Jamestown | |
|---|---|
| City of James Town[1] | |
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 Jamestown in Saint Helena | |
| Coordinates: 15°55′28″S 5°43′5″W / 15.92444°S 5.71806°W | |
| Sovereign state |  United Kingdom |
| British overseas territory | Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha |
| Island |  Saint Helena |
| Status | City (1859);[1] District |
| First settled | 1659 |
| Founded by | English East India Company |
| Named for | James, Duke of York |
| Capital of | Saint Helena; Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha |
| Area | |
• City | 3.6 km2 (1.4 sq mi) |
| Population (2016) | |
• City | 629 |
| • Density | 198.3/km2 (514/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 1,614 (Jamestown and Half Tree Hollow) |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (GMT) |
| Area code | +290 2xxx |
Jamestown is the capital city of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, located on the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is also the historic main settlement of the island and is on its north-western coast. Before the development of the port at Rupert's Bay, it was the island's only port and the centre of the island's road and communications network. It was founded when colonists from the English East India Company settled on the island in 1659 and was briefly occupied by the Dutch East India Company in 1673 before being recaptured. Many of the buildings built by the East India Company in the 18th century survive and give the town its distinctive Georgian flavour.
The city briefly hosted Napoleon in 1815 during his exile on St. Helena and later served as a base for the Royal Navy's efforts to suppress the slave trade. It had no role during the First World War and only played a minor role during the Second World War.
- ^ a b "The St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Constitution Order 2009". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 26 November 2016."...and declared Jamestown to be a city called the "City of James Town"" (Schedule Preamble)