St. Helena - MC Grecof

Introduction

Flag:

Card:

Background:

Uninhabited when first discovered by the Portuguese in 1502, St. 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

Location:

Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about mid-way between South America and Africa

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

Land boundaries:

0 km

Küstenlinie:

60 km

Coastline:

exklusive Fischereizone: 200 NM
territoriales Meer: 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.)

Natural hazards:

active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha

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

Population:

7.266 (July 2001 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Saint Helenian(s)
adjective: Saint Helenian

Ethnic groups:

African descent 50%, white 25%, Chinese 25%

Religionen:

Anglican (majority), Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic

Languages:

English

Government

Country name:

conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Saint Helena

Dependency status:

overseas territory of the UK

Capital:

Jamestown

Administrative divisions:

1 administrative area and 2 dependencies;
Ascension, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha

Independence:

none (overseas territory of the UK)

National holiday:

Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926)

Flag description:

blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Saint Helenian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield features a rocky coastline and three-masted sailing ship

Economy

Economy - overview:

The economy depends largely on financial assistance from the UK, which amounted to about $5 million in 1997 or almost one-half of annual budgetary revenues. The local population earns income from fishing, the raising of livestock, and sales of handicrafts. Because there are few jobs, 25% of the work force has left to seek employment on Ascension Island, on the Falklands, and in the UK.

Industries:

construction, crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing

Agriculture - products:

corn, potatoes, vegetables; timber; fish, crawfish (on Tristan da Cunha)

Exports:

$704,000 (f.o.b., 1995)

Currency:

Saint Helenian Pound

Currency code:

SHP

Exchange rates:

Saint Helenian pounds per US dollar - 0.6764 (January 2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6047 (1997), 0.6403 (1996); note - the Saint Helenian pound is at par with the British pound

Transportation

Railways:

0 km

Highways :

total:

158 km (Saint Helena 118 km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da Cunha 0 km)

paved:  

138 km (Saint Helena 98km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da Cunha 0 km)

unpaved:

20 km (Saint Helena 20 km, Ascension 0 km, Tristan da Cunha 0 km)

Ports and harbors:

Georgetown (on Ascension), Jamestown

Coffee

The coffee here is special and has a excellent quality. Indeed, the growing conditions of the island are also ideal for the coffee production, the volcanic origin of the island has provided a rich soil and the mild maritime climate supports the agricultural incidents excellent.

The spicy, sweet and strong coffee flavor from St. Helena

Coffee of St. Helena is overall very well balanced. He has a very meaty body with a slightly chocolaty, rich flavor that is refined by a sweetish note. His delicate mild flavor flatters the coffee drinkers also additionally. The slight acidity with its fruity nuance attenuated round out the flavor of the coffee.

Coffee typ:

Arabica and Robusta

Harvest periode:

June until September

Shipment periode:

from October until May

Fermentation:

yes

Processing:

wet process

Sorting:

by hand