Location:
islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South America and Africa; Ascension Island lies 700 nm northwest of Saint Helena; Tristan da Cunha lies 2,300 nm 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: 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
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land:
Saint Helena Island 122 sq km; Ascension Island 88 sq km; Tristan da Cunha island group 98 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water:
0 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
0 km
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
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
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
[see also: Elevation extremes - highest point country ranks ]
fish, lobster
arable land: 12.9%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops:
0%
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
other:
87.1% (2005)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]
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, 6,758 ft) and Nightingale Island (elev. 365 m, 1,197 ft) experience volcanic activity; Tristan da Cunha erupted in 1962 and Nightingale in 2004
NA
Saint Helena harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown anywhere else 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
