A census in 1723 recorded 1,110 inhabitants, including 610 slaves. In the peak era, a thousand ships per year stopped there leaving the governor to try to police the numerous visitors and to limit the consumption of arrack, made from potatoes.
The island enjoyed a lengthy period of prosperity from about 1770.
At Saint Helena, ships could replenish supplies of water and provisions and, during wartime, form convoys that would sail under the protection of vessels of the Royal Navy. Captain James Cook's ship HMS Endeavour anchored and resupplied off the coast of Saint Helena in May 1771 on its return from the European discovery of the east coast of Australia and the rediscovery of New Zealand. The importation of slaves was made illegal in 1792.
James' Church was built in Jamestown in 1774, and Plantation House in 1791–1792; the latter has since been the official residence of the Governor. Edmond Halley visited Saint Helena on leaving the University of Oxford in 1676, and set up an astronomical observatory with a aerial telescope, intending to study the stars of the Southern Hemisphere.
It also outlined the unique selling points of the island, including nature (whale sharks and wirebirds), Saint culture (safer environment), walking and hiking, diving, arts and crafts, twin destination with South Africa, photography, running, history and heritage (Napoleon), stargazing, and food and drink. The island's first luxury hotel, the Mantis in Jamestown, opened in 2017 in the converted "former officers barracks built in 1774" according to Condé Nast Traveler.
Captain James Cook visited the island in 1775 on the final leg of his second circumnavigation of the world.
James' Church was built in Jamestown in 1774, and Plantation House in 1791–1792; the latter has since been the official residence of the Governor. Edmond Halley visited Saint Helena on leaving the University of Oxford in 1676, and set up an astronomical observatory with a aerial telescope, intending to study the stars of the Southern Hemisphere.
After Britain abolished the slave trade, "the island became a temporary refuge for more than 26,000 Africans liberated by the Royal Navy from slave ships". Between 1791 and 1833, Saint Helena became the site of a series of experiments in conservation, reforestation, and attempts to boost rainfall artificially.
At Saint Helena, ships could replenish supplies of water and provisions and, during wartime, form convoys that would sail under the protection of vessels of the Royal Navy. Captain James Cook's ship HMS Endeavour anchored and resupplied off the coast of Saint Helena in May 1771 on its return from the European discovery of the east coast of Australia and the rediscovery of New Zealand. The importation of slaves was made illegal in 1792.
Napoleon praised Saint Helena's coffee during his exile on the island, and the product enjoyed a brief popularity in Paris in the years after his death. The importation of slaves to Saint Helena was banned in 1792.
The importation of slaves was made illegal in 1792, thus preventing any further increase in their numbers. In 1840, Saint Helena became a provisioning station for the British West Africa Squadron, preventing the transportation of slaves to Brazil (mainly), and many thousands of slaves were freed on the island.
H., A History of the Island of St Helena from its Discovery by the Portuguese to the Year 1806, Printed for Black, Parry and Kingsbury, London, 1808 Bruce, I.
H., A History of the Island of St Helena from its Discovery by the Portuguese to the Year 1806, Printed for Black, Parry and Kingsbury, London, 1808 Bruce, I.
In 1810 Chinese labourers began arriving, and by 1818, 650 were in St Helena.
These were all African, and about 500 stayed while the rest were sent on to the West Indies and Cape Town, and eventually to Sierra Leone. Imported Chinese labourers arrived in 1810, reaching a peak of 618 in 1818, after which numbers were reduced.
The island has a public library (the oldest in the Southern Hemisphere, open since 1813) and a mobile library service which operates weekly in rural areas. The English national curriculum is adapted for local use.
An 1814 census recorded 3,507 people on the island.
Many of the labourers were allowed to stay, even though there was less need for their services by 1836. ===British rule (1815–1821) and Napoleon's exile=== In 1815, the British government selected Saint Helena as the place of exile for Napoleon Bonaparte, after the Battle of Waterloo, his second abdication (on 22 June 1815) and his final surrender, to Captain Frederick Maitland, on HMS Bellerophon (15 July 1815).
He was taken to the island in October 1815.
Napoleon stayed at the Briars pavilion, on the grounds of the Balcombe family's home, until his permanent residence at Longwood House was completed in December 1815.
Between 1815 and 1830, the EIC made the packet schooner St Helena available to the government of the island, which made multiple trips per year between the island and the Cape, carrying passengers both ways and supplies of wine and provisions back to the island.
In 1810 Chinese labourers began arriving, and by 1818, 650 were in St Helena.
In 1818, the governor freed children born of slaves on the island.
These were all African, and about 500 stayed while the rest were sent on to the West Indies and Cape Town, and eventually to Sierra Leone. Imported Chinese labourers arrived in 1810, reaching a peak of 618 in 1818, after which numbers were reduced.
St Helena Community College (SHCC) has some vocational and professional education programmes available. ===Sport=== Historically, the St Helena Turf Club organised the island's first recorded sports events in 1818 with a series of horse races at Deadwood.
He died there on 5 May 1821. ===British East India Company (1821–1834)=== After Napoleon's death, the thousands of temporary visitors were withdrawn and the East India Company resumed full control of Saint Helena.
Arrivals by air were higher in the second year in every month apart from May and June. ===Banking and currency=== In 1821, Saul Solomon (the uncle of Saul Solomon) issued 70,560 copper tokens worth a halfpenny each Payable at St Helena by Solomon, Dickson and Taylor – presumably London partners – that circulated alongside the East India Company's local coinage until the Crown took over the island in 1836.
The phased emancipation of over 800 resident slaves took place in 1827, some six years before the British parliament passed legislation to abolish slavery in the colonies.
Between 1815 and 1830, the EIC made the packet schooner St Helena available to the government of the island, which made multiple trips per year between the island and the Cape, carrying passengers both ways and supplies of wine and provisions back to the island.
After Britain abolished the slave trade, "the island became a temporary refuge for more than 26,000 Africans liberated by the Royal Navy from slave ships". Between 1791 and 1833, Saint Helena became the site of a series of experiments in conservation, reforestation, and attempts to boost rainfall artificially.
