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.

Location:

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

Geographic coordinates:

15 56 S, 5 42 W

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.

Maritime claims:

Exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
Territorial sea: 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

Land use:

Arable land: 6%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 6%
Forests and woodland: 6%
Other: 82% (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: