Ascension Island | |
---|---|
Overseas territory of the UK | |
The island viewed from atop Green Mountain. | |
Anthem: God Save the Queen | |
![]() Location of Ascension Island in the Atlantic Ocean. | |
Coordinates: 7°56′S 14°22′W / 7.933°S 14.367°W | |
Country | ![]() |
Overseas territory | Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha |
Island | Ascension |
Capital | Georgetown |
First inhabited | 1815 |
Current constitution | 2009 |
Named for | Ascension Day |
Government | |
• Type | Monarchy |
• Monarch | Charles III |
• Governor | Mark Capes |
• Administrator of Ascension Island | Colin Wells |
Area | |
• Total | 88 km2 (34 sq mi) |
Highest elevation | 859 m (2,818 ft) |
Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
Population | |
• Estimate (2010) | 880 |
• Density | 10/km2 (30/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+0 (GMT) |
Area code | +247 |
Internet TLD | .ac |
Currency | Saint Helena pound (SHP) (US$ accepted) |
Website | www.ascension-island.gov.ac |
Ascension Island is an isolated and relatively young volcanic island in the South Atlantic Ocean, some 100 km (62 mi) west of the mid-Atlantic Ridge, 1,504 km (935 mi) from Liberia (Cape Palmas), and 2,232 km (1,387 mi) from Brazil (Recife). The nearest land is Saint Helena, 1,296 km (805 mi) to the south-east.[1]
The Ascension Island is named after the day of its recorded discovery, Ascension Day. It is part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha,[2] of which the main island is St Helena.
The island is the location of a Royal Air Force station with a United States Air Force presence, a European Space Agency station and the BBC World Service Atlantic Relay Station. There is in the island one antenna of the five that assist in the operation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) navigational system (others are on Kwajalein Island, Diego Garcia, Colorado Springs and Hawaii).