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total: 5

914 to 1,523 m: 2

under 914 m: 3 (2007)

Roadways:

total: 14,008 km

paved: 2,662 km

unpaved: 11,346 km (2004)

Waterways:

Lac Kivu navigable by shallow-draft barges and native craft (2006)

Ports and terminals:

Cyangugu, Gisenyi, Kibuye

Military Rwanda

Military branches:

Rwandan Defense Forces: Army, Air Force

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 2,430,469

females age 16-49: 2,392,933 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,404,066

females age 16-49: 1,403,700 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:

2.9% (2006 est.)

Transnational Issues Rwanda

Disputes - international:

fighting among ethnic groups - loosely associated political rebels, armed gangs, and various government forces in Great Lakes region transcending the boundaries of Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda - abated substantially from a decade ago due largely to UN peacekeeping, international mediation, and efforts by local governments to create civil societies; nonetheless, 57,000 Rwandan refugees still reside in 21 African states, including Zambia, Gabon, and 20,000 who fled to Burundi in 2005 and 2006 to escape drought and recriminations from traditional courts investigating the 1994 massacres; the 2005 DROC and Rwanda border verification mechanism to stem rebel actions on both sides of the border remains in place

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

refugees (country of origin): 46,272 (Democratic Republic of the Congo); 4,400 (Burundi) (2007)

This page was last updated on 15 July, 2008

The World Factbook

Saint Helena

Introduction Saint Helena

Background:

Saint Helena is a British Overseas Territory consisting of Saint Helena and Ascension Islands, and the island group of Tristan da Cunha.

Saint Helena: Uninhabited when first discovered by the Portuguese in 1502, Saint 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. During the Anglo-Boer War in South Africa, several thousand Boer prisoners were confined on the island between 1900 and 1903.

Ascension Island: This barren and uninhabited island was discovered and named by the Portuguese in 1503. The British garrisoned the island in 1815 to prevent a rescue of Napoleon from Saint Helena and it served as a provisioning station for the Royal Navy's West Africa Squadron on anti-slavery patrol. The island remained under Admiralty control until 1922, when it became a dependency of Saint Helena. During World War II, the UK permitted the US to construct an airfield on Ascension in support of trans-Atlantic flights to Africa and anti-submarine operations in the South Atlantic. In the 1960s the island became an important space tracking station for the US. In 1982, Ascension was an essential staging area for British forces during the Falklands War, and it remains a critical refueling point in the air-bridge from the UK to the South Atlantic.

Tristan da Cunha: The island group consists of the islands of Tristan da Cunha, Nightingale, Inaccessible, and Gough. Tristan da Cunha is named after its Portuguese discoverer (1506); it was garrisoned by the British in 1816 to prevent any attempt to rescue Napoleon from Saint Helena. Gough and Inaccessible Islands have been designated World Heritage Sites. South Africa leases a site for a meteorological station on Gough Island.

Geography Saint Helena

Location:

islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South America and Africa; Ascension Island lies 700 nm northwest of Saint Helena; Tristan da Cunha lies 2300 nm southwest of Saint Helena

Geographic coordinates:

Saint Helena: 15 57 S, 5 42 W

Ascension Island: 7 57 S, 14 22 W

Tristan da Cunha island group: 37 15 S, 12 30 W

Map references:

Africa

Area:

total: 413 sq km

land: Saint Helena Island 122 sq km; Ascension Island 90 sq km; Tristan da Cunha island group 201 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

Saint Helena: 60 km

Ascension Island: NA

Tristan da Cunha: 40 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate:

Saint Helena: tropical marine; mild, tempered by trade winds

Ascension Island: tropical marine; mild, semi-arid

Tristan da Cunha: temperate marine; mild, tempered by trade winds (tends to be cooler than Saint Helena)

Terrain:

the islands of this group result from volcanic activity associated with the Atlantic Mid-Ocean Ridge

Saint Helena: rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains

Ascension: surface covered by lava flows and cinder cones of 44 dormant volcanoes; ground rises to the east

Tristan da Cunha: sheer cliffs line the coastline of the nearly circular island; the flanks of the central volcanic peak are deeply dissected; narrow coastal plain lies between The Peak and the coastal cliffs

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point: Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha 2,062 m; Green Mountain on Ascension Island 859 m; Mount Actaeon on Saint Helena Island 818 m

Natural resources:

fish, lobster

Land use:

arable land: 12.9%

permanent crops: 0%

other: 87.1% (2005)

Irrigated land:

NA

Natural hazards:

active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha, last eruption in 1961

Environment - current issues:

NA

Geography - note:

Saint Helena harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown anywhere else in the world; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles and sooty terns; Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha is the highest island mountain in the South Atlantic and a prominent landmark on the sea lanes around southern Africa

People Saint Helena

Population:

7,601

note: only Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha islands are inhabited (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 18.5% (male 716/female 690)

15-64 years: 70.7% (male 2,754/female 2,618)

65 years and over: 10.8% (male 381/female 442) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 37.1 years

male: 37.2 years

female: 37 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.487% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

11.45 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

6.58 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

NA

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female

total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 18.31 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 21.47 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 14.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 78.27 years

male: 75.36 years

female: 81.33 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.56 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

NA

Nationality:

noun: Saint Helenian(s)

adjective: Saint Helenian

note: referred to locally as "Saints"

Ethnic groups:

African descent 50%, white 25%, Chinese 25%

Religions:

Anglican (majority), Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic

Languages:

English

Literacy:

definition: age 20 and over can read and write

total population: 97%

male: 97%

female: 98% (1987 est.)

