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Ascension Island
Flag of Ascension Island Coat of arms of Ascension Island
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: God Save the Queen
Location of Ascension Island
Capital
(and largest city)		 Georgetown
Official languages English
Government Dependency of St. Helena
 -  Administrator Michael Hill
First inhabited 1815 
Area
 -  Total 91 km² (222nd)
35 sq mi 
 -  Water (%) 0
Population
 -   estimate 1,100 (n/a)
 -  Density 22/km² (n/a)
57/sq mi
Currency Saint Helena pound
(US dollars accepted) (SHP)
Time zone UTC (UTC+0)
Internet TLD .ac
Calling code +247

Ascension Island is an island in the South Atlantic Ocean, around 966 miles (1,600 km) from the coast of Africa. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland uses as its national flag the royal banner locally known as the Union Flag or popularly Union Jack The Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom is the official Coat of arms of the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's "God Save the Queen", or "God Save the King", is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth realms It is the National Georgetown is the capital of Ascension Island on the west coast of the island An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. A dependent territory dependent area or dependency is a territory that does not possess full political Independence or Sovereignty as a Saint Helena (pronounced saint he-LEE-na) named after St Helena of Constantinople, is an island of volcanic origin and a British overseas territory The Administrator of Ascension Island is the head of government and representative of the Governor of Saint Helena in Ascension Island. Michael Hill is the Administrator of Ascension Island, a dependency of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. To aid in the comparison of sizes of different geographic regions areas between 1  Km² (100 Hectares and 10 km² (1000 hectares are listed below This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a Fraction of 100 ( per cent meaning "per hundred" In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is The Saint Helena pound (also called simply " pound " is the currency of the British overseas territories of Saint Helena and The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established A country This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand It is a dependency of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, which is 800 miles (1,287 km) to the south east. The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories that are under the Sovereignty of the United Kingdom, but which do not form part of the United Kingdom Saint Helena (pronounced saint he-LEE-na) named after St Helena of Constantinople, is an island of volcanic origin and a British overseas territory The Island is named after the day of its recorded discovery, Ascension Day. The general and most common understanding of the Christian Doctrine of Ascension holds that Jesus bodily ascended to Heaven in the presence It is located 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. The Falklands War (Guerra de las Malvinas/Guerra del Atlántico Sur also called the Falklands Conflict/Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the Ascension Island hosts one of five ground antennas (others are on Kwajalein, Diego Garcia, Colorado Springs and Hawaii) that assist in the operation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) navigational system. Kwajalein Atoll ( Marshallese: Kuwajleen; kʷuwːɔ͡ɛt̪ʲl̪ʲɪn̪ʲ common English pronunciation ˈkwɑːʤəlɨ̞n often nicknamed Kwaj Diego Garcia is the largest Atoll, in terms of land area in Chagos Archipelago, part of the British Indian Ocean Territory. The City of Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the County seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the Basic concept of GPS operation A GPS receiver calculates its position by carefully timing the signals sent by the constellation of GPS Satellites high above the Earth

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. The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom is the official Coat of arms of the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II.

Contents

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. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. João da Nova (ʒuˈɐ̃w̃ dɐ ˈnɔvɐ or Juan de Nova (born c When in 1503 Alphonse d'Albuquerque (Afonso of Albuquerque, a 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. Dom Afonso de Albuquerque (or Afonso d'Albuquerque - disused (ɐˈfõsu dɨ aɫbuˈkɛɾk(ɨ (1453 Alhandra - Goa, December 16 1515 was a Portuguese The general and most common understanding of the Christian Doctrine of Ascension holds that Jesus bodily ascended to Heaven in the presence 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. Seabirds are Birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment "Chelonia" redirects here It is also the name of the Superorder uniting turtles tortoises and terrapins ( Testudines) with the "proto-turtle" The Portuguese also introduced goats, as a source of meat for future mariners. The domestic goat ( Capra aegagrus hircus) is a subspecies of goat Domesticated from the Wild goat of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe

In February 1701, HMS Roebuck, commanded by William Dampier, went down in the common anchoring spot in Clarence Bay to the northwest of the island. There have been sixteen Royal Navy ships called HMS Roebuck after a small deer native to the British Isles William Dampier ( 5 September 1651 (baptised &ndash March 1715 was an English Buccaneer, sea captain Author and scientific observer 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). [1]

