Why Saint Helena
Saint Helena is an isolated volcanic tropical island located in the South Atlantic Ocean to the west of Africa. Positioned roughly 1,860 kilometers west of Angola and 3,280 kilometers east of Brazil, it ranks among the most remote major islands in the world. Measuring about 16 by 8 kilometers, the island forms a constituent part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. According to the 2021 census, it had a population of 4,439.
First sighted by Portuguese explorers in the early sixteenth century, the previously uninhabited island was named after Saint Helena. For roughly four centuries, it served as an essential stopover for water and provisions for ships traveling between Europe and Asia around the African continent, a maritime role that declined after the Suez Canal opened in 1869. Control passed to the British East India Company, which fortified the island in 1659 and established Jamestown inside a narrow valley between steep cliffs. Over the centuries, the population expanded with European settlers, West African slaves, and Chinese laborers, eventually becoming a British crown colony in 1834.
The island is widely known as the location of Napoleon Bonaparte's second exile following his defeat at Waterloo in 1815. He stayed at the Briars pavilion before moving to Longwood House, where he resided until his death in 1821. Both locations are maintained as historical sites, with Longwood House owned and managed by France. Additional landmark buildings include James Fort, St. James' Church constructed in 1774, and Plantation House, which was erected in the early 1790s as the official residence of the governor.
The island also features scientific heritage at Halley's Mount, a 680-meter-high hill near Hutt's Gate where astronomer Edmond Halley built an observatory in 1676 to observe the stars of the Southern Hemisphere. Travelers can explore Jamestown as well as historic areas such as the Longwood district and Rupert's Valley. The primary way to reach Saint Helena is by air through its airport, with cargo ships providing additional maritime transport.
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