Location:
islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South America and Africa; Ascension Island lies 1,300 km (800 mi) northwest of Saint Helena; Tristan da Cunha lies 4,300 km (2,700 mi) southwest of Saint Helena
Geographic coordinates:
Saint Helena:
15 57 S, 5 42 W
Ascension Island:
7 57 S, 14 22 W
Tristan da Cunha island group:
37 15 S, 12 30 W
Map references:
Africa
Area:
Area - comparative: Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline: Maritime claims:
Climate: Terrain: Elevation extremes:
Natural resources: Land use:
Irrigated land: Natural hazards: Environment - current issues: Geography - note:
total:
308 sq km
country comparison to the world: 209
land:
Saint Helena Island 122 sq km; Ascension Island 88 sq km; Tristan da Cunha island group 98 sq km
water:
0 sq km
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]
Saint Helena:
60 km
Ascension Island:
NA
Tristan da Cunha:
40 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
territorial sea:
12 nm
exclusive fishing zone:
200 nm
Saint Helena:
tropical marine; mild, tempered by trade winds
Ascension Island:
tropical marine; mild, semi-arid
Tristan da Cunha:
temperate marine; mild, tempered by trade winds (tends to be cooler than Saint Helena)
the islands of this group result from volcanic activity associated with the Atlantic Mid-Ocean Ridge
Saint Helena:
rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains
Ascension:
surface covered by lava flows and cinder cones of 44 dormant volcanoes; ground rises to the east
Tristan da Cunha:
sheer cliffs line the coastline of the nearly circular island; the flanks of the central volcanic peak are deeply dissected; narrow coastal plain lies between The Peak and the coastal cliffs
lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha 2,060 m; Green Mountain on Ascension Island 859 m; Mount Actaeon on Saint Helena Island 818 m
fish, lobster
arable land:
10.26%
permanent crops:
0%
other:
89.74% (2011)
NA
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha
volcanism:
the island volcanoes of Tristan da Cunha (elev. 2,060 m) and Nightingale Island (elev. 365 m) experience volcanic activity; Tristan da Cunha erupted in 1962 and Nightingale in 2004
NA
Saint Helena harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown elsewhere in the world; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles and sooty terns; Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha is the highest island mountain in the South Atlantic and a prominent landmark on the sea lanes around southern Africa