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Ascension Island is an isolated volcanic island, 7°56′ south of the Equator in the South Atlantic Ocean.It is about 960 miles (1,540 km) from the coast of Africa and 1,400 miles (2,300 km) from the coast of South America.
Tristan da Cunha (/ ˌ t r ɪ s t ən d ə ˈ k uː n (j) ə /), colloquially Tristan, is a remote group of volcanic islands in the South Atlantic Ocean.It is one of three constituent parts of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, with its own constitution.
The St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Constitution Order 2009 (an Order in Council of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom) enacted a new constitution for the territory, which came into effect on 1 September 2009, and elevated Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha from being dependencies of Saint Helena to equal constituent parts.
João da Nova, a Galician navigator serving the Portuguese Empire, was the first person to sight Saint Helena.. According to long-established tradition, the island was sighted on 21 May 1502 by the four ships of the 3rd Portuguese Armada, commanded by João da Nova, a Galician navigator in the service of Portugal, during his return voyage to Lisbon, who named it Santa Helena after Saint Helena ...
The politics of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha operate under the jurisdiction of the government of the United Kingdom. [1] The three parts of the territory—Saint Helena, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha—effectively form an asymmetric federacy and collectively constitute one of United Kingdom's fourteen overseas territories.
The island is a territory of Norway. [5] Trindade and Martim Vaz: 1,167 kilometres (725 mi) Brazil [6] Ascension Island: 1,100 kilometres (680 mi) Saint Helena: The island is administratively part of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, a territory in the United Kingdom. [7] [8] Saint Helena: 1,100 kilometres (680 mi) Ascension Island
Ascension Island (part of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha) – the base known as RAF Ascension Island is used by both the Royal Air Force and the United States Air Force. Bermuda – became the primary Royal Navy base in North America, following US independence, and designated an Imperial fortress .
The islands were occupied by a garrison of British Marines, and a civilian population was gradually built up. Whalers also set up on the islands as a base for operations in the Southern Atlantic. In January 1817 the first successful climb was made to the peak of Queen Mary's Peak. A small garrison was maintained on Tristan until November 1817.