Today, most islanders, known as “Saints”, make a living from fishing, farming or working for the government. Saint Helena has a warm, tropical climate all year round. A significant portion of the island's income comes from issuing its own postage stamps, which are in high demand with collectors all over the world.

Ascension

In the 19th century, the biologist Charles Darwin helped plan the introduction of trees and grasses to the island to provide shade and water, and these vegetated areas still exist today. Ascension is an important refuelling stop for planes making the long journey between the UK and the Falklands.

In November 2020, it was announced that almost 700,000 square kilometres (270,000 square milies) of the ocean waters surrounding Tristan da Cunha will become a marine protected area (MPA). It becomes the fourth largest such sanctuary in the world. Bottom-trawling fishing, deep-sea mining and other activities harmful to the ocean environment will banned in the MPA. This will help to safeguard the area’s marine wildlife, which includes sevengill sharks, yellow-nosed albatross, Atlantic petrels and rockhopper penguins.

History of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

1501
Portuguese navigator João da Nova sights Ascension island on Ascension Day, and names it after this feast day

1502–03
Portuguese explorers discover Saint Helena

1506
The islands of Tristan da Cunha are first recorded as sighted by Portuguese explorer Tristão da Cunha, though rough seas prevent a landing

1657
St Helena comes under British rule, governed by the British East India Company

1777
William Bolts claims Tristan da Cunha for the Austrian Empire, naming it the Isles de Brabant

1815–21
French leader Napoleon Bonaparte is imprisoned by the British on the island of St. Helena

1815
Britain takes ownership of the uninhabited Ascension Island, and uses it as a base for the Royal Navy

1816
Tristan da Cunha comes under British rule as part of Cape Colony, British South Africa

1834
St Helena is made a British crown colony

1836
Charles Darwin visits Ascension aboard his ship, the Beagle

1900–01
More than 6000 Boer prisoners are held on the island during the Second Boer War in South Africa

1922
Ascension becomes a dependency of St Helena

1938
Tristan da Cunha becomes a dependency of St Helena

1942
During World War II, the US military builds the Wideawake airbase on Ascension

1961
All the inhabitants of Tristan da Cunha are evacuated to the UK following a major volcanic eruption. Most return two years later

1982
The British military uses Ascension as a base during the Falklands War

1995
Gough Island, part of Tristan da Cunha, is declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Neighbouring Inaccessible Island is added in 2004

2002
British Overseas Territories Act grants full British citizenship to the residents of all three islands

2009
A new agreement makes all three island groups equal dependencies under the British Crown, known as St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

2016
A huge nature reserve is created in the ocean around Ascension Island to protect its marine wildlife

2020
Announcement that almost 700,000 sq km of the Atlantic Ocean surrounding Tristan da Cunha will become a marine protected area (MPA)