This environmental intervention was closely linked to the conceptualisation of the processes of environmental change and helped establish the roots of environmentalism. ===Crown colony (1834–1981)=== Under the provisions of the 1833 India Act, control of Saint Helena passed from the East India Company to the British Crown, and it became a crown colony.
Only a few older men remained after the British Crown took over the government of the island from the East India Company in 1834.
Many of the labourers were allowed to stay, even though there was less need for their services by 1836. ===British rule (1815–1821) and Napoleon's exile=== In 1815, the British government selected Saint Helena as the place of exile for Napoleon Bonaparte, after the Battle of Waterloo, his second abdication (on 22 June 1815) and his final surrender, to Captain Frederick Maitland, on HMS Bellerophon (15 July 1815).
Arrivals by air were higher in the second year in every month apart from May and June. ===Banking and currency=== In 1821, Saul Solomon (the uncle of Saul Solomon) issued 70,560 copper tokens worth a halfpenny each Payable at St Helena by Solomon, Dickson and Taylor – presumably London partners – that circulated alongside the East India Company's local coinage until the Crown took over the island in 1836.
(His remains had been returned to France in 1840.) It is still French property, administered by a French representative and under the authority of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A 2020 report states that the island's prosperity ended after 1869 when "the Suez Canal shifted trade routes north".
The importation of slaves was made illegal in 1792, thus preventing any further increase in their numbers. In 1840, Saint Helena became a provisioning station for the British West Africa Squadron, preventing the transportation of slaves to Brazil (mainly), and many thousands of slaves were freed on the island.
The number of ships calling at the island fell from 1,100 in 1855 to only 288 in 1889. On 11 April 1898 American Joshua Slocum, on his solo round-the-world voyage, arrived at Jamestown.
(His remains had been returned to France in 1840.) It is still French property, administered by a French representative and under the authority of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A 2020 report states that the island's prosperity ended after 1869 when "the Suez Canal shifted trade routes north".
Reeve & Co, London, 1875 Schulenburg, A.
St Helena: The Historic Island, Ward, Lock & Co, London, 1903 Janisch, Hudson Ralph, Extracts from the St Helena Records, Printed and Published at the "Guardian" Office by Benjamin Grant, St Helena, 1885 Keneally, Tom, Napoleon's Last Island, , Penguin Random House Australia, 2015 Kitching, G.
The number of ships calling at the island fell from 1,100 in 1855 to only 288 in 1889. On 11 April 1898 American Joshua Slocum, on his solo round-the-world voyage, arrived at Jamestown.
The number of ships calling at the island fell from 1,100 in 1855 to only 288 in 1889. On 11 April 1898 American Joshua Slocum, on his solo round-the-world voyage, arrived at Jamestown.
He departed on 20 April 1898 for the final leg of his circumnavigation, having been extended hospitality by the governor, His Excellency Sir R A Standale.
He presented two lectures on his voyage and was invited to Longwood by the French Consular agent. By the end of 1899, St Helena was connected to London by undersea cable; this allowed for telegraph communication.
In 1906, the British government withdrew the garrison; when spending by the soldiers stopped, there was a negative impact on the economy. In 1900 and 1901, over 6,000 Boer prisoners were held on the island, during the Second Anglo-Boer War.
In 1906, the British government withdrew the garrison; when spending by the soldiers stopped, there was a negative impact on the economy. In 1900 and 1901, over 6,000 Boer prisoners were held on the island, during the Second Anglo-Boer War.
The resulting population reached an all-time high of 9,850 in 1901.
St Helena: The Historic Island, Ward, Lock & Co, London, 1903 Janisch, Hudson Ralph, Extracts from the St Helena Records, Printed and Published at the "Guardian" Office by Benjamin Grant, St Helena, 1885 Keneally, Tom, Napoleon's Last Island, , Penguin Random House Australia, 2015 Kitching, G.
In 1906, the British government withdrew the garrison; when spending by the soldiers stopped, there was a negative impact on the economy. In 1900 and 1901, over 6,000 Boer prisoners were held on the island, during the Second Anglo-Boer War.
By 1911, however, that had declined to 3,520 people. A local industry manufacturing fibre from New Zealand flax was successfully re-established in 1907 and generated considerable income during the First World War.
By 1911, however, that had declined to 3,520 people. A local industry manufacturing fibre from New Zealand flax was successfully re-established in 1907 and generated considerable income during the First World War.
Scouting was established on Saint Helena island in 1912.
T., Thomas Buce: St Helena Postmaster and Stamp Designer, Thirty years of St Helena, Ascension and Tristan Philately, pp 7–10, 2006, Cannan, Edward Churches of the South Atlantic Islands 1502–1991 Chaplin, Arnold, A St Helena's Who's Who or a Directory of the Island During the Captivity of Napoleon, published by the author in 1914.
Ascension Island was made a dependency of Saint Helena in 1922, and Tristan da Cunha followed in 1938.
Lord and Lady Baden-Powell visited the Scouts on Saint Helena on the return from their 1937 tour of Africa.
Ascension Island was made a dependency of Saint Helena in 1922, and Tristan da Cunha followed in 1938.
During the Second World War, the United States built Wideawake airport on Ascension in 1942, but no military use was made of Saint Helena except maintenance of its defences. Attendance at school became mandatory in 1942, for ages 5 to 15 in 1941 and the government took over control of the education system.
Occupying a former garrison, the school was established in 1941 and became Pilling Middle School in 1988.
During the Second World War, the United States built Wideawake airport on Ascension in 1942, but no military use was made of Saint Helena except maintenance of its defences. Attendance at school became mandatory in 1942, for ages 5 to 15 in 1941 and the government took over control of the education system.
In addition to Half Tree Hollow it served Cleugh's Plain, New Ground, and Sapper Way. Jamestown First School, originally Jamestown Junior School, opened as such in 1959 with its current name and year configuration in place since 1988. Longwood First School, originally a primary school, opened in 1949 in a former mess hall for military officers that had been constructed in 1942; this building had an expansion in 1977, and there are four classrooms in a separate building that was built in 1958.
The first secondary school opened in 1946.
