Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic Ocean

This article is about the British Overseas Territory. For the islands comprising it, see Saint Helena, Ascension Island, and Tristan da Cunha.

Overseas territory of the United Kingdom

Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

Overseas territory of the United Kingdom

Flag

Anthem: "God Save the King"

Location of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (circled in red). Ascension is the northernmost circle, Tristan da Cunha is the two adjacent circles in the far south, and Saint Helena is in the middle. The United Kingdom is located at the top in white.

Sovereign state|  United Kingdom
Saint Helena colonial charter| 1657
Crown colony| 22 April 1834[1]
Ascension added| 12 September 1922
Tristan da Cunha added| 12 January 1938
Current constitution| 1 September 2009
Capital| Jamestown
15°56′S 05°43′W﻿ / ﻿15.933°S 5.717°W﻿ / -15.933; -5.717
Largest city| Half Tree Hollow
15°56′0″S 5°43′12″W﻿ / ﻿15.93333°S 5.72000°W﻿ / -15.93333; -5.72000
Official languages| English
Government| Devolved self-governing dependencies under a constitutional monarchy

• Monarch

| Charles III

• Governor of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

| Nigel Phillips

• Administrator of Ascension

| Simon Minshull

• Administrator of
Tristan da Cunha

| Philip Kendall [2]

• Chief Minister of Saint Helena

| Julie Thomas
Government of the United Kingdom

• Minister

| Stephen Doughty
Area

• Total

| 394 km2 (152 sq mi)
Highest elevation

| 2,062 m (6,765 ft)
Population

• 2016 census

| 5,633[3] (not ranked)

• Density

| 13.4/km2 (34.7/sq mi) (not ranked)
GDP (nominal)| estimate

• Total

| USD 43,000,000[4]
Currency| Saint Helena pound (£) (SHP) (Saint Helena and Ascension)
Pound sterling (£) (GBP) (Tristan da Cunha)
Time zone| UTC±00:00 (GMT)
Date format| dd/mm/yyyy
Driving side| left
Calling code| +290 (Saint Helena and Tristan da Cunha)
+247 (Ascension)

UK postcode|

STHL 1ZZ (Saint Helena)
ASCN 1ZZ (Ascension)
TDCU 1ZZ (Tristan da Cunha)

ISO 3166 code| SH
Internet TLD|

* .sh
* .ac (Ascension only)

Website| www.sainthelena.gov.sh

Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha[5] is a British Overseas Territory located in the South Atlantic and consisting of the island of Saint Helena, Ascension Island, and the archipelago of Tristan da Cunha (including Gough Island). Its name was Saint Helena and Dependencies until 1 September 2009, when a new constitution came into force, giving the three islands equal status as three territories, with a grouping under the Crown.

## History

[edit]

See also: History of Saint Helena

Of volcanic origin, the islands of Saint Helena, Ascension Island, and Tristan da Cunha were all formerly separate colonies of the English crown, though separately discovered by several Portuguese explorers between 1502 and 1504.

### Portuguese discovery

[edit]

The Portuguese found Saint Helena 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. Though they formed no permanent settlement, the island became crucially important for the collection of food and as a rendezvous point for homebound voyages from Asia. English privateer Francis Drake very probably located the island on the final lap of his circumnavigation of the world (1577–1580).[6] Further visits by other English explorers followed, and, once St Helena's location was more widely known, English warships began to lie in wait in the area to attack Portuguese carracks on their way home from India. In developing their Far East trade, the Dutch also began to frequent the island. They made a formal claim to it in 1633 but did not settle the isle, and by 1651 largely abandoned it in favour of their colony at the Cape of Good Hope.

### English colonisation

[edit]

A View of the Town and Island of St Helena in the Atlantic Ocean belonging to the English East India Company (engraving c. 1790)

In 1657, the English East India Company was granted a charter to govern Saint Helena by Oliver Cromwell,[7] and the following year the Company decided to fortify the island and colonise it with planters. The first governor, Captain John Dutton, arrived in 1659, and it is from this date that St Helena claims to be Britain's second oldest remaining colony, after Bermuda. A fort was completed and a number of houses were built. After the Restoration of the British monarchy in 1660, the East India Company received a Royal Charter giving it the sole right to fortify and colonise the island. The fort was renamed James Fort and the town Jamestown, in honour of the Duke of York and heir apparent, later King James II of England and VII of Scotland.

Gough and Inaccessible Islands were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995.

The Kingdom of England became part of the new Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707 and then the United Kingdom in 1801; the British Empire grew into a global great power. The island of Saint Helena became internationally known as the British government's chosen place of exile of Napoleon Bonaparte, who was detained on the island from October 1815 until his death on 5 May 1821, and it was made a British crown colony in 1834 by the Government of India Act 1833.[1] Unoccupied Ascension Island was garrisoned by the Royal Navy on 22 October 1815, shortly after which the end of the Age of Sail made its difficult location in the equatorial doldrums less important relative to its strategic importance as a centrally positioned naval coaling station. For similar reasons Tristan da Cunha was annexed as a dependency of the Cape Colony (British South Africa) on 14 August 1816, at the settlement of the Napoleonic Wars. For a short period just previously, Tristan da Cunha had been inhabited by a private American expedition who named the territory the Islands of Refreshment.

