| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| ISO 3166 alpha-2 | SHISO 3166 [2024] |
| ISO 3166 alpha-3 | SHNISO 3166 [2024] |
| Capital | JamestownGeoNames [2024] |
| Continent | AfricaGeoNames [2024] |
| Common name | Saint HelenaCIA World Factbook [2025] · 2026 archive |
| Official name | Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da CunhaCIA World Factbook [2025] · 2026 archive |
| Local name | Saint HelenaCIA World Factbook [2025] · 2026 archive |
| Etymology | on the feast day of Saint Helena in 1502, Spanish navigator Joao da NOVA (sailing for Portugal) sighted and named the island that now bears the saint's name; da NOVA originally named Ascension "Conception Island" in honor of the Virgin Mary, but Portuguese navigator Afonso de ALBUQUERQUE later found the island on the feast day of the Ascension in 1508 and renamed it; Portuguese explorer Tristao da CUNHA sighted the third island in 1506 and named it after himself (the name was later anglicized)CIA World Factbook [2025] · 2026 archive |
| Government type | Parliamentary democracyCIA World Factbook [2025] · 2026 archive |
| Independence | none (overseas territory of the UK)CIA World Factbook [2025] · 2026 archive |
| National holiday | Official birthday of King Charles III, celebrated in April or June as designated by the governor (1948)CIA World Factbook [2025] · 2026 archive |
| Head of state | No authoritative open source found |
| Currency code (ISO 4217) | SHPISO 4217 Currency Codes [2026] |
| Currency | Saint Helena PoundISO 4217 Currency Codes [2026] |
| Administrative subdivisions | 3ISO 3166-2 Subdivisions [2026] |
| Subdivision names | Ascension / Saint Helena / Tristan da CunhaISO 3166-2 Subdivisions [2026] |
| Historical overview | No authoritative open source found |
| National symbols | Saint Helena plover (wire bird)CIA World Factbook [2025] · 2026 archive |
| National anthem | title: "God Save the King"; lyrics/music: unknown; history: official anthem, as a UK overseas territoryCIA World Factbook [2025] · 2026 archive |
| National colors | Not applicable to this country |
| Citizenship rules | see United KingdomCIA World Factbook [2025] · 2026 archive |
on the feast day of Saint Helena in 1502, Spanish navigator Joao da NOVA (sailing for Portugal) sighted and named the island that now bears the saint's name; da NOVA originally named Ascension "Conception Island" in honor of the Virgin Mary, but Portuguese navigator Afonso de ALBUQUERQUE later found the island on the feast day of the Ascension in 1508 and renamed it; Portuguese explorer Tristao da CUNHA sighted the third island in 1506 and named it after himself (the name was later anglicized)
description: blue with the UK flag in the upper-left quadrant and the Saint Helenian shield centered on the right half of the flag; the upper third of the shield depicts a white plover on a yellow field; under the bird is a rocky coastline and a three-masted sailing ship with sails furled and flying an English flag history: the flag has been in use since 1984, when it was commissioned to mark the 150th anniversary of Saint Helena becoming a Crown Colony
Source: CIA World Factbook (Historical Archive — final edition) · CC0 · Edition 2026-05
