|
Location:
|
islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South America and Africa
|
|
Geographic coordinates:
|
15 56 S, 5 42 W
|
|
Map references:
|
Africa
|
|
Area:
|
total: 410 sq km
note: includes Saint Helena Island, 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
water: 0 sq km
land: 410 sq km
|
|
Area - comparative:
|
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
|
|
Land boundaries:
|
0 km
|
|
Coastline:
|
60 km
|
|
Maritime claims:
|
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
|
|
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: 87.1% (1998 est.)
|
|
Irrigated land:
|
NA sq km
|
|
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
|
