Saint Helena (redirected from St Helena)

Saint Helena (həlē`nə), island, 47 sq mi (122 sq km), in the S Atlantic Ocean, 1,200 mi (1,931 km) W of Africa. Together with the islands of Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, it comprises the British dependency of St. Helena (2005 est. pop. 7,500). The capital and port is Jamestown. Mountainous and of volcanic origin, the island rises to a height of 2,685 ft (818 m) on Mt. Actaeon. Corn, potatoes, vegetables, and livestock are raised, and there is a fishing industry.

History

Discovered uninhabited by the Portuguese navigator João da Nova Castella in 1502, St. Helena was annexed by the Dutch in 1633. In 1659 it was annexed and occupied by the British East India Company, and in 1834 it became a British crown colony. The island served as a prison for South African Boers (Afrikaners) from 1900 to 1902. St. Helena is best known as the place of exile of Napoleon I, who was sent there in 1815 and who died at Longwood, near Jamestown, in 1821. His home has been maintained as a memorial.

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Saint Helena

Island (pop., 2003 est.: 3,800), eastern South Atlantic Ocean. Located 1,200 mi (1,950 km) west of Africa, Saint Helena has an area of 47 sq mi (122 sq km). The capital and port is Jamestown. With Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha, it constitutes a British overseas territory (area: 119 sq mi [308 sq km]; pop., 2003 est.: 5,104). Discovered in 1502, it became a port of call for ships sailing between Europe and the East Indies. It was owned by the English East India Co. in the 17th century; because of its remoteness, it was used as the final place of exile for Napoleon (1815–21). It declined in importance after the Suez Canal was opened in 1869.

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Saint Helena

a volcanic island in the SE Atlantic, forming a UK Overseas Territory with its dependencies Tristan da Cunha and Ascension, and the uninhabited Gough, Inaccessible, and Nightingale Islands): discovered by the Portuguese in 1502 and annexed by England in 1651; scene of Napoleon's exile and death. Capital: Jamestown. Pop.: 5644 (2003 est.). Area: 122 sq. km (47 sq. miles)

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Saint Helena

place of Napoleon’s second exile (1815). [Fr. Hist.: NCE, 2397]

See : Banishment