Saint Helena Island

Saint Helena Island possession the Great Britain, switching on the island with the same name, and also Ascension islands, Tristan-yes-marten (Tristan da Cunha) and five desert islands in a southern part of Atlantic ocean. Sacred Elena's island of a vulcanic parentage, its climate - 818  m. Tristan da Cunha Islands consist of four islands of a vulcanic parentage. A possession total area - 0,4  thousand sq. km, from them occupies Saint Helena's Island 122  sq. km, largest of Tristan da Cunha Islands - 117  sq. km. The possession population compounds 6,9  thousand persons (on Saint Helena's Island lives 5,6  thousand persons, on Tristan da Cunha Islands - 300  the person). The population consists of offsprings of the English migrants, Creoles, Negroes and Chineses. An official language-English, the majority of believers - anglikane. The possession Administrative centre - Jamestown is had on Sacred Elena's island, in him lives 1,5  thousand persons. The basic settlement of Tristan da Cunha Islands - Edinburgh.

Under the constitution of 1967 Sacred Elena's island has gained the restricted self-management. The head of controls is the English governor who directly supervises over activity of Legislative and Executive advices. In composition of the Legislative Council besides the governor the governmental secretary and the treasurer are nominated, and 12 councillors are selected the population. Executive advice executes government functions.

The Island has been open by Portugueses on May, 21st, 1502 in day of sacred Elena. In 1506 the Portuguese seafarer Tristan-yes-marten has discovered the islands named by his name. In persistent struggle for possession islands England has won Holland and in 1659 has placed on Sacred Elena's island item of supply by water and the foodstuffs of courts of admiralty on a path to India and a military base. In 1815 Sacred Elena's island became a place of the link of Napoleon Bonaparte which here has died in 1821. Discovering of Suez canal has lowered strategic worth of islands. In 1942 on Ascension island the military-air baseline the USA has been placed. In the same place in 1954 there was an American station of monitoring the space-rocket technique started from peninsula Florida. In 1966 on Ascension island the English radio-relay station has started to function. During the Falkland conflict of 1982 Ascension island was a basis for the English armed forces in war against Argentina.

The Chief business of the population of island - agriculture and fishery. In field cropping the potato, vegetables, grain are cultivated. On islands breed large horned stock, sheep, goats, pigs, mules. Tristan da Cunha Islands - the centre of a trade of lobsters and seals. Export trade is conducted only with the Great Britain and the USA. Sacred Elena's to island there is a significant financial aid from mother country.