 40 years of age, with around 40% being 40 to 59 and around 40% being 60-plus. In 2018 tourism contributed approximately £4–5 million to the economy, and in 2019 this increased to around £5–6 million.

Effects of the pandemic

One news report in August 2020 stated that the costs imposed by the pandemic led to the "collapse of the island's tourism sector, which was meant to drive its economic development".

In 2021, the bicentennial anniversary of Napoleon's death was expected to boost tourism if the pandemic did not prevent visits for many months. As of September 2020, the government was preparing a "tourism recovery strategy",to include an international publicity campaign and the development of further tourism infrastructure for the island ".

As of 30 October 2020, the Government website stated that "due to theCOVID-19 pandemic,travel to Saint Helena will only be permitted for limited purposes at this time ".An item posted on 4 March 2021 on the UK Government website stated that "all arrivals to St Helena are required to have had a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours before travelling" and with a few exceptions, non-Saints were not allowed to visit. In addition, all arrivals were required to self-quarantine for 14 days after landing in Saint Helena.

As of 8 August 2022, the Government website stated that "St Helena lifted its COVID-19 entry regulations. This means no quarantine, no testing and no mask-wearing requirements".

Energy

Connect Saint Helena Ltd. operates electricitygenerationanddistribution.As of 2023, 80% of electricity generated in St Helena comes from 6diesel generators.12wind turbinesare installed on the Deadwood Plain in Longwood and were originally installed in the 1990s, expanded in 2009 and 2014. A 500kWsolar farmis in operation as well as photovoltaic arrays on 4 public buildings. As a result of the fact that almost all energy must be imported (diesel/oil), electricity is expensive in St Helena, at £0.53/kWh as of 2024.42% of the utility's costs are due to oil purchases.

A plan to expand the use ofrenewablesolar and wind power was announced in 2016, but never came to fruition. Electricity production from wind has declined steadily from 2014-2024, due to unreliable equipment andgrid balancingchallenges. In 2024, a new target of 80% renewable electricity production by 2027 was announced, by renewing and expanding wind and solar facilities as well as considering the potential of battery storage.

Transport

Main article:Transport on Saint Helena

Saint Helena is one of the most remote islands in the world. It has one commercial airport,Saint Helena Airport;access to the island improved greatly since its opening in 2017. Sea freight is serviced through Saint Helena's single wharf in Ruperts. The island has a mostly paved road network extending to all inhabited areas of the island, although it is mostly single lane.

Sea

RMSSt Helenain James Bay

The Saint Helena Government contracts international shipping companies to provide maritime freight services to the island. As of March 2024, MACS Maritime Carrier Shipping GmbH & Co provides regular freight services to the island, usually on a monthly basis. It sails fromCape Townto Saint Helena andAscension Island.

Commercial shipping to Saint Helena's is handled at the island's solewharfat Ruperts Bay, originally built to assist the airport construction.

Until 2017, theRoyal Mail ShipRMSSt Helenaran between Saint Helena andCape Townon a five-day voyage, then the only scheduled connection to the island. She berthed offshore in James Bay, Saint Helena about 30 times per year, and passengers and freight were transferred ashore by small boats.

Saint Helena receives around 600 yachting visitors a year.

Air

Saint Helena Airportin 2016

Saint Helena Airport(IATA: HLE) was opened for commercial traffic on 14 October 2017, the island's first and only airport. The South African airlineAirlinkoperates weekly flights toJohannesburg,as well as charter flights toAscension Islandand seasonal flights toCape Town.The airport also operatesmedivacflights and accommodatesgeneral aviation.Scheduled flights to and from Johannesburg operated by anEmbraer E190usually include a fuel stop atWalvis Bay,with a flight time of around 4.5 to 6 hours. Air freight (including mail) is carried by scheduled air services.

The prospect of an airport on St Helena was debated for a long time. Eventually, in March 2005 the British government announced plans to construct theSaint Helena Airport.This aimed to help the island become more self-sufficient, encouraging economic development through tourism while reducing dependence on British government aid.In 2011, South Africancivil engineeringcompany Basil Read was contracted to construct the airport, originally projected to open in 2016.The first aircraft landed at the new airport on 15 September 2015. The airport's opening date was delayed due to uncertainty about the impact of high winds andwind shear.In 2017, South African airlineAirlinkbecame the preferred bidder to provide weekly air service between the island andJohannesburg.

