St. Helena


St. Helena

 

an island in the south Atlantic Ocean; a British colony. Area, 122 sq. km. Population, 4,800 (1969). The main city and port is Jamestown. St. Helena is composed primarily of basalts; there are several craters of extinct volcanoes in the south. The highest elevation on the island rises to 818 m. The climate is tropical and influenced by trade winds. Vegetation consists of meadows and shrubs. New Zealand flax is the primary crop, accounting for more than 85 percent of the island’s exports.

St. Helena was discovered by the Portuguese in 1502. Napoleon I was exiled to the island in 1815 and died there in 1821.