The political union between these colonies began to take shape on 12 September 1922, when by letters patent Ascension Island became a dependency of Saint Helena. Lightly populated Tristan da Cunha, even today little more than an outpost with a population of less than three hundred, followed suit on 12 January 1938. The three island groups shared this constitutional relationship until 1 September 2009, when the dependencies were raised to equal status with St. Helena and the territories changed its name from "Saint Helena and Dependencies" to "Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha".

### World War II and subsequent military presence

[edit]

During the Battle of the Atlantic of World War II and the following several years of U-boat warfare in the Atlantic, both Saint Helena and Ascension Island were used by the Allies to base patrolling anti-surface-commerce-raider and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) forces against the Axis powers' naval units. Initially long range naval patrol flying boats were used in the effort, and later in the war during the struggle to improve air coverage over the commercially important sea lanes, air strips were built to support land based aircraft which supplied, augmented and complemented the PBY Catalina patrol planes in the vitally important ASW mission.

The United Kingdom and the United States still jointly operate the airfield (RAF Ascension Island) on Ascension, which also serves as a space-based communications, signals intelligence, and navigation nexus and hub (Ground station). One of only four GPS satellite ground antennas is located there.

## Geography

[edit]

Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, the only settlement on Tristan da Cunha. Behind it is Queen Mary's Peak, a shield volcano.

See also: Category:Geography of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha and List of mountains and hills of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

The territories stretch across a huge distance of the South Atlantic Ocean with the northernmost island, Ascension, having a latitude of 7° 56′ S of the equator and the southernmost island, Gough Island, at 40° 19′ S. Between Saint Helena and Tristan da Cunha is the Tropic of Capricorn. The distance between the northern tip of Ascension Island and the southern tip of Gough Island is 2,263 miles (3,642 km) (an equivalent distance between London and the Dead Sea). The three territories lie in the Western Hemisphere and have the same time zone: Greenwich Mean Time. Daylight saving time is not observed.

Although all three territories were formed by volcanic activity, only the Tristan da Cunha group of islands are volcanically active at the moment.

The highest point of the territories is Queen Mary's Peak on the island of Tristan da Cunha, with an elevation of 2,062 metres (6,765 ft) above sea level. The mountain is listed as an ultra prominent peak.

### Climate

[edit]

Because of the massive distance from north to south (over 3,600 km (2,200 mi)), the territories have various climates. Ascension has a warm, arid climate, with temperatures all year long reaching above 20 °C (68 °F). St Helena is more moderate (and arid near the coasts). Tristan da Cunha, being closer to the Antarctic Circle, is much cooler and a lot wetter. The uninhabited southernmost Gough Island is wetter and has freezing winter temperatures.

### Territorial waters

[edit]

Tristan da Cunha on 6 February 2013, as seen from the International Space Station

The territorial waters of the islands extend out to 12 nautical miles (22 km) from their coastal baselines. The Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) extend 200 nautical miles (370 km) from the islands' baselines. Despite their size, the three EEZs do not overlap or touch one another, nor do they reach the EEZs of any other country or territory. The territories have the largest EEZ of any of the British overseas territories (indeed larger than the United Kingdom's) and if included in the ranking of countries by size of EEZ, the territories would be 21st, behind Portugal and ahead of the Philippines. Neither the islands nor their EEZs are the subject of any current international dispute.

EEZs of the three territories[8] Part | km2 | sq mi

|
|

Ascension Island | 441,658  | 170,525
Saint Helena | 444,916  | 171,783
Tristan da Cunha | 754,720  | 291,400
Total | 1,641,294 | 633,708

An application was made in 2008 by the United Kingdom to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf to extend the limit of the continental shelf claim of Ascension Island beyond 200 nautical miles (370 km). The Commission recommended in 2010 that the limit not be extended beyond the standard limit, based on scientific surveys.[9]

### Administrative divisions

[edit]

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|

See also: Politics of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

Administratively, each territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha is governed by a council. The Governor of the territory presides over the Saint Helena Legislative Council, and an Administrator on Ascension Island and an Administrator on Tristan da Cunha preside over these two areas' Island Councils. See Constitution section below.