Due to the location of the airport site, at times serious wind shear makes it difficult to land from the north. It is safe to land from the other direction, but it is plagued bytailwinds,which increases landing ground speed and can limit aircraft loading.

Road

Traffic in Saint Helenadrives on the leftand road signs are based onBritish standards.There is an island-wide speed limit of 30 mph (~50 kmh); lower in some areas. There are many private vehicles on the island despite the steep and narrow roads, hairpin bends and limited parking inJamestown.Major roads into Jamestown include Side Path and Field Road, which have been upgraded and improved in the period 2022-2024. There are three roundabouts on the island. The road constructed for conveying materials from Ruperts Bay to the airport during construction was paved and opened for public traffic in 2019, a major addition to the island's road network.

A minibus offers a basic bus service to carry people around Saint Helena, with most services designed to take people into Jamestown.Taxisas well ascar hireservices are available.

Media and communications

See also:Communications in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

Telecommunications services in St Helena are provided bySure South Atlantic,providinglandline,mobile (2G/4G), internet and television services. International connectivity is provided by the GoogleEquiano submarine cable.There are three FM radio stations broadcasting in St Helena as of 2023 and two weekly newspapers are published.

All of St Helena's international connectivity was bysatelliteuntil the activation of the Equianosubmarine cablein October 2023.

Telecom services in St Helena are comparatively expensive, for example, all TV channels are encrypted and a subscription costs amount to more than one tenth of an average worker's salary.

Sure South Atlantic holds a licensed monopoly on telecommunications on the island until 31 December 2025. As of 2023, new telecoms regulations were being drafted; there was a "possibility of issuing a license to a different provider after Sure's term expires".

Telecommunications

Saint Helena has theinternational calling code+290, which Tristan da Cunha has shared since 2006. Landline telephones are available to all households on the island. Until 2023, a satellite ground station with a 7.6-metresatellite dishinstalled in 1989 was the only international connectivity to the island. Bandwidth was extremely limited and data caps were low.

The Equiano submarine cable was activated in 2023, substantially improving communications on the island, offering hugely increased bandwidth and unlimited data plans for the first time.

Mobile phone service (2G/4G) commenced in September 2015.As of 2024,ADSL2service is available to most households, with speeds ranging from 2 to 20 Mbit/s. It is envisioned that a fibre optic network will be installed to homes and businesses by Maestro Technologies, but plans have stalled as of 2024.

Television and Radio

Television services first arrived in 1995. The current digital broadcasting network usesDVB-T2standards and retransmits international content from satellites.A local television channel was in operation from 2015 to 2017 by SAMS, consisting of a weeklynews bulletin.

Radio broadcasting began in 1967 withRadio Saint Helena(now defunct). Today, South Atlantic Media Services (SAMS), supported by the St Helena Government, broadcasts two FM stations: SAMS Radio 1, providing locally produced news, talk and music programming; SAMS also rebroadcasts theBBC World Service.Saint FM Community Radiois the island's only independent broadcaster.

Occasionalamateur radiooperations also occur on the island. TheITU prefixused is ZD7.

Local newspapers

The island has two local newspapers, both of which are available online.TheSt Helena Independenthas been published since November 2005.The Sentinelnewspaper was introduced in 2012.Saint Helena Island Infois an online resource featuring the history of St. Helena from its discovery to the present day, plus photographs and information about life on St. Helena today.

Satellite ground stations

In February 2018, the government of St Helena launched a project to attractlow earth orbitsatellite operators to installground stationson the island. Leasing backhaul capacity could contribute to operational costs on the submarine cable. OneWeb announced the construction of a satellite ground station on St. Helena in 2023.

Culture and society

See also:Public holidays in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

Education

See also:Education in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

The Education and Employment Directorate, formerly the Saint Helena Education Department, in 2000 had its head office in The Canister in Jamestown.Education is free and compulsory between the ages of five and 16.At the beginning of the academic year 2009–10, 230 students were enrolled in primary school and 286 in secondary school.The island has threeprimary schoolsfor students of age four to 11: Harford, Pilling, and St Paul's.

