Ascension_Island

{{Infobox Country
|native_name = Ascension Island
|conventional_long_name =
|common_name = Ascension Island
|image_flag = Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
|image_coat = Her Majesty's Government Coat of Arms.svg
|national_motto =
|image_map = Ascension Island Location.jpg
|national_anthem = ''[[God Save the Queen]]''
|official_languages = [[English language|English]]
|capital = [[Georgetown, Ascension Island|Georgetown]]
|latd= |latm= |latNS= |longd= |longm= |longEW=
|government_type = [[Dependent territory|Dependency]] of [[Saint Helena|St. Helena]]
|leader_title1 = [[Administrator of Ascension Island|Administrator]]
|leader_name1 = [[Michael Hill (administrator)|Michael Hill]]
|largest_city = capital
|area_km2 = 91 
|area_sq_mi = 35 
|area_rank = 222nd
|area_magnitude = 1 E6
|percent_water = 0
|population_estimate = 1,100
|population_estimate_year =
|population_estimate_rank = n/a
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|population_density_km2 = 22
|population_density_sq_mi = 57 
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|sovereignty_type = First inhabited
|sovereignty_note = 1815
|established_event1 =
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|currency = [[Saint Helena pound]]<br/>([[United States dollar|US dollars]] accepted)
|currency_code = SHA
|time_zone = [[UTC]]
|utc_offset = +0
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|cctld = [[.ac]]
|calling_code = 247
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}}

'''Ascension Island''' is an island in the [[South Atlantic Ocean]], around 1,000 [[mile]]s (1,600 [[kilometer|km]]) from the coast of Africa. It is a dependency of the [[British overseas territory]] of [[Saint Helena]], which is 800 miles (1,287 km) to the south east. The Island is named after the day of its recorded discovery, [[Ascension Day]]. It is at 7.56° S, 14.25° W.

The island is the location of Wideawake Airfield, which is a joint facility of the [[Royal Air Force]] and the [[United States Air Force]]. The island was used extensively by the British military during the [[Falklands War]]. Ascension Island hosts one of three ground antennas (others are on [[Kwajalein]] and [[Diego Garcia]]) that assist in the operation of the [[Global Positioning System]] (GPS) navigational system.

Ascension Island does not have its own flag or coat of arms. The [[Union Flag]] and [[Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom]] are used instead.

== History ==
The Portuguese explorer [[João da Nova]] is believed to be the first person to discover the island (in 1501), but did not report it. When in 1503 [[Alphonse d'Albuquerque]] (Afonso of Albuquerque, a [[Portugal|Portuguese]] navigator) saw the island on [[Ascension Day]] as listed on the [[Roman Catholic]] Church calendar, he named it for that day of its sighting. Dry and barren, it had little appeal for passing ships except for collecting fresh meat. Mariners could hunt for the numerous [[seabirds]] and the enormous female [[green turtles]] who laid their eggs on the sandy beaches. The Portuguese also introduced [[goat]]s, as a source of meat for future mariners.

In February 1701, [[HMS Roebuck|HMS ''Roebuck'']], commanded by [[William Dampier]], went down in the common anchoring spot in Clarence Bay to the northwest of the island. Some sixty men succeeded in surviving for two months until they were rescued. Almost certainly, after a few days they found the strong water spring in the high interior of the island, in what is now called Breakneck Valley (there is a much smaller water source, lower on the mountain, which was named Dampier's Drip by people who probably misinterpreted Dampier's story).<ref> see Duff Hart-Davis, ''Ascension, the story of a South Atlantic island''.</ref>

It is possible that the island was used sometimes as an open prison for criminal mariners, although there is only one documented case of such an exile, a [[Dutch people|Dutch]] ship's officer, [[Leendert Hasenbosch]], who was set ashore at Clarence Bay as a punishment for [[sodomy]] in May 1725. The Dutchman's tent, belongings and diary were found by British mariners in January 1726; the man had probably died of thirst.

Ascension Island became inhabited in 1815, when the British garrisoned it as a precaution after imprisoning [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon I]] on [[St Helena]] to the southeast. The [[Royal Navy]] officially designated the island as a [[stone frigate]], "[[HMS Ascension|HMS ''Ascension'']]", with the classification of "Sloop of War of the smaller class".