This was in 1947 when the King, accompanied by Queen Elizabeth (later The Queen Mother), Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) and Princess Margaret were travelling to South Africa.
it had 126 students. Prince Andrew School provides secondary education for students aged 11 to 18. It formerly had separate first schools catering to younger students (ages 3–7 as of 2002): Half Tree Hollow First School, originally a primary school, opened as such in 1949 with its current name and year configuration in place since 1988.
In addition to Half Tree Hollow it served Cleugh's Plain, New Ground, and Sapper Way. Jamestown First School, originally Jamestown Junior School, opened as such in 1959 with its current name and year configuration in place since 1988. Longwood First School, originally a primary school, opened in 1949 in a former mess hall for military officers that had been constructed in 1942; this building had an expansion in 1977, and there are four classrooms in a separate building that was built in 1958.
However, the industry declined after 1951 because of transport costs and competition from synthetic fibres.
The Duke of Edinburgh arrived at Saint Helena in 1957, followed by his son, Prince Andrew, who visited as a member of the armed forces in 1984, and his daughter, the Princess Royal, in 2002. == Human rights == In 2012, the government of Saint Helena funded the creation of the St.
In 2002, in addition to St Paul's it served a portion of Half Tree Hollow as well as the communities of Blue Hill, Guinea Grass, Hunt's Bank, New Ground, Sandy Bay, Thompson's Hill, and Vaughn's. Harford Primary School in Longwood, with Governor James Harford as its namesake, opened as a senior school in 1957 and became Hardford Middle School in September 1988.
The decision in 1965 by the British Post Office to use synthetic fibres for its mailbags was a further blow, contributing to the closure of the island's flax mills in 1965. From 1958, the Union Castle shipping line gradually reduced its service calls to the island.
In addition to Half Tree Hollow it served Cleugh's Plain, New Ground, and Sapper Way. Jamestown First School, originally Jamestown Junior School, opened as such in 1959 with its current name and year configuration in place since 1988. Longwood First School, originally a primary school, opened in 1949 in a former mess hall for military officers that had been constructed in 1942; this building had an expansion in 1977, and there are four classrooms in a separate building that was built in 1958.
The merged school initially used both buildings, but as the enrolment continued its decline, the ex-Jamestown First Building, constructed in 1959, was no longer in use after 2007.
In addition to Half Tree Hollow it served Cleugh's Plain, New Ground, and Sapper Way. Jamestown First School, originally Jamestown Junior School, opened as such in 1959 with its current name and year configuration in place since 1988. Longwood First School, originally a primary school, opened in 1949 in a former mess hall for military officers that had been constructed in 1942; this building had an expansion in 1977, and there are four classrooms in a separate building that was built in 1958.
The decision in 1965 by the British Post Office to use synthetic fibres for its mailbags was a further blow, contributing to the closure of the island's flax mills in 1965. From 1958, the Union Castle shipping line gradually reduced its service calls to the island.
The native St.Helena earwig was last seen in the wild in 1967. A large reforestation project has been under way since 2000 in the North-Eastern corner of the island, known as the Millennium Forest, to recreate the Great Wood that existed before colonisation. The island's shoreline is deep and is known to have abundant Red Crab (Chaceon affinis).
The coin remains readily available to collectors. Saint Helena has its own currency since 1976, the Saint Helena pound, which is at parity with the pound sterling and is also the currency of Ascension Island.
The government of Saint Helena produces its own coinage, banknotes since 1976 and circulation coins since 1984.
Curnow Shipping, based in Avonmouth, replaced the Union-Castle Line mailship service in 1977, using the RMS (Royal Mail Ship) St Helena which was introduced in 1989. ===1981 to present=== The British Nationality Act 1981 reclassified Saint Helena and the other Crown colonies as British Dependent Territories.
In addition to Half Tree Hollow it served Cleugh's Plain, New Ground, and Sapper Way. Jamestown First School, originally Jamestown Junior School, opened as such in 1959 with its current name and year configuration in place since 1988. Longwood First School, originally a primary school, opened in 1949 in a former mess hall for military officers that had been constructed in 1942; this building had an expansion in 1977, and there are four classrooms in a separate building that was built in 1958.
Thomas Candish esquire into the South Sea, and so around about the circumference of the whole earth, begun in the yere 1586, and finished 1588, 1598–1600, Volume XI. Hibbert, Edward, St Helena Postal History and Stamps, Robson Lowe Limited, London, 1979 Hearl, Trevor W., St Helena Britannica: Studies in South Atlantic Island History (ed.
The population had been steadily declining since the late 1980s and dropped from 5,157 at the 1998 census to 4,257 in 2008.
Curnow Shipping, based in Avonmouth, replaced the Union-Castle Line mailship service in 1977, using the RMS (Royal Mail Ship) St Helena which was introduced in 1989. ===1981 to present=== The British Nationality Act 1981 reclassified Saint Helena and the other Crown colonies as British Dependent Territories.
The Duke of Edinburgh arrived at Saint Helena in 1957, followed by his son, Prince Andrew, who visited as a member of the armed forces in 1984, and his daughter, the Princess Royal, in 2002. == Human rights == In 2012, the government of Saint Helena funded the creation of the St.
The government of Saint Helena produces its own coinage, banknotes since 1976 and circulation coins since 1984.
The Development and Economic Planning Department (which still operates) was formed in 1988 to contribute to raising the living standards of the people of Saint Helena. It was not until 1992 that the Commission on Citizenship was established, restoring the islanders' rights including the right of abode.
In 2002, in addition to St Paul's it served a portion of Half Tree Hollow as well as the communities of Blue Hill, Guinea Grass, Hunt's Bank, New Ground, Sandy Bay, Thompson's Hill, and Vaughn's. Harford Primary School in Longwood, with Governor James Harford as its namesake, opened as a senior school in 1957 and became Hardford Middle School in September 1988.
Occupying a former garrison, the school was established in 1941 and became Pilling Middle School in 1988.
it had 126 students. Prince Andrew School provides secondary education for students aged 11 to 18. It formerly had separate first schools catering to younger students (ages 3–7 as of 2002): Half Tree Hollow First School, originally a primary school, opened as such in 1949 with its current name and year configuration in place since 1988.