• St Paul's Primary School in St Paul's,formerly St Paul's Middle School, has both first and middle levels as it was formed by a 1 August 2000 merger.As of 2020it has 134 students and serves, in addition to St Paul's, Bluehill, Gordons Post, New Ground, Sandy Bay, and Upper Half Tree Hollow.In 2002, in addition to St Paul's it served a portion of Half Tree Hollow as well as the communities of Blue Hill, Guinea Grass, Hunt's Bank, New Ground, Sandy Bay, Thompson's Hill, and Vaughn's.
• Harford Primary School in Longwood, with Governor James Harford as its namesake,opened as a senior school in 1957 and became Hardford Middle School in September 1988.It merged with Longwood First School in 2008. It also serves Alarm Forest and Levelwood.
• Pilling Primary School is in Jamestown.Occupying a former garrison, the school was established in 1941 and became Pilling Middle School in 1988.Jamestown First School, located next door to Pilling Middle, merged into it in May 2005 as a result of declining enrolment. The merged school initially used both buildings, but as the enrolment continued its decline, the ex-Jamestown First Building, constructed in 1959, was no longer in use after 2007. In addition to Jamestown it serves Alarm Forest, Briars, Lower Half Tree Hollow, Rupert's, and Sea View. As of 2020it had 126 students.

Prince Andrew Schoolprovidessecondary educationfor students aged 11 to 18.

It formerly had separate first schools catering to younger students (ages 3 to 7 as of 2002):

• Half Tree Hollow First School, originally a primary school, opened as such in 1949 with its current name and year configuration in place since 1988. In addition to Half Tree Hollow it served Cleugh's Plain, New Ground, and Sapper Way.
• Jamestown First School, originally Jamestown Junior School, opened as such in 1959 with its current name and year configuration in place since 1988.
• Longwood First School, originally a primary school, opened in 1949 in a former mess hall for military officers that had been constructed in 1942; this building had an expansion in 1977, and there are four classrooms in a separate building that was built in 1958. Longwood became a "first school" in 1988.

The Education and Employment Directorate also offers programmes for students withspecial needs,vocational training, adult education, evening classes, anddistance learning.The island has a public library (the oldest in the Southern Hemisphere,open since 1813) and a mobile library service which operates weekly in rural areas.

The English national curriculum is adapted for local use.A range of qualifications are offered—fromGCSE,A/S and A2, to Level 3 Diplomas andVocationally Recognised Qualifications(VRQs):

GCSEs

• Design and Technology
• ICT
• Business Studies

A/S & A2 and Level 3 Diploma

• Business Studies
• English
• English Literature
• Geography
• ICT
• Psychology
• Maths
• Accountancy

VRQ

• Building and Construction
• Automotive Studies

Saint Helena has notertiary education.Scholarships are offered for students to study abroad.St Helena Community College (SHCC) has some vocational and professional education programmes available.

Sport

The football team before a game inAnglesey

Historically, the St Helena Turf Club organised the island's first recorded sports events in 1818 with a series of horse races at Deadwood.Saint Helena hassent teams to a numberofCommonwealth Games.Saint Helena is a member of theInternational Island Games Association.TheSaint Helena cricket teammade its debut ininternational cricketin Division Three of theAfrican regionof theWorld Cricket Leaguein 2012. TheSaint Helena football teamfirst tournament was the2019 Inter Games Football Tournamentafter which it was ranked tenth out of ten.

The Governor's Cup is a yacht race betweenCape Townand Saint Helena island, held every two years in December and January.

In Jamestown a timed run takes place upJacob's Ladderevery year, with people coming from all over the world to take part.

Scouting and Girl Guiding

The 1st Jamestown Scout Group at a Saint Helena's Day parade in 1984

Main article:Scouting and Guiding on Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

There areScoutingandGuidingGroups on Saint Helena and Ascension Island. Scouting was established on Saint Helena island in 1912.Lord and Lady Baden-Powell visited the Scouts on Saint Helena on the return from their 1937 tour of Africa. The visit is described inLord Baden-Powell's book, titledAfrican Adventures.

Cuisine

In 2017, Julia Buckley ofThe Independentwrote that, due to the lack ofnouvelle cuisine,the food is "[p]retty retro, at least by London standards."Fish cakesin a St Helena style, with egg binding and chili, and arisotto-with-currydish calledpilau(orplo,similar to the Indian rice dishpulao) are what Buckley describes as "staple[s]".Indeed, most of the local recipes are variations of world dishes brought to the island by travellers.