Administrative
area  | Area
km2 | Area
sq mi | Population[3] | Administrative
centre

|
|
|
|

Saint Helena | 122 | 47 | 4,534 | Jamestown
Ascension Island | 88 | 34 | 806 | Georgetown
Tristan da Cunha | 207 | 71 | 293 | Edinburgh of the Seven Seas
Main island | 98 | 39 | 293 |
Inaccessible Island | 14 | 5 | 0 |
Nightingale Islands | 3.4 | 1.3 | 0 |
Gough Island | 91 | 35 | 0 |
Total | 394 | 152 | 5,633 | Jamestown

The island of St Helena is then further divided into eight districts.[10]

## Constitution

[edit]

Politics of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

The Crown

* Monarch
* Charles III

Government

* Constitution
* Governor
* Nigel Phillips
* Plantation House
* The Castle
* Chief Secretary
* Sheriff
* Responsible Minister (UK)
* Tariq Ahmad

Judiciary

* Attorney General
* Court of Appeal
* Supreme Court
* Magistrates and Juvenile Courts

Saint Helena

* Politics of Saint Helena
* Jamestown (capital)
* Legislative Council
* Executive Council
* Half Tree Hollow
* Saint Paul's
* Longwood
* Alarm Forest
* Saint Helena Airport

Ascension Island

* Politics of Ascension Island
* Georgetown
* Administrator of Ascension Island
* Simon Minshull
* Ascension Island Council
* Cat Hill
* Two Boats Village
* RAF Ascension Island

Tristan da Cunha

* Politics of Tristan da Cunha
* Edinburgh of the Seven Seas
* Administrator of Tristan da Cunha
* Philip Kendall
* Chief Islander
* James Glass
* Tristan da Cunha Island Council
* Inaccessible Island
* Nightingale Islands
* Nightingale Island
* Middle Island
* Stoltenhoff Island
* Gough Island

Other

* Saint Helena Pound (Saint Helena and Ascension Island)

* Other countries

* v
* t
* e

See also: The St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Constitution Order 2009

King Charles III is the head of state of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Ascension Government House

The St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Constitution Order 2009 (an Order in Council of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom) enacted a new constitution for the territory, which came into effect on 1 September 2009, and elevated Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha from being dependencies of Saint Helena to equal constituent parts. Each constituent part has its own government, however the constitution order states that Governor of Saint Helena is ex officio also the Governor of Ascension and the Governor of Tristan da Cunha.[11] Due to the distance between the three constituent parts of the territory the Ascension and Tristan da Cunha each have an Administrator who represents the Governor when they are off island. Notably the constitution includes (for each territory) the "fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals".[12]

Part | Crown representative | Council

|
|

Saint Helena | Governor of Saint Helena | Legislative Council of Saint Helena
Ascension Island | Governor of Ascension
Represented by the Administrator of Ascension | Ascension Island Council
Tristan da Cunha | Governor of Tristan da Cunha
Represented by the Administrator of Tristan da Cunha | Tristan da Cunha Island Council

Saint Helena also has an Executive Council. The Governor of Saint Helena is the British monarch's representative. The three territories share the same Attorney General, and the same Supreme Court and Court of Appeal.

## Police and defence

[edit]

The Royal Saint Helena Police Service is responsible for policing on the islands.[13] Defence is the responsibility of the United Kingdom, though no military forces are stationed on either Saint Helena or Tristan da Cunha. The Royal Air Force maintains a staging base at Ascension Island as part of British military forces in the South Atlantic.[14]

## Education

[edit]

Main article: Education in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

Saint Helena has multiple schools, including Prince Andrew School. Ascension has Two Boats School. Tristan da Cunha also has its own school named St. Mary's School.

## Religion

[edit]

St. Mary's Anglican Church [de], Ascension

Most residents of St. Helena belong to the Anglican Communion through the Anglican Church of Southern Africa and are members of the Diocese of St Helena, which has its own bishop and includes Ascension Island.

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

## Currency

[edit]

Main article: Saint Helena pound

In 1821 a copper halfpenny was struck specifically for use in St. Helena, which subsequently intermingled with British coinage.

Saint Helena used sterling currency as in the United Kingdom until 1976, when it began to issue its own banknotes at par with sterling. In 1984, the territory also began to issue its own coinage for both St. Helena and Ascension Island, with the same sizes as the coinage of the United Kingdom. Also similar to British coinage, Queen Elizabeth II is found on the obverse, but the reverse have quite different designs referring to the territory. Whereas the coins are struck with "Saint Helena • Ascension", the banknotes only say, "Government of St. Helena". Commemorative coins are struck separately for the two entities and say either just "St. Helena" or "Ascencion Island". The Saint Helena pound also circulates on Ascension Island, but not in the other territory, Tristan da Cunha, where UK currency circulates.

The Currency Commissioners, part of the Government of Saint Helena, issue the St Helena pound banknotes and coins. There is no central bank; the currency is pegged to the pound sterling, which is controlled by the Bank of England in London. The Bank of Saint Helena is the territory's only bank. The bank sets its own deposit and lending rates, and has branches in Jamestown on Saint Helena and Georgetown on Ascension Island. Although the bank does not have a physical presence on Tristan da Cunha, the residents of Tristan are entitled to use its services.[15]

## Communications

[edit]

Main article: Communications in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

### Telecommunications

[edit]

Sure South Atlantic provide the telecommunications service in the territories. Saint Helena has the international calling code +290 which, since 2006, Tristan da Cunha shares. Since 2013, telephone numbers have been five digits long, with fixed line numbers beginning with "2" and mobile numbers with "5" or "6".[16] Ascension Island has a separate country code, +247 and also has five-digit numbers on the island, having changed in 2015.[17] Ascension Island also held an extensive broadcast facility for international shortwave transmissions to Africa and South America.