In addition to Half Tree Hollow it served Cleugh's Plain, New Ground, and Sapper Way. Jamestown First School, originally Jamestown Junior School, opened as such in 1959 with its current name and year configuration in place since 1988. Longwood First School, originally a primary school, opened in 1949 in a former mess hall for military officers that had been constructed in 1942; this building had an expansion in 1977, and there are four classrooms in a separate building that was built in 1958.
Longwood became a "first school" in 1988. The Education and Employment Directorate also offers programmes for students with special needs, vocational training, adult education, evening classes, and distance learning.
Curnow Shipping, based in Avonmouth, replaced the Union-Castle Line mailship service in 1977, using the RMS (Royal Mail Ship) St Helena which was introduced in 1989. ===1981 to present=== The British Nationality Act 1981 reclassified Saint Helena and the other Crown colonies as British Dependent Territories.
In 2002, the right to British passports was restored. In 1989, Prince Andrew launched the replacement RMS St Helena to serve the island; the vessel was specially built for the Cardiff–Cape Town route and featured a mixed cargo/passenger layout. The Saint Helena Constitution took effect in 1989 and provided that the island would be governed by a Governor, Commander-in-Chief, and an elected executive and legislative council.
In August 2011 the first fibre-optic link was installed on the island, which connects the television reception antennas at Bryant's Beacon to the Cable & Wireless plc Technical Centre in the Briars. A satellite ground station with a satellite dish installed in 1989 at The Briars is the only international connection providing satellite links through Intelsat 707 to Ascension island and the United Kingdom.
In 1991, a crab fishing vessel, "Oman Sea One", which was engaged in potting of crabs, capsized and later sank off the coast of St.Helena on its way from Ascension Island, losing four crew members.
The Development and Economic Planning Department (which still operates) was formed in 1988 to contribute to raising the living standards of the people of Saint Helena. It was not until 1992 that the Commission on Citizenship was established, restoring the islanders' rights including the right of abode.
Due to deforestation, the last wild endemic St Helena olive tree, Nesiota elliptica died in 1994, and by December 2003, the last cultivated olive tree died.
There are also a number of taxi companies available including V2 Taxis and Crowie's Taxis. ==Media and communications== Television was finally introduced in 1995, via a satellite receiver from South Africa, expanding from one channel to three quite soon.
In 1996 it became the island's first national park.
The population had been steadily declining since the late 1980s and dropped from 5,157 at the 1998 census to 4,257 in 2008.
A tradition, which had its origins in the early 20th century, that the early settlers included many who had lost their homes in the 1666 Great Fire of London, was shown to be a myth in 1999. The first governor, Captain John Dutton, arrived in 1659, making Saint Helena one of Britain's earliest colonies outside North America and the Caribbean.
The native St.Helena earwig was last seen in the wild in 1967. A large reforestation project has been under way since 2000 in the North-Eastern corner of the island, known as the Millennium Forest, to recreate the Great Wood that existed before colonisation. The island's shoreline is deep and is known to have abundant Red Crab (Chaceon affinis).
The Sentinel newspaper was introduced in 2012. == Culture and society == ===Education=== The Education and Employment Directorate, formerly the Saint Helena Education Department, in 2000 had its head office in The Canister in Jamestown.
The island has three primary schools for students of age four to 11: Harford, Pilling, and St Paul's. St Paul's Primary School in St Paul's, formerly St Paul's Middle School, has both first and middle levels as it was formed by a 1 August 2000 merger.
In 2002, the right to British passports was restored. In 1989, Prince Andrew launched the replacement RMS St Helena to serve the island; the vessel was specially built for the Cardiff–Cape Town route and featured a mixed cargo/passenger layout. The Saint Helena Constitution took effect in 1989 and provided that the island would be governed by a Governor, Commander-in-Chief, and an elected executive and legislative council.
In 2002, the British Overseas Territories Act 2002 granted full British citizenship to the islanders and renamed the dependent territories (including Saint Helena) the British Overseas Territories.
Much of the island is covered by New Zealand flax, a legacy of former industry, but there are some original trees augmented by plantations, including those of the Millennium Forest project, which was established in 2002 to replant part of the lost Great Wood and is now managed by the Saint Helena National Trust.
On 21 May 2002, full British citizenship was restored by the British Overseas Territories Act 2002.
In the past emigration was characterised by young unaccompanied persons leaving to work on long-term contracts on Ascension and the Falkland Islands, but since "Saints" were re-awarded British citizenship in 2002, emigration to Britain by a wider range of wage-earners has accelerated due to the prospect of higher wages and better progression prospects.
The Duke of Edinburgh arrived at Saint Helena in 1957, followed by his son, Prince Andrew, who visited as a member of the armed forces in 1984, and his daughter, the Princess Royal, in 2002. == Human rights == In 2012, the government of Saint Helena funded the creation of the St.
In 2002, in addition to St Paul's it served a portion of Half Tree Hollow as well as the communities of Blue Hill, Guinea Grass, Hunt's Bank, New Ground, Sandy Bay, Thompson's Hill, and Vaughn's. Harford Primary School in Longwood, with Governor James Harford as its namesake, opened as a senior school in 1957 and became Hardford Middle School in September 1988.
it had 126 students. Prince Andrew School provides secondary education for students aged 11 to 18. It formerly had separate first schools catering to younger students (ages 3–7 as of 2002): Half Tree Hollow First School, originally a primary school, opened as such in 1949 with its current name and year configuration in place since 1988.
Schulenburg), Friends of St Helena, London, 2013 Holmes, Rachel, Scanty Particulars: The Scandalous Life and Astonishing Secret of James Barry, Queen Victoria's Most Eminent Military Doctor, Viking Press, 2002, Jackson, E.
Due to deforestation, the last wild endemic St Helena olive tree, Nesiota elliptica died in 1994, and by December 2003, the last cultivated olive tree died.
There are also commemorative coins struck for Saint Helena only. The Bank of Saint Helena was established on Saint Helena and Ascension Island in 2004.