Language

Englishis the official language.The localbasilectis called Saint-speak, Saint, or Saint English, which is a form ofSouth Atlantic English.

Notable people

Napoleon Bonaparte,1812

Main page:Category:Saint Helenian people

• Fernão Lopes(died 1545), Portuguese soldier, first-known permanent inhabitant of the island
• John Doveton(1768 St Helena – 1847),East India Companymilitary officer
• Napoleon Bonaparte(1769–1821 St Helena), French Emperor, exiled 1815–1821, died on the island
• Daniel Richard Caldwell(1816 St Helena – 1875), colonial official.
• Saul Solomon(1817 St Helena – 1892), liberal politician of the BritishCape Colony
• François d'Orléans, Prince of Joinville(1818–1900),brought the remainsof Napoleon to France
• William Bailey(1851 St Helena – 1896), trade unionist in GB andPrimitive Methodistpreacher
• Dinuzulu(c. 1868–1913), Zulu king exiled in St Helena from 1890–1897
• Khalid bin Bargash(1874–1927), deposed Sultan of Zanzibar, exiled in St Helena in 1917
• Michel Dancoisne-Martineau(born 1965), director of the French domains of Saint Helena
• Belinda Bennett(bornc. 1977St Helena), cruise ship captain from Saint Helena
• Julie Thomas(bornc. 1980St Helena), inauguralChief Minister of Saint Helena

Notable creature

• Jonathan(hatched c. 1832),Seychelles giant tortoisebrought to Saint Helena in 1882, is the world's oldest-known living land animal. He celebrated his 190th birthday in 2022.

Namesake

St Helena,a suburb ofMelbourne,Victoria,Australia,was named after the island.

See also

• Lists of islands
• Wildlife of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
• Manatee of Helena
• Outline of Saint Helena
• Saint Helena Police Service
• Healthcare in Saint Helena