The location of the island made it a useful stopping point for ships and communications. The [[Royal Navy]] used the island as a victualling station for ships, particularly those of the [[West Africa Squadron]] working against the [[slave trade]]. A garrison of [[Royal Marines]] were based at Ascension from 1923. In 1898, the Eastern Telegraph Company (now part of [[Cable and Wireless]]) installed the first underwater cable from the island, connecting the [[UK]] with its colonies in [[South Africa]]. In 1922, [[Letters Patent]] made Ascension a dependency of Saint Helena. The island was managed by the head of the Eastern Telegraph Company on the island until 1964 when the British Government appointed an [[Administrator of the Government|Administrator]] to represent the [[Governor]] of Saint Helena on Ascension.


During [[World War II]], the United States built an airbase on Ascension Island, known as Wideawake after a nearby colony of [[Sooty Tern]]s (locally called 'Wideawake' birds because of their loud, distinctive call, which would wake people early in the morning). The airbase, which was constructed by the 38th Combat Engineer Battalion of the Army Corp of Engineers, was used by the US military as a stopping point for American aircraft crossing the [[Atlantic]] on the way to theatres of operation in Europe and Africa. After the end of World War II, and American departure, the airbase fell into disuse.

The only action during World War II occurred on [[December 9]] [[1941]]. At around mid-day, the [[U-boat]] [[U-124]] approached [[Georgetown, Ascension Island|Georgetown]] on the surface with the intention of sinking any ships at anchor or shelling the cable station. The submarine was fired on by a two-gun shore battery at Cross Hill, above Georgetown. No hits were scored but the U-boat submerged and retreated. The battery remains largely intact to this day.

With the [[space race]] and the [[Cold War]], Americans returned in 1956. Wideawake Airfield was expanded in the mid 1960s. The runway, with its strange hump, was extended, widened, and improved to allow its use by large aircraft, and acts as an emergency runway for the [[Space Shuttle]]. Ascension Island continues to serve as an important link in American space projects. [[NASA]] established a tracking station on the island in 1967, but has since abandoned it. The [[BBC]] Atlantic Relay Station was installed in 1966 for short-wave broadcasts to Africa and South America.

In 1982, Ascension Island was used as a staging post for the British Task Force during the [[Falklands War]]. The [[Royal Air Force]] deployed a fleet of [[Avro Vulcan|Vulcan]] bombers at the airfield. The opening shots of the British offensive were launched from Ascension by Vulcans in [[Operation Black Buck]]. The RAF also used the base to supply the Task Force. Because of the increase in air traffic during the war, Wideawake was the busiest airfield in the world for a short period. The Royal Navy's fleet stopped at Ascension for refuelling on the way. Following the war, the British retained an increased presence on the island, establishing [[RAF Ascension Island]], and providing a refuelling stop for the regular airlink between [[RAF Brize Norton]] in Oxfordshire, and [[RAF Mount Pleasant]] in the [[Falkland Islands]].

== Politics ==
Ascension is a dependency of [[Saint Helena]], an [[overseas territory]] of the [[United Kingdom]]. Executive authority is vested in [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|The Queen]], who is represented by the [[Governor of Saint Helena]], [[Michael Clancy]]. As the Governor resides in [[Jamestown, Saint Helena]], an [[Administrator of the Government|Administrator]] is appointed to represent the Governor on Ascension Island.

In 2002, as a result of changes in the constitutional arrangements for Ascension Island, the first Island Council was elected. Six members resigned in 2007 on the grounds that they were "assisting to legitimise a democracy that doesn’t really exist on Ascension Island"[http://www.the-islander.org.ac/art_4013.html].

Ascension Island also has its own suite of local laws, based on the laws of Saint Helena and the UK.

== Geography ==

[[Image:Ascensionlava.jpg|thumb|250px|Ascension Island lava flows and cinder cones.]]
The main island has an area of approximately 35 square miles (91 km²). A volcanic peak rising from just west of the [[Mid-Atlantic Ridge]], much of the island is a wasteland of [[lava]] flows and [[cinder cones]]; no fewer than forty-four distinct [[Volcanic crater|craters]] have been identified.

While the island was barren with few plants as recently as 1843, Ascension Island's [[Green Mountain]] is now one of the few large-scale planned forests, and is gradually growing with each year. Its highest point is at 2,817 [[Foot (unit of length)|feet]] (859 [[Metre|m]]).

Off the east coast of Ascension is the tiny island of [[Boatswain Bird Island]]. It is a haven for sea birds, to get away from the rats, cats and people that came to Ascension Island from Europe and Africa. Following a successful campaign headed by the [[Royal Society for the Preservation of Birds]], the main island was in 2006 declared free of feral cats, and sea birds are now once again nesting on Ascension Island.

Ascension's climate is subtropical, with temperatures at the coast ranging from about 68 to 88 degrees [[Fahrenheit]] (20–31 °[[Celsius|C]]), and about 10 degrees cooler at the highest point. Rain showers may occur at any time during the year, but tend to be heavier between January and April.

== Demographics ==
There is no indigenous population on the island, although around 1,100 people live there [[as of 2005]]. The military and civilian contractors of the United States and the United Kingdom, and citizen workers imported from Saint Helena, make up the bulk of the population. The United States has around 150 people who service the [[US Air Force]] facilities on the island and at Wideawake Airfield. [[RAF Ascension Island]] is made up of 200 staff. Other residents include some British government employees including the island's British Administrator.

There are five settlements, the capital being [[Georgetown, Ascension Island|Georgetown]]:
#Georgetown (pop. 560)
#[[Cat Hill, Ascension Island|Cat Hill]] (Main Base, the U.S. base, pop. 150)
#The Residency (pop. 3)
#[[Traveller's Hill]] (Wideawake, the Royal Air Force base, pop. 200)
#[[Two Boats Village]] (pop. 120)

Additionally, there are some cottages on Green Mountain.

In order to gain an entry to Ascension Island, people need the written permission of the Administrator. It is nearly impossible to take up permanent residence. Employment is a requirement to stay on the island. The UK government has asserted that no inhabitant of Ascension Island has a "right to abode". As the local newspaper ''The Islander'' reports{{Fact|date=February 2007}}, it is an issue now disputed by Council members and long-time employees and also their family members.

== Economy ==
[[Image:Stamp Ascension 1937 1.5p.jpg|200px|thumb|View of "The Pier", 1938.]]
The main economic activity on the island is centred on the military bases at Wideawake Airfield. [[Serco Group|Serco]] manages the airport with Sodexho providing catering and domestic facilities. A former feature of Ascension was a 70,000 tonne tanker permanently moored offshore that was operated by [[A.P. Moller-Maersk Group|Maersk]] as a bulk fuel facility. In December 2002, this was replaced by an on-shore Petroleum Supply Depot under military management.

=== Tourism and related industries ===
The main export item is [[Postage stamps of Ascension Island|Ascension Island postage stamps]], first issued in 1922. Typically five to six sets of stamps are issued each year.

Until recently, tourism was non-existent because of the inaccessibility of the island to transport, the absence of guest accommodation and the restrictive permissions required for entry. Limited air travel has, however, been made available in recent years to the public by the RAF and the Georgetown Obsidian Hotel together with a number of guest cottages have been opened. All visitors still require the administrator's written permission. [[Sport fishing]] is the main attraction for many of the visitors. The Island also boasts what was once officially the worst golf course in the world. Located between the settlements of Two Boats village and Georgetown, the course has 18 holes and the greens are in fact 'browns', a reference to the sand and oil mix used to make them. The rest of the course being made up of volcanic ash and rock, which makes for some interesting rounds. The current Ascension Island Open Champion is Alex Turner, who in fact has been the 'Open' Champion 3 times in the last 4 years, (2003 - 2007)

=== Telecommunications ===
The island hosts many communications and relay stations, exploiting the Island's strategic position in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Both the [[BBC]] and [[Cable and Wireless]] have communications posts there. The [[European Space Agency]] (ESA) also has a tracking station on the island that tracks the [[Ariane 5]] Space rockets shortly after they take off from [[French Guiana]].

=== Banking ===
The [[Bank of St. Helena]] has a branch on the Island. Domestic transfers to the UK are possible, as Saint Helena and all its dependancies are part of the UK banking system.

==Transport==
The island has a regular airlink with the United Kingdom and the Falkland Islands, with once or twice weekly flights from the [[RAF Ascension Island]] to the UK ([[RAF Brize Norton]]) and to the Falkland Islands ([[RAF Mount Pleasant]]). These are chartered civilian [[McDonnell Douglas DC-10]] aircraft operated by [[Omni Air International]] on behalf of the Royal Air Force, however a limited number of commercial passenger tickets are available. The United States maintains a weekly flight between the island and [[Patrick Air Force Base]] in [[Florida]]. Past UK and US governments have reached an agreement to allow civilian aircraft to land on Ascension Island. Although designed to improve tourist links and the island's economy, no services have yet been established and the agreement may yet be revoked.

The [[RMS Saint Helena|RMS ''Saint Helena'']] visits Ascension Island approximately once a month linking the island to Walvis Bay (Namibia), St Helena and [[Cape Town]]. The US military service their base and facilities with a regular supply ship and air transport.

Within Ascension Island, the only public transport is a recently formed taxi service; most visitors requiring transport are required to hire a car. There are about 25 miles (40 km) of roads on the island.

== Flora and fauna ==
{{main|Wildlife of St Helena}}
The protected [[green turtle]] is perhaps the most notable of the wildlife, coming ashore to lay their eggs on the beaches from November to May. [[Sooty Terns]] or "Wideawake Birds" nest in great seashore [[lava]] "fairs". Other [[seabird]]s include some types of [[booby|boobies]], [[petrel]]s and [[tropicbird]]s (named boatswain birds by the inhabitants of the island), [[White Tern]], [[Brown Noddy]], [[Black Noddy]] and [[Ascension Frigatebird]]. On land are found such non-native birds such as [[canary|canaries]], [[francolin]]s, [[mynah]]s, [[sparrow]]s, and [[waxbill]]s. A variety of [[mammal]]s have been introduced: [[donkey]], [[sheep]], cats and [[rat]]s among others. [[Reptile]]s consist of two species of [[lizard]]s. In summer, [[fly|flies]] are known to be problematic. Crowning Green Mountain is a lush halo of [[bamboo]], while on one flank is a large stand of tall [[Norfolk pine]] trees which were planted by [[United Kingdom|British]] mariners for use as replacement masts for [[sailing ships]] should the need arise. A few wild flowers narrowly abound such as [[periwinkle]]; [[cactus]] is present with land [[crab]]s in several large colonies near the sea and mountains.

Mexican Thorn - [[Prosopis juliflora]] – has thrived on the barren lava of the island in recent years: growing on the edges of beaches this threatens the [[green turtle]][http://www.ukotcf.org/pdf/BermConf/pages129to166.pdf].

Following the eradication of feral cats from the island, several species of seabird previously confined to [[Boatswain Bird Island]] are making a return to the main island.

Offshore, there is a variety of open-ocean fish, including [[shark]]s, [[wahoo]], [[tuna]], [[bonito]], [[barracuda]], [[marlin]], [[blackfish]] and [[sailfish]].

The endemic flora includes plants like [[Pteris adscensionis]], [[Asplenium ascensionis]], [[Euphorbia origanoides]] as well as the extinct species [[Oldenlandia adscenionis]], [[Sporobolus durus]] and [[Dryopteris ascensionis]]. In June 2005 the first ever National Park on Ascension Island, the [[Green Mountain National Park]], was opened.

==See also==
*[[Diego Garcia]]
*[[Saint Helena]]
*[[Tristan da Cunha]]
*[[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland]]

== Bibliography ==
* Duff Hart-Davis, ''Ascension, the story of a South Atlantic island'', p.15
* [http://www.ascension-island.gov.ac/ Official Ascension Island Government site]
* [http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=1805-05- Global Volcanism Program: Ascension Island]
* Sanders, Sarah, ''Important Bird Areas in the United Kingdom Overseas Territories; priority sites for conservation'' (RSPB, 2006)
* Stonehouse, Bernard. (1960). ''Wideawake Island. The Story of the BOU Centenary Expedition to Ascension''. Hutchinson: London

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{wikiatlas|Ascension Island}}
{{wiktionary}}
*[http://www.the-islander.org.ac/ Ascension Island Newspaper]
*[http://www.ascension-island.gov.ac/ Ascension Island Government]
*[http://www.astronautix.com/sites/ascnsion.htm Rocket launches from Ascension]
*[http://geosciences.ou.edu/~bweaver/Ascension/ai.htm Barry Weaver home page of Ascension Islands]
*[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sh.html CIA World Factbook entry about Saint Helena]
*[http://www.the-islander.org.ac/webcam/ Live Web Cam of Ascension]
*[http://www.iana.org/root-whois/ac.htm Cable and Wireless]

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{{coor title dm|7|56|S|14|22|W|}}


[[Category:Ascension Island| ]]
[[Category:Mountains and hills of British overseas territories]]
[[Category:Volcanoes of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Volcanoes of the Atlantic Ocean]]
[[Category:English-speaking countries and territories]]



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