The Island of St. Helena.
 
 
St. Helena Island ; Speery Island.
 

122 km²
 
Jamestown (Capital and only town) : pop. 900 

St Helena is situated in the South Atlantic Ocean, 5°43’ west and 15°56’ south, 1.200 miles (1.950 km) from the south-west coast of Africa and 1.800 miles (2.900 km) from the coast of South America. The nearest land is Ascension Island, which lies 703 miles (1.125 km) in the north-west.

The island is 47 square miles (122 square km), ten and a half miles (17 km) long and six and a half miles (10 km) wide, consisting of steep, rocky terrain. Rising dramatically from the South Atlantic, the island has sheer barren cliffs intersected with deep valleys (locally known as guts) which slope steeply from the central ridges. There is little flat land and the island has no sandy beaches.

The highest point on St Helena is Diana’s Peak (2.685ft, 818m.) On the higher central ground bush and semi-tropical vegetation is abundant. This changes to grassland and pastures before the terrain becomes drier and almost barren below an altitude of 1.600ft (500m). The only inland waters are small mountain streams, which occasionally dry up in the summer months

The population of St. Helena is 5.000, mainly descendants of British settlers and east India Company employees and slaves from South Asian sub-Continent, the East Indies and Madagascar as well as Chinese indentured laborers.

English
 
Anglican (majority), Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic, Bahai Faith, New Apostolic, Jehovah's Witnesses, Two by Two.

 

The South Atlantic high pressure cell and the equatorial trough control the climate of St Helena. Despite the island’s locality within the tropics, its climate is kept mild and equable by the south-east trade winds. The trade winds blow almost continuously making our weather very changeable: a dull rainy morning can often lead onto a bright sunny afternoon.

There are noticeable contrasts in climate between Jamestown, the capital on the north leeward shore, and the inland areas. Jamestown can be sunny and lightly humid whilst areas like Longwood experience chilly mists and a higher rainfall. Temperatures in Jamestown range between 20°C - 320C in the summer and 150C - 260C in the winter. The temperatures in the central areas are, on average, 5°C - 60C lower.

 

About us   -    Disclaimer & Privacy Statement   -   Partnership   -  Advertising banners  

List your tourism business   -   Ones speaks about  -   Contact us   -   Feedback   -   Site map

    

 

 

Copyright anglais

Dernière modification anglaise