During 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was advised that yachting passengers should not leave port to travel to Saint Helena, however those seeking entry on humanitarian grounds can be granted entry after a two-week quarantine in port in James Bay. ===Air=== In March 2005, the British government announced plans to construct the Saint Helena Airport.
It was launched in January 2005 and closed on 21 December 2012.
The St Helena Independent has been published since November 2005.
Jamestown First School, located next door to Pilling Middle, merged into it in May 2005 as a result of declining enrolment.
Since all international telephone and Internet communications are relying on this single satellite link, both Internet and telephone service are subject to Sun outages. Saint Helena has the international calling code +290, which Tristan da Cunha has shared since 2006.
T., Thomas Buce: St Helena Postmaster and Stamp Designer, Thirty years of St Helena, Ascension and Tristan Philately, pp 7–10, 2006, Cannan, Edward Churches of the South Atlantic Islands 1502–1991 Chaplin, Arnold, A St Helena's Who's Who or a Directory of the Island During the Captivity of Napoleon, published by the author in 1914.
The merged school initially used both buildings, but as the enrolment continued its decline, the ex-Jamestown First Building, constructed in 1959, was no longer in use after 2007.
The population had been steadily declining since the late 1980s and dropped from 5,157 at the 1998 census to 4,257 in 2008.
It merged with Longwood First School in 2008.
In 2009, The St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Constitution Order 2009 gave all three equal status; the British Overseas Territory was renamed Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. == Geography == Located in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, more than from the nearest major landmass, Saint Helena is one of the most remote places in the world.
Saint Helena also issues domains under .sh. ===Economic statistics=== Between 2009 and 2017, Saint Helena's HDI increased from 0.714 to 0.756; this placed Saint Helena in the ‘high’ category of human development, according to the classification used by the United Nations.
Education is free and compulsory between the ages of five and 16 At the beginning of the academic year 2009–10, 230 students were enrolled in primary school and 286 in secondary school.
This will mitigate against some pressures which might cause prices to rise, such as increasing freight prices on the MV Helena. Between January 2010 and March 2016, just before the first 40 people arrived by air in April 2016, the average number of arrivals per month by sea (excluding day visitors arriving on cruise ships) was 307, with an average of 245 arriving on the Royal Mail Ship (RMS) Saint Helena.
On 22 July 2010, the British government agreed to help pay for the new airport.
There were a few public wi-fi hotspots in Jamestown in 2010, which were being operated by Sure (formerly Cable & Wireless). The South Atlantic Express, a submarine communications cable connecting Africa to South America, as planned in 2012 by the undersea fibre optic provider eFive, was planned to pass St Helena relatively closely.
The hikers seemed willing to use the extra days of leave to get to and from Saint Helena and retirees would not be concerned with voyage times. The decision to build the airport—in order to significantly boost tourism—was taken in 2011 by the governments of Saint Helena and the UK.
In November 2011, a deal was signed between the British government and South African civil engineering company Basil Read, and the airport was scheduled to open in February 2016 with flights to and from South Africa and the UK.
In August 2011 the first fibre-optic link was installed on the island, which connects the television reception antennas at Bryant's Beacon to the Cable & Wireless plc Technical Centre in the Briars. A satellite ground station with a satellite dish installed in 1989 at The Briars is the only international connection providing satellite links through Intelsat 707 to Ascension island and the United Kingdom.
In practice several sites dedicated to aspects of life on Saint Helena are run from elsewhere in the world, so they use other TLDs. St Helena had a 10/3.6 Mbit/s Internet link via Intelsat 707 (deactivated January 2011) provided by Sure.
The Duke of Edinburgh arrived at Saint Helena in 1957, followed by his son, Prince Andrew, who visited as a member of the armed forces in 1984, and his daughter, the Princess Royal, in 2002. == Human rights == In 2012, the government of Saint Helena funded the creation of the St.
Helena Human Rights Action Plan 2012–2015.
It closed on 25 December 2012 to make way for a new three-channel FM service, also funded by St.
It was launched in January 2005 and closed on 21 December 2012.
There were a few public wi-fi hotspots in Jamestown in 2010, which were being operated by Sure (formerly Cable & Wireless). The South Atlantic Express, a submarine communications cable connecting Africa to South America, as planned in 2012 by the undersea fibre optic provider eFive, was planned to pass St Helena relatively closely.
In January 2012, a group of supporters petitioned the UK government to subsidise the cost of landing the cable at St Helena. On 6 October 2012, eFive agreed to reroute the cable through St Helena after a successful lobbying campaign by A Human Right, a US NGO working on initiatives to ensure all people are connected to the Internet.
The Sentinel newspaper was introduced in 2012. == Culture and society == ===Education=== The Education and Employment Directorate, formerly the Saint Helena Education Department, in 2000 had its head office in The Canister in Jamestown.
The Saint Helena cricket team made its debut in international cricket in Division Three of the African region of the World Cricket League in 2012.
Lichens of St Helena, Pisces Publications, Newbury, UK, 2012, Brooke, T.
Flowering plants and ferns of St Helena, Pisces Publications, Newbury, UK, 2012, Melliss, John C.
In January 2013 it was proposed that the Executive Council would be led by a Chief Councillor who would be elected by the members of the Legislative Council and would nominate the other members of the Executive Council.
The gap between the two grew in 2013/14, but narrowed in 2017–18 as male wages fell on average and the median female wage level grew.
It broadcast news, features, and music in collaboration with its sister newspaper the St Helena Independent, which continues. Saint FM Community Radio took over the radio channels vacated by Saint FM and launched on 10 March 2013.
Saint Helena telephone numbers changed from four to five digits on 1 October 2013 by being prefixed with the digit "2", i.e.
As of December 2013 the total Internet bandwidth for the island was 40 Mbit/s download and 14.4 Mbit/s upload respectively. By September 2014, ADSL broadband service was provided with maximum speeds of up to 1,536 kbit/s downstream and 512 kbit/s upstream offered on contract levels from lite at £16 per month to gold+ at £190 per month.
In 2013, Islanders sought the assistance of the UK Department for International Development and Foreign and Commonwealth Office in funding the £10m required to bridge the connection from a local junction box on the cable to the island.
