Saint Helena | |
---|---|
Motto: "Loyal and Unshakable" | |
Anthem: "God Save the King" | |
Unofficial anthem: "My Saint Helena Island" | |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Colonial charter | 1656 |
Crown colony | 22 April 1834[1] |
Current constitution | 1 September 2009 |
Capital | Jamestown 15°56′S 05°43′W / 15.933°S 5.717°W |
Largest city | Half Tree Hollow 15°56′0″S 5°43′12″W / 15.93333°S 5.72000°W |
Official languages | English |
Demonym(s) |
|
Government | Devolved parliamentary dependency under a constitutional monarchy |
• Monarch | Charles III |
• Governor | Nigel Phillips |
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[2] |
• 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-HL |
Internet TLD | .sh |
Saint Helena (/ˌsɛnt (h)ɪˈliːnə, ˌsɪnt-, sənt-/, US: /ˌseɪnt-/[3][4]) is one of the three constituent parts of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha,[5] a remote British overseas territory.
Saint Helena is a volcanic and tropical island, located in the South Atlantic Ocean, some 1,874 km (1,165 miles) west of mainland Africa, with Angola and Namibia being the closest nations, geographically. The island is located around 1,950 km (1,210 mi) west of the coast of southwestern South Africa, and 4,000 km (2,500 mi) east of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Saint Helena measures about 16 by 8 km (10 by 5 mi) and has a population of 4,439 per the 2021 census.[2] It was named after Helena, mother of Constantine I. It is one of the most remote major islands in the world and was uninhabited when discovered by the Portuguese enroute to the Indian subcontinent in 1502. For about four centuries, the island was an important stopover for ships between Europe and Asia while sailing around the African continent before the opening of the Suez Canal. Saint Helena is the United Kingdom's second-oldest overseas territory after Bermuda. Until the opening of its airport in 2017, the primary method of reaching Saint Helena was a 6-day journey by sea on the RMS St Helena.
Saint Helena is known for being the site of Napoleon's second exile, following his final defeat in 1815.
crown colony
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).