### Mail

[edit]

Ascension Island, Tristan da Cunha and Saint Helena all issue their own postage stamps, which provide a significant income. The three territories each have their own Royal Mail postal code:

* Ascension Island: ASCN 1ZZ
* Saint Helena: STHL 1ZZ
* Tristan da Cunha: TDCU 1ZZ

## Flags

[edit]

The Flag of the United Kingdom is used for all official purposes; and each of the three territories has its own flag for official use. Between 2002 and 2013 Saint Helena and Tristan da Cunha each had their own separate flags, whilst Ascension Island used the Union Flag, and before 2002 the flag of Saint Helena was used in Tristan da Cunha for all official purposes.

### Saint Helena

[edit]

See also: Flag of Saint Helena

The flag of Saint Helena

The flag of Saint Helena was adopted on 4 October 1984. It is a defaced (i.e. differentiated) Blue Ensign, i.e. a blue field with the Union Jack in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the shield from the coat of arms of Saint Helena centred on the outer half of the flag. The shield features a rocky coastline and a three-masted sailing ship, with a Saint Helena plover, also known as a wirebird, atop. It was updated in 2018 to depict a more realistic-looking wirebird.

### Ascension Island

[edit]

See also: Flag of Ascension Island

The flag of Ascension Island

The flag of Ascension Island was adopted on 11 May 2013.[18] The flag is a blue ensign design, defaced with the coat of arms of Ascension Island. Prior to the adoption of this flag, the island used the Union Flag of the United Kingdom for official purposes.

### Tristan da Cunha

[edit]

See also: Flag of Tristan da Cunha

The flag of Tristan da Cunha

The flag of Tristan da Cunha was adopted on 20 October 2002, in a proclamation made by the Governor of Saint Helena under a Royal Warrant granted by Queen Elizabeth II. Prior to this, as a dependency of Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha used the flag of Saint Helena for official purposes.

The flag is a blue ensign design, defaced with the coat of arms of Tristan da Cunha – a Tristan longboat above a Naval Crown, with a central shield decorated with four yellow-nosed albatrosses and flanked by two Tristan rock lobsters. Below this is a scroll with the territory's motto, Our faith is our strength.

## Transport

[edit]

See also: Transport on Saint Helena

### Maritime transport

[edit]

Each of the three main islands has a harbour or small port, situated in the islands' chief settlements (Georgetown, Jamestown, and Edinburgh). In addition, St. Helena has a 118 m long permanent wharf facility, built as part of the airport project, in Rupert's Bay for bulk, containerised, and general cargos, as well as for passenger landings.[19]

### Airports

[edit]

The airport of Saint Helena

St. Helena Airport received its first scheduled commercial flight on 14 October 2017.[20] Commercial flights, operated by Airlink using an Embraer E190, are scheduled from OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg each Saturday, returning the same day (or Sunday when the extension to Ascension Island is operating).

Commercial flights between St. Helena and Ascension Island operate on the second Saturday of each month, with the aircraft returning to St. Helena on the Sunday, before continuing on to Johannesburg.[21]

There is a military airfield on Ascension Island (RAF Ascension Island), though potholes on the runway resulted in the April 2017 cancellation of all but essential personnel/supply flights as well as emergency medical evacuations.[22][23] Regular RAF flights connected Ascension with RAF Brize Norton in the UK and RAF Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands, a transport link called the South Atlantic Air Bridge. The flights are mainly to transport military personnel, though the RAF did allow fare-paying civilians to use them. Ascension Island is also used by the US military (which supply the base using MV Ascension) and was a designated emergency landing site for the Space Shuttle program.

The islands of Tristan da Cunha can only be accessed by sea due to the lack of an airport.

Location | ICAO | IATA | Airport name | Runway length

|
|
|
|

Ascension Island | FHAW | ASI | RAF Ascension Island | 3,054 metres (10,020 ft)
Saint Helena | FHSH | HLE | Saint Helena Airport | 1,950 metres (6,400 ft)

### Vehicular traffic

[edit]

Saint Helena has 138 kilometres (86 mi)—118 kilometres (73 mi) paved and 20 kilometres (12 mi) unpaved—of roads. Tristan da Cunha has approximately 10 kilometres (6 mi) of paved roads, while Ascension has around 40 kilometres (25 mi) paved.[24] Each island has its own vehicle registration plate system. Traffic drives on the left in all three territories, as in the United Kingdom. Two of the nearest countries to the islands—South Africa and Namibia—also drive on the left.