Government Saint Helena

Country name:

conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Saint Helena

Dependency status:

overseas territory of the UK

Government type:

NA

Capital:

name: Jamestown

geographic coordinates: 15 56 S, 5 44 W

time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

1 administrative area and 2 dependencies*; Ascension*, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha*

Independence:

none (overseas territory of the UK)

National holiday:

Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926)

Constitution:

1 January 1989

Legal system:

English common law and statutes, supplemented by local statutes

Suffrage:

NA years of age

Executive branch:

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)

head of government: Governor and Commander in Chief Andrew GURR (since 11 November 2007)

cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, three ex-officio officers, and five elected members of the Legislative Council

elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor is appointed by the monarch

Legislative branch:

unicameral Legislative Council (16 seats, including the speaker, three ex officio and 12 elected members; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 31 August 2005 (next to be held in 2009)

election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 12

Judicial branch:

Magistrate's Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders:

none

Political pressure groups and leaders:

none

International organization participation:

UPU

Diplomatic representation in the US:

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation from the US:

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Flag description:

blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Saint Helenian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield features a rocky coastline and three-masted sailing ship

Economy Saint Helena

Economy - overview:

The economy depends largely on financial assistance from the UK, which will amount to about $27 million in FY06/07 or almost 70% of annual budgetary revenues. The local population earns income from fishing, raising livestock, and sales of handicrafts. Because there are few jobs, 25% of the work force has left to seek employment on Ascension Island, on the Falklands, and in the UK.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$18 million (1998 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$NA

GDP - real growth rate:

NA%

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$2,500 (1998 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: NA%

industry: NA%

services: NA%

Labor force:

2,486

note: 1,200 work offshore (1998 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 6%

industry: 48%

services: 46% (1987 est.)

Unemployment rate:

14% (1998 est.)

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA%

highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

3.2% (1997 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $13.09 million

expenditures: $32.16 million

note: revenue data reflect locally raised revenues only; the budget deficit is resolved by grant aid from the United Kingdom (FY06/07 est.)

Agriculture - products:

coffee, corn, potatoes, vegetables; timber; fish, lobster (on Tristan da Cunha); livestock

Industries:

construction, crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing, philatelic sales

Industrial production growth rate:

NA%

Electricity - production:

8 million kWh (2005)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 100%

hydro: 0%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:

7.44 million kWh (2005)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2005)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2005)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:

70 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - exports:

0 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - imports:

64.07 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2005)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Exports:

$19 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:

fish (frozen, canned, and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), coffee, handicrafts

Exports - partners:

Tanzania 37.7%, US 17.4%, Japan 15.2%, UK 8.4%, Nigeria 4.8%, Spain 4.5% (2006)

Imports:

$45 million c.i.f. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:

food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts

Imports - partners:

UK 53.5%, South Africa 14.3%, Spain 10.3%, Tanzania 8.5%, US 4.6% (2006)

Economic aid - recipient:

$29.56 million obtained in a grant from the United Kingdom (FY06/07)

Debt - external:

$NA

Currency (code):

Saint Helenian pound (SHP)

Currency code:

SHP

Exchange rates:

Saint Helenian pounds per US dollar - 0.4993 (2007), 0.5434 (2006), 0.5493 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003)

note: the Saint Helenian pound is on par with the British pound

Fiscal year:

1 April - 31 March

Communications Saint Helena

Telephones - main lines in use:

2,200 (2002)

Telephone system:

general assessment: can communicate worldwide

domestic: automatic digital network

international: country code (Saint Helena) - 290, (Ascension Island) - 247; international direct dialing; satellite voice and data communications; satellite earth stations - 5 (Ascension Island - 4, Saint Helena - 1)

Radio broadcast stations:

Saint Helena: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0

Ascension: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2005)

Radios:

3,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

0 (3 television channels are received via satellite and distributed by UHF) (2005)

Televisions:

2,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.sh; note - Ascension Island assigned .ac

Internet hosts:

283 (2007)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

1 (2000)

Internet users:

1,000; note - includes Ascension Island (2003)

Communications - note:

South Africa maintains a meteorological station on Gough Island

Transportation Saint Helena

Airports:

1 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways: