Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha: Government#
| Country name | conventional long form: Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha conventional short form: none etymology: Saint Helena was discovered in 1502 by Galician navigator Joao da NOVA, sailing in the service of the Kingdom of Portugal, who named it "Santa Helena"; Ascension was named in 1503 by Portuguese navigator Afonso de ALBUQUERQUE who sighted the island on the Feast Day of the Ascension; Tristan da Cunha was discovered in 1506 by Portuguese explorer Tristao da CUNHA who christened the main island after himself (the name was subsequently anglicized) |
|---|---|
| Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK |
| Government type | parliamentary democracy (Legislative Council); limited self-governing overseas territory of the UK |
| Capital | Jamestown
Jamestown
geographic coordinates: 15 56 S, 5 43 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) |
| Administrative divisions | 3 administrative areas; Ascension, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha |
| Independence | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| National holiday | Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, third Monday in April (1926) |
| Constitution | several previous; latest effective 1 September 2009 (The St. Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Constitution Order 2009) (2016) |
| Legal system | English common law and local statutes |
| Citizenship | see United Kingdom |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age |
| Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Governor Lisa PHILLIPS (since 25 April 2016) cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, 3 ex-officio officers, and 5 elected members of the Legislative Council elections/appointments: none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch note: the constitution order provides for an administrator for Ascension and Tristan da Cunha appointed by the governor |
| Legislative branch | description: unicameral Legislative Council (17 seats including the speaker and deputy speaker; 12 members directly elected in a single countrywide constituency by simple majority vote and 3 ex-officio members - the chief secretary, financial secretary, and attorney general; members serve 4-year terms) elections: last held on 17 July 2013 (next to be held in 2017) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 12 note: each voter can vote for up to 12 candidates; the Constitution Order provides for separate Island Councils for both Ascension and Tristan da Cunha |
| Judicial branch | highest resident court(s): Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and 2 justices); Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice - a non-resident - and NA judges); note - appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal and Supreme Court justices appointed by the governor acting upon the instructions from a secretary of state acting on behalf of Queen ELIZABETH II; justices of both courts appointed until retirement at age 70, but can be extended subordinate courts: Magistrate's Court; Small Claims Court; Juvenile Court |
| Political parties and leaders | none |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | other: private sector; unions |
| International organization participation | UPU |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| Flag description | blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Saint Helenian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the upper third of the shield depicts a white plover (wire bird) on a yellow field; the remainder of the shield depicts a rocky coastline on the left, offshore is a three-masted sailing ship with sails furled but flying an English flag |
| National symbol(s) | Saint Helena plover (bird) |
| National anthem | note: as a territory of the UK, "God Save the Queen" is official (see United Kingdom) |