The UK government announced in early 2013 that a review of the island's economy would be required before such funding would be agreed. In 2017, St Helena Government developed its Digital Strategy, drafted by the Assistant Chief Secretary at the time, Paul McGinnety.
Schulenburg), Friends of St Helena, London, 2013 Holmes, Rachel, Scanty Particulars: The Scandalous Life and Astonishing Secret of James Barry, Queen Victoria's Most Eminent Military Doctor, Viking Press, 2002, Jackson, E.
This commenced operation in October 2015. ===Child abuse scandal=== In 2014, there were reports of child abuse in Saint Helena.
As of December 2013 the total Internet bandwidth for the island was 40 Mbit/s download and 14.4 Mbit/s upload respectively. By September 2014, ADSL broadband service was provided with maximum speeds of up to 1,536 kbit/s downstream and 512 kbit/s upstream offered on contract levels from lite at £16 per month to gold+ at £190 per month.
A paper published in 2015 observes that 21 May is probably a Protestant rather than a Catholic or Orthodox feast day, and the date was first quoted in 1596 by Jan Huyghen van Linschoten, who was probably mistaken because the island was discovered several decades before the Reformation and the start of Protestantism.
Helena. Legislation to set up an Equality and Human Rights Commission was passed by Legislative Council in July 2015.
This commenced operation in October 2015. ===Child abuse scandal=== In 2014, there were reports of child abuse in Saint Helena.
Helena on 17 March 2015 to commence the Inquiry and departed on 1 April 2015.
Announcements were made in local newspapers in week-ending 13 March 2015. A government report was published on 10 December 2015.
It is also expected to kick-start the tourism industry, with up to 30,000 visitors expected annually. The first aircraft landed at the new airport on 15 September 2015, a South African Beechcraft King Air 200, prior to conducting a series of flights to calibrate the airport's radio navigation equipment. The airport's opening was scheduled for May 2016, but it was announced in June 2016 that it had been delayed due to uncertainty about the impact of high winds and wind shear.
Mobile ("cell") phone service commenced in September 2015. There are three active radio stations on Saint Helena and one company, Sure South Atlantic, provides "broadband, mobile phone, national & international telephone, public Internet and television re-broadcast services".
2xxxx, with the range 5xxxx being reserved for mobile numbering, and 8xxx being used for Tristan da Cunha numbers (these are still shown as four digits). Mobile telephony started operating on the island by late 2015.
St Helena: The Historic Island, Ward, Lock & Co, London, 1903 Janisch, Hudson Ralph, Extracts from the St Helena Records, Printed and Published at the "Guardian" Office by Benjamin Grant, St Helena, 1885 Keneally, Tom, Napoleon's Last Island, , Penguin Random House Australia, 2015 Kitching, G.
The island is a single electoral area and elects 12 representatives to the Legislative Council of 15. The difference between the total population of the Administrative Districts and that recorded in the 2016 Census arises because the census included 183 people on board the RMS St.
However, as of the 2016 census, the population has risen to 4,534.
This is probably due to the completion of the construction of the airport, since workers employed on the project were predominantly male and many of them either left Saint Helena or found alternative employment during 2016/17 and 2017/18.
This will mitigate against some pressures which might cause prices to rise, such as increasing freight prices on the MV Helena. Between January 2010 and March 2016, just before the first 40 people arrived by air in April 2016, the average number of arrivals per month by sea (excluding day visitors arriving on cruise ships) was 307, with an average of 245 arriving on the Royal Mail Ship (RMS) Saint Helena.
Construction was not completed in 2016.
In November 2011, a deal was signed between the British government and South African civil engineering company Basil Read, and the airport was scheduled to open in February 2016 with flights to and from South Africa and the UK.
It is also expected to kick-start the tourism industry, with up to 30,000 visitors expected annually. The first aircraft landed at the new airport on 15 September 2015, a South African Beechcraft King Air 200, prior to conducting a series of flights to calibrate the airport's radio navigation equipment. The airport's opening was scheduled for May 2016, but it was announced in June 2016 that it had been delayed due to uncertainty about the impact of high winds and wind shear.
It found that the accusations were grossly exaggerated, and the lurid headlines in the Daily Mail had come from information from two social workers, whom the report described as incompetent. ===Same-sex marriage=== In 2017, a St Helenian made an application to the Registrar to get married to his fiance on St Helena.
After consultation events, endorsement by the Social and Community Development Committee and Executive Council, the Marriage Ordinance was updated and agreed by Legislative Council in December 2017.
Registrar Karen Yon oversaw the first same sex wedding between the original 2017 applicants, Saint Helenian Lemarc Thomas and Swedish national Michael Wernstedt, in a ceremony at Plantation House on 31 December 2018. == Biodiversity == Saint Helena has long been known for its high proportion of endemic birds and vascular plants.
In 2019, Saint Helena achieved its first-ever "Investment Grade" credit rating, a credit rating of BBB- (stable), from global credit-rating agency Standard & Poors (S&P). In 2019, the estimated average annual salary was only about 8,000 Saint Helena pounds (about US$10,000.) Saint Helena's Sustainable Economic Development Plan, 2018–28, was developed using more than six months of local and international consultation in 2017 to 2018.
Saint Helena also issues domains under .sh. ===Economic statistics=== Between 2009 and 2017, Saint Helena's HDI increased from 0.714 to 0.756; this placed Saint Helena in the ‘high’ category of human development, according to the classification used by the United Nations.
The gap between the two grew in 2013/14, but narrowed in 2017–18 as male wages fell on average and the median female wage level grew.
This is probably due to the completion of the construction of the airport, since workers employed on the project were predominantly male and many of them either left Saint Helena or found alternative employment during 2016/17 and 2017/18.
Between October 2017, when the first scheduled air service began, and September 2019, an average of 432 passengers arrived per month, with 314 of those passengers arriving by air.
Since October 2017, a total of 3,337 people have arrived by air in the first 12-month period and 4,188 in the second.
The first flight did not arrive until October 2017, because of "dangerous wind conditions" that made landing large aircraft unsafe.
