Editing Saint Helena (section)

== Geography ==
[[File:LocationStHelena.PNG|thumb|right|Positions (north to south) of [[Ascension Island]], Saint Helena, and [[Tristan da Cunha]] in the South [[Atlantic Ocean]]]]
[[File:Saint Helena Island.jpg|thumb|right|Saint Helena seen from space (photo is oriented with north-west towards the top)]]
{{Main|Geography of Saint Helena}}

Situated in the [[South Atlantic Ocean]] on the [[Mid-Atlantic Ridge]], more than {{convert|2000|km}} from the nearest major landmass, Saint Helena is remote. The nearest port on the continent is [[Moçâmedes]] in southern [[Angola]]; connections to Cape Town, South Africa are used for most shipping needs via the regular cargo ship that serves the island, the MS ''Helena''.

The island is on the same ridge as two other islands in the southern Atlantic, also British territories: [[Ascension Island]], about {{convert|1300|km}} due north-west in more equatorial waters, and [[Tristan da Cunha]], which is outside the tropics {{convert|2430|km}} to the south. The island, in the [[Western Hemisphere]], has the same [[longitude]] as [[Land's End]] (west [[Cornwall]], England), and western [[Spain]]. For sharing several trading patterns{{clarify|date=October 2023}}, and climate effect traits, the island is grouped under [[West Africa]]/Africa in most projects, committees and papers of the [[United Nations]].

The island is {{cvt|122|km2}} in area, and is composed largely of rugged terrain of volcanic origin (the last volcanic eruptions occurred about 7&nbsp;million years ago).<ref>[http://ags.ou.edu/~bweaver/Ascension/sh-nat.htm Natural History of Saint Helena] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110813183202/http://ags.ou.edu/~bweaver/Ascension/sh-nat.htm |date=13 August 2011}}</ref> Coastal areas are scattered with vegetation on volcanic rock and are warmer and drier than the centre. The highest point of the island is [[Diana's Peak]] at {{cvt|818|m}}. In 1996 it became the island's first [[national park]]. Much of the island is covered by [[New Zealand flax]], a legacy of former industry, but there are some original trees augmented by plantations, including those of the Millennium Forest project, which was established in 2002 to replant, particularly with indigenous [[Commidendrum|gumwood]], part of the lost Great Wood and is now managed by the [[Saint Helena National Trust]].

When the island was discovered, it was covered with unique indigenous vegetation, including a remarkable [[Melanodendron|cabbage tree]] species. The island's interior must have been a dense tropical forest but the coastal areas were probably also quite green. The modern landscape is very different, with widespread bare rock in the lower areas, although inland it is green, mainly due to introduced vegetation. There are no native land mammals, but cattle, cats, dogs, donkeys, goats, mice, rabbits, rats and sheep have been introduced. The dramatic change in landscape must be attributed to these introductions. As a result, the string tree (''[[Acalypha rubrinervis]]'') and the Saint Helena olive (''[[Nesiota elliptica]]'') are now extinct, and many of the other endemic plants are threatened with extinction.

Some 22 named rocks and islets are offshore: Castle Rock, Speery Island, the Needle, Lower Black Rock, Upper Black Rock (South), Bird Island (Southwest), Black Rock, Thompson's Valley Island, Peaked Island, Egg Island, Lady's Chair, Lighter Rock (West), Long Ledge (Northwest), Shore Island, George Island, Rough Rock Island, Flat Rock (East), the Buoys, Sandy Bay Island, the Chimney, White Bird Island and Frightus Rock (Southeast) &ndash; all within {{Convert|1|km|spell=in}} of the shore.

The [[List of national birds|national bird]] of Saint Helena is the [[Saint Helena plover]], known locally as the wirebird, on account of its wire-like legs. It appears on the [[coat of arms of Saint Helena]] and on the flag.<ref>{{citation|title=Bird Watching |url=http://www.sthelenatourism.com/pages/bird_watching.html |publisher=St Helena Tourism |access-date=17 January 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100917234353/http://www.sthelenatourism.com/pages/bird_watching.html |archive-date=17 September 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{citation |title=Our Flag |url=http://sainthelenaisland.info/ourflag.htm |publisher=Moonbeams Limited |access-date=11 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015231127/http://sainthelenaisland.info/ourflag.htm |archive-date=15 October 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Climate ===
{{See also|Jamestown, Saint Helena#Climate}}
The climate of Saint Helena is tropical, marine and mild, tempered by the [[Benguela Current]] and trade winds that blow almost continuously.<ref name="CIA World Factbook">{{citation |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/saint-helena-ascension-and-tristan-da-cunha/ |title=St. Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha |work=CIA World Factbook |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |access-date=21 July 2012 }}</ref><ref name="SHNMS">[http://www.news.co.sh/about_st_helena.htm About St Helena], ''St Helena News Media Services'' {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320211035/http://www.news.co.sh/about_st_helena.htm |date=20 March 2012 }}</ref> The climate varies noticeably across the island. Temperatures in [[Jamestown, Saint Helena|Jamestown]], on the north leeward shore, are in the range {{cvt|21|-|28|C}} in the summer (January to April) and {{cvt|17|-|24|C}} during the remainder of the year. The temperatures in the central areas are, on average, {{cvt|5|-|6|C-change}} lower.<ref name="SHNMS"/> Jamestown also has a very low annual rainfall, while {{cvt|750|-|1000|mm}} falls per year on the higher ground and the south coast, where it is also noticeably cloudier.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/country_guides/results.shtml?tt=TT004840|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110209110550/http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/country_guides/results.shtml?tt=TT004840|url-status=dead|title=BBC Weather Centre|archivedate=9 February 2011}}</ref> There are [[weather station|weather recording stations]] in the [[Longwood, Saint Helena|Longwood]] and [[Blue Hill, Saint Helena|Blue Hill]] districts.