## See also

[edit]

* ISO 3166-2:SH

* Geography portal
* Africa portal
* United Kingdom portal

* Bibliography of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
* British Overseas Territories
* List of towns in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
* Public holidays in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Constitution Order 2009 Archived 11 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine "...the transfer of rule of the island to His Majesty's Government on 22 April 1834 under the Government of India Act 1833, now called the Saint Helena Act 1833" (Schedule Preamble)
2. ^ "Philip Kendall sworn-in as Tristan Administrator".
3. ^ a b "Census 2016 – summary report" (PDF). St Helena Government. June 2016. p. 9\. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 October 2016. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
4. ^ "Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha  • Country facts". PopulationData.net. 20 February 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
5. ^ "St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Constitution Order 2009, see "EXPLANATORY NOTE"". Archived from the original on 12 March 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2009.
6. ^ Drake and St Helena, privately published by Robin Castell in 2005
7. ^ "History: St. Helena homepage". Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
8. ^ Seaaroundus.org Archived 29 December 2006 at the Wayback Machine
9. ^ Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Summary of recommendations re: Ascension Island
10. ^ "Census 2016 – summary report" (PDF). St Helena Government. June 2016. p. 7\. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 October 2016. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
11. ^ "Constitution of St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Order 2009". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
12. ^ The St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Constitution Order 2009 Archived 11 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine The Constitution (in the Schedule to the Order).
13. ^ Krill, Lindsey (30 July 2018). "Riding with the St. Helena Police, getting an inside look at SHPD". St. Helena Star. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
14. ^ "PJOBS – British Forces South Atlantic". Permanent Joint Headquarters. Archived from the original on 13 May 2006. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
15. ^ "The Bank of Saint Helena". Sainthelenabank.com. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
16. ^ Saint Helena and Tristan da Cunha (country code +290), International Telecommunication Union, 15 May 2015
17. ^ Ascension (country code +247) Communication of 08.V.2015:, International Telecommunication Union, 8 May 2015
18. ^ "First Ever Ascension Flag to Fly". Ascension-Island.gov.ac. Ascension Island Government. 27 March 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
19. ^ Donaldson, Warwick; Patel, Sahil (May 2016). "Design of new permanent wharf at Rupert's Bay, St. Helena" (PDF). Civil Engineering. The maritime transport is the only possibility to bring loads and passengers to Tristan da Cunha since this island does not have its own airport.
20. ^ "A HISTORY MAKING WEEKEND FOR ST HELENA". St Helena. 16 October 2017. Archived from the original on 20 November 2017. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
21. ^ "FIRST COMMERCIAL FLIGHT TO ASCENSION ISLAND". St Helena. 14 November 2017. Archived from the original on 15 November 2017. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
22. ^ "South Atlantic Airbridge ops at Ascension Island suspended". ch-aviation. Archived from the original on 28 April 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
23. ^ Wintour, Patrick (2 May 2017). "Runway potholes halt regular Ascension Island flights". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2 May 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
24. ^ CIA World Factbook St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

## Further reading

[edit]

* Barrow, K. M. – Three Years in Tristan da Cunha.
* Booy, D. M. – Rock of Exile: A Narrative of Tristan da Cunha.
* Brander, J. – Tristan da Cunha, 1506-1902.
* Brinck, Per – Coleoptera of Tristan da Cunha.
* Chaplin, Arnold – Thomas Short (Principal Medical Officer of St. Helena). With Biographies of Some Other Medical Men Associated with the Case of Napoleon From 1815-1821.
* Christopherson, Erling – Tristan da Cunha, the Lonely Isle.
* Christopherson, Erling and R. L. Benham – Tristan da Cunha, the Lonely Isle.
* Crawford, Allan – Tristan da Cunha and the 'Roaring Forties'.
* Gane, Douglas M. – Tristan da Cunha: An Empire Outpost and Its Keepers. (complete transcription online)
* Gill, Mrs. – Six Months in Ascension 1, Vol., 12 mo
* Gosse, Philip – Helena, 1502-1938.
* Hall, Basil, Captain – Voyage to the Eastern Seas in the Year 1816; Including an Account of Captain Maxwell’s Attack on the Batteries at Canton; And Notes of an Interview with Bonaparte at St. Helena, in August 1817.
* Kemble, James – St. Helena During Napoleon’s Exile: Gorrequer’s Diary.
* Kiser, C. V. – A Study of St.-Helena Islanders in Harlem and Other Urban Centers.
* Mackay, Margaret – Angry Island: The Story of Tristan da Cunha, 1506-1963. (complete transcription online)
* Martineau, Gilbert and Frances Partridge – Napoleon’s St. Helena.
* Masson, Frederic and Louis B. Frewer – Napoleon at St. Helena, 1815-1821.
* Munch, Peter A. – Crisis in Utopia: The Ordeal of Tristan da Cunha.
* Munch, Peter A. – Sociology of Tristan da Cunha: Results of the Norwegian Scientific Expedition to Tristan da Cunha, 1937-8, No. 13.
* Munch, Peter A. – The Song Tradition of Tristan da Cunha.
* Rowlands, Beau W., Trevor Trueman, Storrs L. Olson, M. Neil McCulloch, and Richard K. Brooke – The Birds of St. Helena.
* Shine, Ian and Reynold Gold – Serendipity in St. Helena: A Genetical and Medical Study of an Isolated Community.
* Stewart, C. S. – A Visit to the South Seas in the United States' Ship Vincennes, during the Years 1829 and 1830, with Scenes in Brazil, Peru, Manila, the Cape of Good Hope, and St. Helena.
* Stonehouse, Bernard – Wideawake Island: The Story of the B. O. U. Centenary Expedition to Ascension.
* Wace, N. M. and M. W. Holdgate – The Vegetation of Tristan da Cunha.
* Weider, Ben and Sten Forschufvud – Assassination at St. Helena Revisited.
* Zettersten, Arne – The English of Tristan da Cunha.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha.

