Government of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha | Land Portal

Saint Helena is a British Overseas Territory consisting of Saint Helena and Ascension Islands, and the island group of Tristan da Cunha.


Saint Helena: Uninhabited when first discovered by the Portuguese in 1502, Saint Helena was garrisoned by the British during the 17th century. It acquired fame as the place of Napoleon BONAPARTE's exile from 1815 until his death in 1821, but its importance as a port of call declined after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. During the Anglo-Boer War in South Africa, several thousand Boer prisoners were confined on the island between 1900 and 1903.


Ascension Island: This barren and uninhabited island was discovered and named by the Portuguese in 1503. The British garrisoned the island in 1815 to prevent a rescue of Napoleon from Saint Helena. It served as a provisioning station for the Royal Navy's West Africa Squadron on anti-slavery patrol. The island remained under Admiralty control until 1922, when it became a dependency of Saint Helena. During World War II, the UK permitted the US to construct an airfield on Ascension in support of transatlantic flights to Africa and anti-submarine operations in the South Atlantic. In the 1960s the island became an important space tracking station for the US. In 1982, Ascension was an essential staging area for British forces during the Falklands War. It remains a critical refueling point in the air-bridge from the UK to the South Atlantic. The island hosts one of four dedicated ground antennas (the others are on Diego Garcia (British Indian Ocean Territory), Kwajalein (Marshall Islands), and at Cape Canaveral, Florida (US)) that assist in the operation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation system. NASA and the US Air Force also operate a Meter-Class Autonomous Telescope (MCAT) on Ascension as part of the deep space surveillance system for tracking orbital debris, which can be a hazard to spacecraft and astronauts.


Tristan da Cunha: The island group consists of Tristan da Cunha, Nightingale, Inaccessible, and Gough Islands. Tristan da Cunha is named after its Portuguese discoverer (1506); it was garrisoned by the British in 1816 to prevent any attempt to rescue Napoleon from Saint Helena. Gough and Inaccessible Islands have been designated World Heritage Sites. South Africa leases a site for a meteorological station on Gough Island.


Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha is an overseas territory of the UK.


Source: CIA World Factbook

Government of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Resources

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Library Resource
Regulations
January, 2009
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

These Rules concern the administration of estates of deceased persons. Their purpose if to permit Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration to be signed by the Registrar of the Supreme Court following the removal of the power for the Governor to act as a judge of the Supreme Court.

Implements: Administration of Estates Ordinance (Cap. 33). (2011-11-14)

Library Resource
Legislation
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, Africa, Western Africa

This Ordinance declares all lands on Ascension to be Crown lands and requires the Governor to prepare and publish a policy to secure a consistent and transparent process for granting rights of occupancy in relation to land on Ascension and for the control of the use of land. The Ordinance also repeals the Land Adjudication (Ascension) Ordinance, 2002 and the Registered Land Ordinance, Cap A23.

Library Resource
Legislation
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, Africa, Western Africa

This Ordinance concerns the right to sue the Crown and liability of the Crown in tort. It sets out rules of procedure of proceedings 0against the Crown. In any proceedings against the Crown for the recovery of land or other property the court shall not make an order for the recovery of the land or the delivery of the property, but may in lieu thereof make an order declaring that the plaintiff is entitled as against the Crown to the land or property or to the possession thereof.

Library Resource

An Ordinance to make provision for the registration of land and for dealings in land so registered and for purposes connected therewith.

Legislation
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, Africa, Western Africa

This Ordinance makes provision for the registration of land and provides rules relative to transactions in land registered under this Ordinance.For the purposes of this Ordinance there shall be established and maintained in St. Helena a land registry and the Governor may appoint a public officer to be the Registrar of Lands.The Ordinance defines effects of registration and makes provision with respect to transactions in land registered under this Ordinance. It also provides for subsequent dispositions of such land and leases, charges, easements, etc. on such land.

Library Resource

An Ordinance to establish and make provision for the St. Helena National Trust.

Legislation
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, Africa, Western Africa

This Ordinance establishes the St. Helena National Trust as a body corporate. The principal objects of the Trust shall be: (a) to promote the permanent preservation for the benefit of St. Helena of lands and buildings of beauty or historical interest and, in the case of lands, the preservation of their natural aspect features and animal, plant and marine life; and (b) to maintain and manage lands acquired by the Trust as open spaces or places of public resort and buildings so acquired for purposes of public recreation, resort or instruction.

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