It also outlined the unique selling points of the island, including nature (whale sharks and wirebirds), Saint culture (safer environment), walking and hiking, diving, arts and crafts, twin destination with South Africa, photography, running, history and heritage (Napoleon), stargazing, and food and drink. The island's first luxury hotel, the Mantis in Jamestown, opened in 2017 in the converted "former officers barracks built in 1774" according to Condé Nast Traveler.
It has one commercial airport, and the island has become somewhat more accessible since air traffic opened in 2017. ===Sea=== A freight ship, M/V Helena, handles all freight to the island (some express mail is transported by air).
It can take a few passengers. Until 2017, the Royal Mail Ship ran between Saint Helena and Cape Town on a five-day voyage, then the only scheduled connection to the island.
In 2017, South African airline Airlink became the preferred bidder to provide weekly air service between the island and Johannesburg. The first commercial flight ever to land at Saint Helena was a charter flight carried out by Airlink of South Africa on Wednesday, 3 May 2017 from Cape Town via Moçâmedes, Angola, using the Avro RJ85 ZS-SSH (msn 2285).
The flight picked up passengers of RMS St Helena stranded on the island when St Helena suffered propeller damage. On 14 October 2017, Airlink began a weekly service between Johannesburg, South Africa, and Saint Helena Airport using an Embraer E190-100IGW, the first scheduled airline service in Saint Helena's history.
The UK government announced in early 2013 that a review of the island's economy would be required before such funding would be agreed. In 2017, St Helena Government developed its Digital Strategy, drafted by the Assistant Chief Secretary at the time, Paul McGinnety.
The visit is described in Lord Baden-Powell's book, titled African Adventures. ===Cuisine=== In 2017 Julia Buckley of The Independent wrote that due to the lack of nouveau cuisine, the food is "Pretty retro, at least by London standards." Fish cakes in a St Helena style, with egg binding and chilli; and a risotto with curry dish called pilau or plo, are what Buckley describes as "staple[s]".
By 2018 Swindon, Wiltshire, had a concentration of people originating from Saint Helena, and therefore it got the nickname "Swindolena". === Religion === Most residents are Anglican and are members of the Diocese of St Helena, which has its own bishop and includes Ascension Island.
Registrar Karen Yon oversaw the first same sex wedding between the original 2017 applicants, Saint Helenian Lemarc Thomas and Swedish national Michael Wernstedt, in a ceremony at Plantation House on 31 December 2018. == Biodiversity == Saint Helena has long been known for its high proportion of endemic birds and vascular plants.
In 2019, Saint Helena achieved its first-ever "Investment Grade" credit rating, a credit rating of BBB- (stable), from global credit-rating agency Standard & Poors (S&P). In 2019, the estimated average annual salary was only about 8,000 Saint Helena pounds (about US$10,000.) Saint Helena's Sustainable Economic Development Plan, 2018–28, was developed using more than six months of local and international consultation in 2017 to 2018.
Compared to other countries around the globe, Saint Helena's HDI ranking rose from 93rd (out of 190 countries ranked) to 83rd in the world – an improvement of ten places. The average (median) annual wage on Saint Helena in 2018/19 was an estimated £8,410.
Nonetheless, both female and male median wage levels fell sharply in 2018/19. The overall retail price index is measured quarterly on Saint Helena by the SHG Statistics Office.
The increase in the second year follows the introduction of a mid-week flight during the peak period of December 2018 to April 2019.
The Airlink flights, operating twice a week, increased the island's potential to attract a broader range of tourists. St Helena Tourism updated its tourism marketing strategy in 2018.
In 2018 tourism contributed approximately £4-£5m to the economy, and in 2019 this increased to around £5m-£6m. ====Effects of the pandemic==== One news report in August 2020 stated that the costs imposed by the pandemic led to the "collapse of the island’s tourism sector, which was meant to drive its economic development". In 2021, the bicentennial anniversary of Napoleon’s death was expected to boost tourism if the pandemic did not prevent visits for many months.
It sails from Cape Town to Saint Helena and Ascension Island, from the beginning of 2018.
The Digital Strategy outlined intentions to connect to a Fibre Optic Cable to achieve developments in Education, Telemedicine and Digital Business. In 2018, in Brussels SHG UK Representative, Mrs Kedell Worboys MBE, along with Director for Latin America & Caribbean, Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development, Jolita Butkeviciene, signed a Financing Agreement for the Territorial Allocation of the 11th European Development Fund (EDF 11).
The landing of the Fibre Optic Cable will help to develop the satellite ground station and work from home sectors, as was set out in St Helena's 2018 Sustainable Economic Development Plan.
A 2019 report explained that "ships no longer needed a stopping point on a longer journey to Europe".
A 2019 report states that "no traces remain of the two POW camps", but adds that "the Boer Cemetery is a poignant spot".
In 2019, Saint Helena achieved its first-ever "Investment Grade" credit rating, a credit rating of BBB- (stable), from global credit-rating agency Standard & Poors (S&P). In 2019, the estimated average annual salary was only about 8,000 Saint Helena pounds (about US$10,000.) Saint Helena's Sustainable Economic Development Plan, 2018–28, was developed using more than six months of local and international consultation in 2017 to 2018.
This is unchanged from the rate of the fourth quarter of 2019, and an increase from 104.1 in the first quarter of 2019.
This means that retail prices rose, on average, by 1.7% over the past year, between the first quarter of 2019 and the first quarter of 2020.
In addition, since early 2019 the value of the South African Rand has steadily weakened, from around 17 Rand per pound to around 20 at the end of March 2020; this has a counter effect to the South African inflation, and in some cases may even have made South African goods cheaper to buy.
Between October 2017, when the first scheduled air service began, and September 2019, an average of 432 passengers arrived per month, with 314 of those passengers arriving by air.
The increase in the second year follows the introduction of a mid-week flight during the peak period of December 2018 to April 2019.
Most other types of accommodations were also available on the island. A 2019 report by The Guardian recommended that tourists visit "Longwood House, where Napoleon was exiled after Waterloo ...
Another 2019 report indicated that smartphones had become common, "with the ‘Saint Memes’ Facebook page and other social media exporting their sharp sense of humour".
