| Geography | Saint Helena |
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Location:
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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:
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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:
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Africa |
Area:
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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:
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slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC |
Land boundaries:
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0 km |
Coastline:
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Saint Helena: 60 km
Ascension Island: NA
Tristan da Cunha: 40 km |
Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
Climate:
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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:
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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:
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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:
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fish, lobster |
Land use:
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arable land: 12.9%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 87.1% (2005) |
Irrigated land:
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NA |
Total renewable water resources:
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void |
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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void |
Natural hazards:
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active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha, last eruption in 1961 |
Environment - current issues:
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NA |
Environment - international agreements:
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void |
Geography - note:
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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 |
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