Ascension

Islands off the western coast of Africa

St. Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

Ascension, island in the South Atlantic Ocean, part of the British overseas territory of St. Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. St. Helena is 700 miles (1,100 km) to the southeast of Ascension, and the island group of Tristan da Cunha is some 1,300 miles (2,100 km) south of St. Helena. The main settlement and the location of the island’s administrative headquarters is Georgetown.

Except on the heights of Green Mountain (2,817 feet [859 metres]), where fruit, vegetables, and livestock are raised, the island is mostly a desert of dormant volcanic craters and extensive lava flows. There are no surface streams. Catchment basins constructed on Green Mountain in the 19th century yield some fresh water, but desalinization plants produce the bulk of the island’s water supply. The sandy beaches, unprotected by coral reefs, are vulnerable to heavy oceanic swells but are critical nesting sites for the globally endangered green sea turtles, which come ashore to lay eggs between January and April. Sooty terns also breed in abundance. After the island’s feral cats were eradicated in the early 21st century, populations of other birds—including the masked booby, brown booby, and red-billed tropic bird but not the globally threatened native Ascension frigate bird—began recolonizing the island.

Ascension was discovered by the Portuguese navigator João da Nova in 1501 and was rediscovered on Ascension Day 1503 by Afonso de Albuquerque. It remained uninhabited until 1815, however, when British marines were stationed there, during the exile of Napoleon I on St. Helena, to prevent the French from claiming the island. Ascension subsequently served as a frequent stop for ships sailing the South Atlantic in the 19th century. It came under the supervision of the British Royal Marines in 1823 and in 1922 became a dependency of St. Helena. From 1922 until 2002, most governmental and economic administration was provided by the military and by various entities, including Cable & Wireless PLC (later acquired by another company and renamed Sure) and the British Broadcasting Corporation, which have continued to operate telecommunications facilities on the island. Other important presences have been the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the U.S. Air Force, the Royal Air Force (RAF), the European Space Agency, and British and American intelligence organizations.

In 2002 the island adopted a democratic form of government, and taxation was introduced for the first time. Executive authority is vested in the British monarch, represented by a governor, who is based on St. Helena. The governor appoints an administrator as his or her local representative on Ascension. According to the terms of the 2009 constitution drawn up for the islands, Ascension was no longer a dependency of St. Helena but an equal part of the territory of St. Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha,

Ascension’s legislature, the Island Council, advises the island administrator on matters of governance. It has seven elected members, plus the attorney general and the head of the island government’s finance department.

In addition to the contributions to the economy made by telecommunication and satellite-tracking activities, there is a modest level of tourism. A small number of facilities for overnight accommodations are available, as are other tourist services. The island may be reached by air or sea. The RAF station on Ascension, known as Wideawake Airfield, was built by U.S. Army engineers during World War II. It was critical to British success during the Falkland Islands War of 1982 because of the island’s strategic location. RAF flights transport a limited number of passengers between the United Kingdom and the Falklands via Ascension. Boat access is limited, although cruise ships sometimes visit and, at the discretion of the harbour master, private yachts may anchor, and their passengers and crew may go ashore. Area 34 square miles (88 square km). Pop. (2010 est.) 884.