* government Website of Saint Helena
* Government Website of Ascension Island
* official Tristan da Cunha Website
* St Helena Online (UK-based news website, in partnership with the St Helena Independent)
* Tristan da Cunha on Thayer's Gazetteer
* Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency.

* v
* t
* e

Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

Capital: Jamestown

Saint Helena|

* Governor
* Chief Minister
* Legislative Council
* Flag
* Coat of arms
* Jamestown
* Alarm Forest
* Barren Ground
* Blue Hill
* Half Tree Hollow
* Levelwood
* Longwood
* Ruperts
* Saint Paul's
* Sandy Bay
* Saint Helena Airport

Ascension Island|

* Governor (Administrator)
* Island Council
* Flag
* Coat of arms
* Georgetown
* Cat Hill
* Travellers Hill
* Two Boats
* RAF Ascension Island
* Green Mountain

Tristan da Cunha|

* Governor (Administrator)
* Island Council
* Flag
* Coat of arms
* Edinburgh of the Seven Seas
* Potato Patches
* Inaccessible Island
* Nightingale Islands
* Nightingale Island
* Middle Island
* Stoltenhoff Island
* Gough Island
* Sandy Point

Other|

* Constitution

Articles relating to Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

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Countries, territories and dependencies of the British Crown

Constituent countries
of the United Kingdom|

* England
* Northern Ireland
* Scotland
* Wales

Crown Dependencies|

* Bailiwick of Guernsey
* Alderney
* Guernsey
* Sark
* Bailiwick of Jersey
* Isle of Man

Overseas territories|

* Akrotiri and Dhekelia1
* Anguilla
* Bermuda
* British Antarctic Territory2
* British Indian Ocean Territory
* British Virgin Islands
* Cayman Islands
* Falkland Islands
* Gibraltar
* Montserrat
* Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands
* Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
* Ascension Island
* Saint Helena
* Tristan da Cunha
* Gough Island
* South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
* Turks and Caicos Islands

Former colonies|

* List of countries that have gained independence from the United Kingdom

1 Sovereign Base Areas. 2 Partial suspension of sovereignty due to the Antarctic Treaty.

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Countries and territories of Africa

Sovereign states|

* Algeria
* Angola
* Benin
* Botswana
* Burkina Faso
* Burundi
* Cameroon
* Cape Verde
* Central African Republic
* Chad
* Comoros
* Democratic Republic of the Congo
* Republic of the Congo
* Djibouti
* Egypt (partly in Asia)
* Equatorial Guinea
* Eritrea
* Eswatini
* Ethiopia
* Gabon
* The Gambia
* Ghana
* Guinea
* Guinea-Bissau
* Ivory Coast
* Kenya
* Lesotho
* Liberia
* Libya
* Madagascar
* Malawi
* Mali
* Mauritania
* Mauritius
* Morocco
* Mozambique
* Namibia
* Niger
* Nigeria
* Rwanda
* São Tomé and Príncipe
* Senegal
* Seychelles
* Sierra Leone
* Somalia
* South Africa
* South Sudan
* Sudan
* Tanzania
* Togo
* Tunisia
* Uganda
* Zambia
* Zimbabwe

States with limited
recognition

* Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (unclear sovereignty)
* Somaliland

Dependent
territories

| France|

* Îles Éparses

|

United Kingdom|

Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

African territories
fully part of
non-African states|

| France|

* Mayotte
* Réunion

|

Italy|

* Pantelleria
* Pelagie Islands

Portugal|

* Madeira
* Savage Islands

Spain|

* Canary Islands
* Ceuta
* Melilla
* Plazas de soberanía

Yemen|

* Socotra

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* Africa portal

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Outlying territories of European countries

Territories under European sovereignty but closer to or on continents other than Europe (see inclusion criteria for further information).