In 2018 tourism contributed approximately £4-£5m to the economy, and in 2019 this increased to around £5m-£6m. ====Effects of the pandemic==== One news report in August 2020 stated that the costs imposed by the pandemic led to the "collapse of the island’s tourism sector, which was meant to drive its economic development". In 2021, the bicentennial anniversary of Napoleon’s death was expected to boost tourism if the pandemic did not prevent visits for many months.
As a result, €21.5 million was allocated to St Helena to support the delivery of the SHG Digital Strategy through the realisation of the submarine cable to enable faster and more reliable internet connectivity on the Island. On Christmas Eve in 2019, SHG announced that they had signed a contract with Google to land a branch of the Equiano Cable, named after Olaudah Equiano, an African Author who had been enslaved as a child.
The Labour Market Strategy also set out the willingness to attract Digital Nomads to live and work on St Helena. In July 2019, the government advised that it had signed "a letter of intent to connect St Helena to the Equiano subsea cable project" to get "the first fibre optic connectivity", perhaps "as early as August 2021". A report published by a technology industry magazine, in March 2020, discussed the "dissatisfaction of many on the island with the quality of service" and the cost.
The Saint Helena football team first tournament was the 2019 Inter Games Football Tournament after which it was ranked tenth out of ten. The Governor's Cup is a yacht race between Cape Town and Saint Helena island, held every two years in December and January. In Jamestown a timed run takes place up Jacob's Ladder every year, with people coming from all over the world to take part. ===Scouting and Girl Guiding=== There are Scouting and Guiding Groups on Saint Helena and Ascension Island.
(His remains had been returned to France in 1840.) It is still French property, administered by a French representative and under the authority of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A 2020 report states that the island's prosperity ended after 1869 when "the Suez Canal shifted trade routes north".
The RPI was measured at 105.9 in the first quarter of 2020.
This means that retail prices rose, on average, by 1.7% over the past year, between the first quarter of 2019 and the first quarter of 2020.
In the UK, the annual price inflation rate (using the consumer price index) was 1.7% for February 2020, down from 1.8% in January 2020.
In South Africa, the consumer price index was 4.6% for February, up from 4.5% in January 2020.
In addition, since early 2019 the value of the South African Rand has steadily weakened, from around 17 Rand per pound to around 20 at the end of March 2020; this has a counter effect to the South African inflation, and in some cases may even have made South African goods cheaper to buy.
In 2018 tourism contributed approximately £4-£5m to the economy, and in 2019 this increased to around £5m-£6m. ====Effects of the pandemic==== One news report in August 2020 stated that the costs imposed by the pandemic led to the "collapse of the island’s tourism sector, which was meant to drive its economic development". In 2021, the bicentennial anniversary of Napoleon’s death was expected to boost tourism if the pandemic did not prevent visits for many months.
As of September 2020, the government was preparing a "tourism recovery strategy", to include an international publicity campaign and the development of further tourism infrastructure for the island". As of 30 October 2020, the Government website stated that "due to the COVID-19 pandemic, travel to Saint Helena will only be permitted for limited purposes at this time".
During 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was advised that yachting passengers should not leave port to travel to Saint Helena, however those seeking entry on humanitarian grounds can be granted entry after a two-week quarantine in port in James Bay. ===Air=== In March 2005, the British government announced plans to construct the Saint Helena Airport.
With 78 passengers aboard, the airliner arrived at Saint Helena Airport after a flight of about six hours from Johannesburg with a refuel stop at Windhoek. In April 2020, UK charter airline Titan Airways became the first operator to land an Airbus airliner on St Helena, following the arrival of an A318.
Fog is a bigger problem than wind shear. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown in South Africa, the commercial air service between South Africa and St Helena was temporarily ceased from 21 March 2020.
Membership is open to everyone and grants access to a live audio stream. As of October 2020, the Saint Helena Island Info website listed three active stations, two operated by South Atlantic Media Services: S.A.M.S.
This was leading to a new Policy on Communications Networks and Services to be developed in 2020. ===Internet=== Saint Helena was granted the use of .sh as its own Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD).
The Labour Market Strategy also set out the willingness to attract Digital Nomads to live and work on St Helena. In July 2019, the government advised that it had signed "a letter of intent to connect St Helena to the Equiano subsea cable project" to get "the first fibre optic connectivity", perhaps "as early as August 2021". A report published by a technology industry magazine, in March 2020, discussed the "dissatisfaction of many on the island with the quality of service" and the cost.
Satellite ground stations on St Helena could support communications with satellites in low Earth orbit, including those in polar, equatorial and inclined orbit and with [satellite]s in medium earth as well as Geostationary orbit. In 2020, the Policy Statement on Licensing Permanent Earth Stations and Receive Only Earth Stations was endorsed by Executive Council. ===Local newspapers=== The island has two local newspapers, both of which are available online.
In 2018 tourism contributed approximately £4-£5m to the economy, and in 2019 this increased to around £5m-£6m. ====Effects of the pandemic==== One news report in August 2020 stated that the costs imposed by the pandemic led to the "collapse of the island’s tourism sector, which was meant to drive its economic development". In 2021, the bicentennial anniversary of Napoleon’s death was expected to boost tourism if the pandemic did not prevent visits for many months.
An item posted on 4 March 2021 on the UK Government website stated that "all arrivals to St Helena are required to have had a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours before travelling" and with a few exceptions, non-Saints were not allowed to visit.
All arriving air passengers are required to quarantine in Bradley's Camp near the airport to reduce the risk of COVID-19 reaching the Island and spreading amongst the population. There were a limited number of flights as of early March 2021, because of the restrictions imposed due to the pandemic.
The release suggested that St Helena might get broadband service "as early as August 2021" if all went well with the installation project.
The Labour Market Strategy also set out the willingness to attract Digital Nomads to live and work on St Helena. In July 2019, the government advised that it had signed "a letter of intent to connect St Helena to the Equiano subsea cable project" to get "the first fibre optic connectivity", perhaps "as early as August 2021". A report published by a technology industry magazine, in March 2020, discussed the "dissatisfaction of many on the island with the quality of service" and the cost.
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