Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha is a British Overseas Territory made up of three special places in the South Atlantic ocean. These are the island of Saint Helena, Ascension Island, and the group of islands called Tristan da Cunha, which includes Gough Island.

Before September 1, 2009, this group of islands was called Saint Helena and Dependencies. On that date, a new set of rules, called a constitution, changed how the islands were organized. Now, each of the three islands has the same importance, all linked together under the Crown.

These islands are very far apart and are known for their unique plants, animals, and histories. They each have their own special story and are important parts of the British world family.

History

See also: History of Saint Helena

The islands of Saint Helena, Ascension Island, and Tristan da Cunha were formed by volcanoes and were first found by Portuguese explorers between 1502 and 1504. The Portuguese used Saint Helena as a place to collect food and rest for ships traveling to and from Asia. Later, the English began using the island as a base and started to build a settlement there in 1659.

Saint Helena became an important place in history when Napoleon Bonaparte was kept there after his defeat. During World War II, both Saint Helena and Ascension Island were important for the Allies to protect shipping routes. Today, Ascension Island has an airfield used by both the United Kingdom and the United States for communication and navigation.

Geography

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 islands of Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha spread far apart in the South Atlantic Ocean. Ascension Island is the northernmost, located at latitude of 7° 56′ S, while Gough Island is the southernmost at 40° 19′ S. The distance between the northern tip of Ascension and the southern tip of Gough Island is about 3,642 kilometres, similar to the distance between London and the Dead Sea. All three islands share the same time zone: Greenwich Mean Time, and they do not change clocks for daylight saving.

These islands were formed by volcanic activity, and only the Tristan da Cunha group shows active volcanoes today. The highest point is Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha, rising 2,062 metres above sea level. Because the islands are spread out, they have different climates. Ascension has warm, dry weather, Saint Helena has milder conditions, and Tristan da Cunha, closer to the Antarctic Circle, is cooler and wetter. Gough Island is especially wet and can have freezing winters.

Constitution

The St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Constitution Order 2009 gave the islands a new constitution on 1 September 2009. Before this, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha were seen as depending on Saint Helena, but the new rules made all three islands equal parts of the territory. Each island now has its own local government, but they all share the same top leader, called the Governor of Saint Helena.

The islands also share some important services, like the Supreme Court and a single legal expert called the Attorney General. This helps make sure everyone gets fair treatment and their rights are protected.

Police and defence

The Royal Saint Helena Police Service keeps the islands safe. The United Kingdom looks after defence, but there are no soldiers living on 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.

Education

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

Each of the islands in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha has schools for children to learn. On Saint Helena, there is a school called St Helena Secondary School. Ascension Island has a school named Two Boats School, and Tristan da Cunha has its own school called St. Mary's School.

Religion

Most people on Saint Helena are part of the Anglican Communion through the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. They belong to the Diocese of St Helena, which has its own bishop and also includes Ascension Island.

Catholic residents are cared for by the Missio sui iuris of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. This group is led by someone from the Apostolic Prefecture of the Falkland Islands.

Currency

Main article: Saint Helena pound

Saint Helena used the same money as the United Kingdom until 1976. After that, it started making its own money, which looks similar but has special designs for the islands. The money from Saint Helena can also be used on Ascension Island, but Tristan da Cunha uses the regular United Kingdom money instead.

There isn’t a big bank on the islands. The money used there is tied to the value of the United Kingdom pound, which is controlled by a bank in London. The Bank of Saint Helena is the main bank for the islands and has branches on Saint Helena and Ascension Island.

Communications

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

The islands of Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha have special ways to talk to each other and the world. Companies like Sure South Atlantic help people make phone calls and use the internet. Each place has its own special number to call, like +290 for Saint Helena and +247 for Ascension Island.

These islands also have their own stamps for letters and packages. Each island has a special code for mailing, such as ASCN 1ZZ for Ascension Island, STHL 1ZZ for Saint Helena, and TDCU 1ZZ for Tristan da Cunha.

Flags

The Flag of the United Kingdom is used for all official purposes across Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha. Each of the three territories also has its own flag for official use.

The flag of Saint Helena was adopted on 4 October 1984. It is a blue field with the Union Jack in the top left corner and a special design in the center, showing a coastline and a ship. It includes a special bird called a Saint Helena plover, also known as a wirebird. The design of this bird was updated in 2018 to look more realistic.

The flag of Ascension Island was adopted on 11 May 2013. Before that, the island used the Union Flag of the United Kingdom. Its flag now has a blue background with a special design in the center.

The flag of Tristan da Cunha was adopted on 20 October 2002. Before this, it used the flag of Saint Helena. The current flag has a blue background with a special design that includes a boat and birds called albatrosses.

Transport

See also: Transport on Saint Helena

Each of the three main islands—Saint Helena, Ascension Island, and Tristan da Cunha—has a harbor or small port. Saint Helena even has a long wharf for big ships and passengers.

St. Helena Airport began having regular flights in October 2017. These flights come from OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg every Saturday. There are also monthly flights between St. Helena and Ascension Island. Ascension Island has a military airfield that connects it to the UK and the Falkland Islands. The islands of Tristan da Cunha can only be reached by boat because they don’t have an airport.

The roads on Saint Helena total about 138 kilometers, with most of them paved. Tristan da Cunha has around 10 kilometers of paved roads, and Ascension has about 40 kilometers. Each island has its own system for vehicle licenses. Like the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Namibia, all three islands drive on the left side of the road.