Denmark|

* Greenland
* Faroe Islands

France|

* Clipperton Island
* French Guiana
* French Polynesia
* French Southern and Antarctic Lands
* Adélie Land
* Crozet Islands
* Kerguelen Islands
* Saint Paul and Amsterdam Islands
* Amsterdam Island
* Saint Paul Island
* Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean
* Bassas da India
* Europa Island
* Glorioso Islands
* Geyser Shoal
* Juan de Nova Island
* Tromelin Island
* Guadeloupe
* Martinique
* Mayotte
* New Caledonia
* Réunion
* Saint Barthélemy
* Saint Martin
* Saint Pierre and Miquelon
* Wallis and Futuna

Netherlands|

* Aruba
* Caribbean Netherlands
* Bonaire
* Saba
* Sint Eustatius
* Curaçao
* Sint Maarten

Norway|

* Bouvet Island
* Peter I Island
* Queen Maud Land

Portugal|

* Azores
* Madeira

Spain|

* Canary Islands
* Ceuta
* Melilla
* Plazas de Soberanía
* Alboran Island
* Alhucemas Islands
* Chafarinas Islands
* Velez Islands

United Kingdom|

* Anguilla
* Bermuda
* British Antarctic Territory
* British Indian Ocean Territory
* British Virgin Islands
* Cayman Islands
* Falkland Islands
* Montserrat
* Pitcairn Islands
* Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
* Ascension Island
* Saint Helena
* Tristan da Cunha
* South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
* Turks and Caicos Islands

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Former British Empire and Current British Overseas Territories

Legend
Former territory
Current territory
*Current Commonwealth realm
†Current member of the Commonwealth of Nations

Europe

* Akrotiri and Dhekelia since 1960 (before as part of Cyprus)
* Corsica 1794–1796
* †Cyprus 1878–1960
* Gibraltar since 1713
* Heligoland 1807–1890
* Ionian Islands 1809–1864
* Ireland 1542–1800 (integrated into the UK)
* Free State 1921–1931
* †Malta
* Protectorate 1800–1813
* Colony 1813–1964
* Minorca 1708–1757, 1763–1782 and 1798–1802

Africa

* Ascension Island23 since 1815
* Basutoland (†Lesotho) 1868–1966
* Bechuanaland (†Botswana) 1884–1966
* Cameroons13 1919–1961
* Cape Colony 1795–1803
* Cape of Good Hope 1806–1910
* Central Africa 1891–1907
* East Africa 1895–1920
* Egypt 1882–1922
* †The Gambia 1816–1965
* Gold Coast (†Ghana) 1874–1957
* †Kenya 1920–1963
* Lagos 1862–1906
* Madeira 1807–1808
* †Mauritius 1810–1968
* Natal 1856–1910
* Niger Coast 1884–1900
* †Nigeria 1914–1960
* Northern Nigeria 1900–1914
* Northern Rhodesia15 1924–1964
* Nyasaland 1891–1964
* Orange River 1900–1910
* Saint Helena23 since 1658
* †Seychelles 1903–1976
* †Sierra Leone 1792–1961
* Somaliland 1884–1960
* †South Africa 1910–1931
* South-West Africa12 1915–1931
* Southern Rhodesia14 1923–1965 and 1979–1980
* Southern Nigeria 1900–1914
* †Swaziland 1893–1968
* Sudan 1899–1956
* Tanganyika13 1922–1961
* Transvaal 1900–1910
* Tristan da Cunha23 since 1816
* †Uganda 1890–1962
* Zanzibar 1890–1963
* Zululand 1887–1897

* 12Now †Namibia
* 13League of Nations mandate. British Cameroons is now part of †Cameroon, while Tanganyika is part of †Tanzania.
* 14Self-governing Southern Rhodesia unilaterally declared independence in 1965 (as Rhodesia) and continued as an unrecognised state until the 1979 Lancaster House Agreement. After recognised independence in 1980, Zimbabwe was a member of the Commonwealth until it withdrew in 2003.
* 15Now †Zambia

Asia

* Aden Colony 1839–1967
* Afghanistan 1839–1842
* Protectorate 1879–1919
* Bencoolen 1685–1824
* Banka and Billiton 1812–1824
* Bengal 1757–1947
* Bhutan (protectorate) 1907–1949
* Borneo 1874–1963
* British Indian Ocean Territory since 1965 (before as part of Mauritius and Seychelles)26
* Burma 1824–1948
* †Brunei 1888–1984
* †Ceylon 1795–1948
* †Cyprus 1878–1960
* Hong Kong 1841–1997
* †India18 1858–1947
* Java 1811–1816
* Kuwait 1918–1961
* Labuan 1848–1946
* Malaya 1819–1826
* Federated States 1895–1946
* Unfederated States 1885–1946
* Union 1946–1948
* Federation 1948–1957
* †Maldives 1796–1965
* Manila and Cavite 1762–1764
* Mesopotamia19 1920–1932
* Muscat and Oman 1891–1971
* North Borneo 1882–1963
* Crown Colony 1946–1963
* Padang 1781–1784 and 1795–1819
* Palestine19 1923–1948
* Penang 1786–1946
* Pulo Condore 1702–1705
* Sarawak 1841–1946
* Crown Colony 1946–1963
* †Singapore 1946–1963
* South Vietnam 1945–1946
* Straits Settlements 1826–1946
* Transjordan 1921–1946
* Trucial States 1892–1971
* Weihai 1898–1930