Further reading

• Aptroot, Andre.Lichens of St Helena,Pisces Publications, Newbury, UK, 2012,ISBN9781874357537
• Brooke, T. H.,A History of the Island of St Helena from its Discovery by the Portuguese to the Year 1806,Printed for Black, Parry and Kingsbury, London, 1808
• Bruce, I. T.,Thomas Buce: St Helena Postmaster and Stamp Designer,Thirty years of St Helena, Ascension and Tristan Philately, pp 7–10, 2006,ISBN1-890454-37-0
• Cannan, EdwardChurches of the South Atlantic Islands 1502–1991ISBN0-904614-48-4
• Chaplin, Arnold,A St Helena's Who's Who or a Directory of the Island During the Captivity of Napoleon,published by the author in 1914. This has recently been republished under the titleNapoleon's Captivity on St Helena 1815–1821,Savannah Paperback Classics, 2002,ISBN1-902366-12-3
• Clements, B.; "St Helena:South Atlantic Fortress";Fort,(Fortress Study Group), 2007 (35), pp. 75–90
• Crallan, Hugh,Island of St Helena, Listing and Preservation of Buildings of Architectural and Historic Interest,1974
• Cross, TonySt Helena including Ascension Island and Tristan Da CunhaISBN0-7153-8075-3
• Dampier, William,Piracy, Turtles & Flying Foxes,2007, Penguin Books, 2007, pp 99–104,ISBN0-14-102541-7
• Darwin, Charles,Geological Observations on the Volcanic Islands,Chapter 4, Smith, Elder & Co., London, 1844.
• Denholm, Ken,South Atlantic Haven, a Maritime History for the Island of St Helena,published and printed by the Education Department of the Government of St Helena
• Duncan, Francis,A Description of the Island of St Helena Containing Observations on its Singular Structure and Formation and an Account of its Climate, Natural History, and Inhabitants,London, Printed For R Phillips, 6 Bridge Street, Blackfriars, 1805
• Eriksen, Ronnie,St Helena Lifeline,Mallet & Bell Publications, Norfolk, 1994,ISBN0-620-15055-6
• Evans, Dorothy,Schooling in the South Atlantic Islands 1661–1992,Anthony Nelson, 1994,ISBN0-904614-51-4
• George, Barbara B.St Helena — the Chinese Connection(2002)ISBN0189948922
• Gosse, PhilipSaint Helena, 1502–1938ISBN0-904614-39-5
• Hakluyt,The Principal Navigations Voyages Traffiques & Discoveries of the English Nation, from the Prosperous Voyage of M. Thomas Candish esquire into the South Sea, and so around about the circumference of the whole earth, begun in the yere 1586, and finished 1588,1598–1600, Volume XI.
• Hibbert, Edward,St Helena Postal History and Stamps,Robson Lowe Limited, London, 1979
• Hearl, Trevor W.,St Helena Britannica: Studies in South Atlantic Island History(ed. A.H. Schulenburg), Friends of St Helena, London, 2013
• Holmes, Rachel,Scanty Particulars: The Scandalous Life and Astonishing Secret of James Barry, Queen Victoria's Most Eminent Military Doctor,Viking Press, 2002,ISBN0-375-5055-63
• Jackson, E. L.St Helena: The Historic Island,Ward, Lock & Co, London, 1903
• Janisch, Hudson Ralph,Extracts from the St Helena Records,Printed and Published at the "Guardian" Office by Benjamin Grant, St Helena, 1885
• Keneally, Tom,Napoleon's Last Island,ISBN978 0 85798 460 9,Penguin Random House Australia, 2015
• Kitching, G. C.,A Handbook of St Helena Including a short History of the island Under the Crown
• Lambdon, Phil.Flowering plants and ferns of St Helena,Pisces Publications, Newbury, UK, 2012,ISBN9781874357520
• Melliss, John C. M.,St Helena: A Physical, Historical and Topographical Description of the Island Including Geology, Fauna, Flora and Meteorology,L. Reeve & Co, London, 1875
• Schulenburg, A. H., 'St Helena Historiography, Philately, and the "Castella" Controversy',South Atlantic Chronicle: The Journal of the St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Philatelic Society,Vol. XXIII, No. 3, pp. 3–6, 1999
• Schulenburg, A.H., ' "Island of the Blessed": Eden, Arcadia and the Picturesque in the Textualizing of St Helena',Journal of Historical Geography,Vol.29, No. 4 (2003), pp. 535–53
• Schulenburg, A.H., 'St Helena: British Local History in the Context of Empire',The Local Historian,Vol.28, No. 2 (1998), pp. 108–122
• Shine, Ian,Serendipity in St Helena, a Genetical and Medical Study of an isolated Community,Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1970ISBN0-08-012794-0
• Smallman, David L.,Quincentenary, a Story of St Helena, 1502–2002ISBN1-872229-47-6
• Van Linschoten, Iohn Huighen,His Discours of Voyages into ye Easte & West Indies,Wolfe, London, 1598
• Weider, Ben & Hapgood, DavidThe Murder of Napoleon(1999)ISBN1-58348-150-8
• Wigginton, Martin.Mosses and liverworts of St Helena,Pisces Publications, Newbury, UK, 2012,ISBN9781874357-51-3

Media

• St Helena – a remote island in the AtlanticonYouTube–Deutsche Welle– 28 October 2017

External links

• The Official Government Website of Saint Helena
• The Official Website for St Helena Tourism
• The Official Website of the Saint Helena Napoleonic Heritage LtdArchived13 June 2020 at theWayback Machine
• Saint Helena Island Information website
• Radio Saint FM (live broadcasting from Saint Helena)
• Wikimedia Atlas of Saint Helena
• Saint Helena Travel GuidefromTravellerspoint.
• BBC News: Life on one of the world's most remote islands
• Main sites, habitations and occupants of the island during Napoleon's captivity^[usurped]
• Seale, Robert F. (1834)The geognosy of the island St. Helena, illustrated in a series of views, plans and sectionsArchived4 September 2015 at theWayback Machine.London: Achermann and Co. – digital facsimile from theLinda Hall Library
• "St Helena (2.)".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. XXI (9th ed.). 1886. pp. 170–171.
• Antrobus, Reginald Laurence; Cana, Frank Richardson (1911)."St Helena".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 24 (11th ed.). pp. 7–9.
• Isolated Islands: St. HelenaArchived6 March 2016 at theWayback Machine(2014),Globe Trekker(Travel documentary)
• Borders of the Saint Helena Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)