Saint Helena Capital

Map showing the location of Saint Helena

The capital city of Saint Helena is Jamestown, located in the northern part of the island and surrounded by the Longwood and Ruperts districts. Jamestown's location provided early settlers with a port city that remains the only one in the country to this day. The English East India Trading Company settled on the island in 1659 and was also occupied by the Dutch East India Trading Company briefly in 1673. Interestingly, Jamestown hosted Napoleon in 1815 during his forced exile as well as becoming a base in the British Navy's efforts to suppress the slave trade.

The population of Jamestown is just 630 (as estimated in 2016) and the city is no longer the largest on the island. Besides the citizens of European descent who make up 25% of the population, approximately 50% identify as African and 25% as Chinese. Due to the fact that Saint Helena is a British Territory, the island's educational system mirrors that of the United Kingdom with lessons in English. Approximately 97% of the population of Saint Helena is literate in English.

Jamestown is an untouched paradise with remarkable scenery that can be experienced through walks and hikes as well as boating excursions that can reach otherwise impassable parts of the island. In 2017, the island became accessible by air from Cape Town and Johannesburg which has seen tourist numbers increase. Many of the buildings constructed during the time of the East India Trading Company survive to this day and give Jamestown a distinctive aesthetic.

The climate of Jamestown is considered a hot desert environment with very consistent temperatures throughout the year. Although classed as a desert climate, the cool ocean current moderates the weather so that the temperatures do not get overly hot in the city. Throughout the year, the average low temperature is 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit) and the average high is 24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit). The warmest months of the year are January-April. Jamestown city receives less than 130 millimetres (5 inches) of rain per year although the highlands above Jamestown are significantly wetter.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Jamestown
Languages	English
Ethnic Groups	African descent 50%, white 25%, Chinese 25%
Religion	Protestant 75.9% (includes Anglican 68.9, Baptist 2.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.8%, Salvation Army 1.7%, New Apostolic 1.4%), Jehovah's Witness 4.1%, Roman Catholic 1.2%, other 2.5% (includes Baha'i), unspecified 0.8%, none 6.1%, no response 9.4%
Government	Parliamentary democracy (Legislative Council); limited self-governing overseas territory of the UK
Independance	None (overseas territory of the UK)
Area	308.00 km²
Land Area	308.00 km²
Population	7,795.00
Location	islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South America and Africa; Ascension Island lies 1,300 km (800 mi) northwest of Saint Helena; Tristan da Cunha lies 4,300 km (2,700 mi) southwest of Saint Helena
GDP(PPP)	$31,100,000.00 (USD)
Export Commodities	Its main exports are fish, coffee, and handicrafts.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include food, beverages, tobacco, and fuel oils.
Climate	Tropical, tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
Terrain	The islands of this group are of volcanic origin associated with the Atlantic Mid-Ocean Ridge

Saint Helena Capital

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