* 18Now †India, †Pakistan and †Bangladesh
* 19League of Nations mandate. Iraq's mandate was not enacted and replaced by the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty
* 26Legitimacy of territorial establishment disputed

North America

* Anguilla since 1650
* *Antigua 1632–1860
* *Antigua and Barbuda 1860–1981
* †*Bahamas 1670–1973
* †Barbados 1624–1966
* Bay Islands 1643–1860
* †*Belize 1871–1981
* Bermuda since 1619
* British Arctic Territories 16th c.–1880
* British Columbia 1858–1866
* 1866–1871
* Cape Breton Island 1754–1820
* †Dominica 1763–1978
* East Florida 1763–1783
* †*Grenada 1762–1974
* †*Canada
* Lower 1791–1841
* Upper 1791–1841
* Province 1841–1867
* Dominion 1867–1931
* Carolina 1663–1712
* Cayman Islands since 1670
* Columbia District/Oregon Country 1818–1846
* Connecticut 1636–1776
* Delaware 1701–1776
* East Jersey 1674–1702
* Georgia 1733–1776
* †*Jamaica 1655–1962
* Leeward Islands 1671–1816, 1833–1960
* MassachusettsBay 1629–1691
* Province, 1691–1776
* Maryland 1632–1776
* Montserrat since 1632
* Mosquito Coast 1655–1860
* Nevis 1628–1983
* New Albion 1579
* New Brunswick 1784–1867
* New England 1686–1689
* New Hampshire 1680–1776
* New Haven 1637–1662
* New Jersey 1665–1674 and 1702–1776
* New York 1664–1776
* Newfoundland 1907–1949
* Newfoundland and Labrador 1583–1907
* North Carolina 1712–1776
* North-Western Territory 1859–1870
* Nova Scotia 1713–1867
* Paulet affair 1843
* Prince Edward Island 1763–1873
* Pennsylvania 1681–1776
* Plymouth 1620–1691
* Quebec 1763–1791* Queen Charlotte Islands 1853–1863
* Rhode Island 1636–1776
* Rupert's Land 1670–1870
* Saint Croix 1625–1650
* Saint Kitts 1623–1983
* †*Saint Kitts and Nevis 1882–1983
* †*Saint Lucia 1605–1979
* †*Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1627–1979
* Saybrook 1635–1644
* South Carolina 1712–1776
* Stickeen 1862–1863
* †Trinidad and Tobago 1889–1962
* Turks and Caicos Islands since 1799
* Vancouver Island 1849–1866
* Virgin Islands since 1666
* Virginia 1607–1776
* West Florida 1763–1783
* West Indies Federation 1958–1962
* Associated States 1967–1983
* West Jersey 1674–1702
* Windward Islands 1833–1960

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Oceania

| 18th and 19th centuries| 20th century

|

* New South Wales 1788–1901
* Van Diemen's Land/Tasmania 1803–1901
* Auckland Islands20 1807–1863
* New Hebrides21 1824–1980
* Queensland 1824–1901
* Swan River/Western Australia 1829–1901
* South Australia 1836–1901
* Pitcairn Islands since 1838
* New Zealand 1841–1907
* North Australia 1846–1847
* Victoria 1851–1901
* †Fiji 1874–1970
* Western Pacific Territories 1877–1976
* Papua 1884–1902
* Rarotonga/Cook Islands20 1888–1901
* Union Islands20 1889–1948
* Gilbert and Ellice Islands22 1892–1979
* †*Solomon Islands 1893–1978

* †Tonga 1900–1970
* Niue20 1900–1974
* †*Australia 1901–1942
* †*New Zealand 1907–1947
* †Samoa 1914–1962
* †Nauru 1919–1942 and 1945–1968

* 20Now part of the †Realm of New Zealand
* 21Now †Vanuatu
* 22Now †Kiribati and †*Tuvalu

South America

* Providence Island 1631–1641
* Willoughbyland 1651–1667
* Saint Andrew and Providence Islands4 1670–1688
* †Guiana 1831–1966
* Falkland Islands5 since 1833
* South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands5 since 1908

* 4Now a department of Colombia
* 5Occupied by Argentina during the Falklands War of April–June 1982.

Antarctica and the South Atlantic

* Saint Helena23 since 1658
* Ascension Island23 since 1815
* Tristan da Cunha23 since 1816
* Falkland Islands since 1833
* †Australian Antarctic Territory (transferred to the Commonwealth of Australia) 1841–1933
* †Ross Dependency (transferred to the Realm of New Zealand) 1841–1947
* British Antarctic Territory24 since 1908
* South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands25 since 1908

* 23Since 2009 part of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha; Ascension Island (1922–) and Tristan da Cunha (1938–) were previously dependencies of Saint Helena.
* 24Claimed in 1908; territory formed 1962; overlaps portions of Argentine and Chilean claims, borders not enforced but claim not renounced under the Antarctic Treaty.
* 25Claimed in 1908; territory formed 1985

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