Location: islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about mid-way between South America and Africa
Geographic coordinates:
Map references: Africa
Area:
total: 410 kmē
land: 410 kmē
water: 0 kmē
note: includes Saint Helena Island (121 kmē), Ascension, and the island group of Tristan da Cunha, which consists of Tristan da Cunha Island, Gough Island, Inaccessible Island, and the three Nightingale Islands
Area - comparative:
slightly more than two times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 60 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nautical miles (370 km)
territorial sea: 12 nautical miles (22 km)
Climate: Saint Helena - tropical; marine; mild, tempered by trade winds; Tristan da Cunha - temperate; marine, mild, tempered by trade winds (tends to be cooler than Saint Helena)
Terrain: Saint Helena - rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains
note: the other islands of the group have a volcanic origin
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha 2,060 m
Natural resources: fish
Land use:
arable land: 12.9%
permanent crops: 0%
other: other: 87.1% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: NA kmē
Natural hazards: active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha
Environment - current issues: NA
Geography - note: harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown anywhere else in the world; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles and sooty terns
- See also : Saint Helena