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 ship's officer, Leendert Hasenbosch, who was set ashore at Clarence Bay as a punishment for sodomy in May 1725. The Dutch people ( Dutch:) are the dominant Ethnic group of the Netherlands. Leendert Hasenbosch, (c1695–probably end of 1725 was a Dutchman an employee of the Dutch East India Company (VOC who was set ashore as a Castaway on uninhabited Sodomy (ˈsɒdəmi is a term used today predominantly in Law (derived from traditional Christian usage to describe the act of Anal intercourse, Oral intercourse 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 on St Helena to the southeast. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. Saint Helena (pronounced saint he-LEE-na) named after St Helena of Constantinople, is an island of volcanic origin and a British overseas territory The Royal Navy officially designated the island as a stone frigate, "HMS Ascension", with the classification of "Sloop of War of the smaller class". The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) Stone frigate is a nickname for a naval establishment on land

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. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) The West Africa Squadron, established in 1808 after the passing of the Slave Trade Act in 1807 was a unit of the Royal Navy that was involved in the suppression The history of slavery uncovers many different forms of human exploitation across many cultures throughout history A garrison of Royal Marines were based at Ascension from 1923. The Royal Marines ( RM) are the marine corps and amphibious Infantry of the United Kingdom and along with the Royal Navy 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. Cable & Wireless ( is a British Telecommunications company In the mid-1980s it became the first company in the UK to offer an alternative Telephone The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa In 1922, Letters Patent made Ascension a dependency of Saint Helena. Letters patent are a type of Legal instrument in the form of an Open letter issued by a Monarch or Government, granting an office right Saint Helena (pronounced saint he-LEE-na) named after St Helena of Constantinople, is an island of volcanic origin and a British overseas territory The island was managed by the head of the Eastern Telegraph Company on the island until 1964 when the British Government appointed an Administrator to represent the Governor of Saint Helena on Ascension. An Administrator ( Administrator of the Government, Officer Administering the Government) in the constitutional practice of some countries in the Commonwealth

During World War II, the United States built an airbase on Ascension Island, known as "Wideawake", after a nearby colony of Sooty Terns (locally called 'Wideawake' birds because of their loud, distinctive call, which would wake people early in the morning). World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Sooty Tern, Onychoprion fuscatus (formerly Sterna fuscata) is a Seabird of the Tern family (Sternidae The airbase, which was under construction by the 38th Combat Engineer Battalion of the Army Corp of Engineers, was unexpectedly visited by two RAF Swordfish torpedo planes on 15 June 1942. According to one of the pilots, Peter Jinks, the planes were fired upon before being recognized as allies. The Swordfish proceeded to land on the unfinished airstrip, thus becoming the first aircraft to land on Ascension Island. The event was later commemorated with a postage stamp 15 June 1982.

The Airfield was used by the US military as a stopping point for American aircraft crossing the Atlantic Ocean 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 9 December 1941. Events 536 - Byzantine General Belisarius enters Rome while the Ostrogothic garrison peacefully leaves the city Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. At around mid-day, the U-boat U-124 approached Georgetown on the surface with the intention of sinking any ships at anchor or shelling the cable station. U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word, itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot ( undersea boat) and refers Georgetown is the capital of Ascension Island on the west coast of the island 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. The guns are 5. 5inch guns removed from HMS Hood.

With the space race and the Cold War, Americans returned in 1956. The Space Race was a competition of space exploration between the Soviet Union and the United States, which lasted roughly from 1957 to 1975 Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the 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. NASA 's Space Shuttle, officially called the Space Transportation System ( STS) is the Spacecraft currently used by the United States The US Air Force used the island as part of their Eastern Test Range. 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 National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program 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 Falklands War (Guerra de las Malvinas/Guerra del Atlántico Sur also called the Falklands Conflict/Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the The Royal Air Force deployed a fleet of Vulcan bombers and Victor tankers at the airfield. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The opening shots of the British offensive were launched from Ascension by Vulcans in Operation Black Buck. During the Falklands War, Operations Black Buck 1 to Black Buck 7 was a series of seven extremely long-range ground attack missions 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. Royal Air Force Station Ascension, more commonly known as RAF Ascension Island, and sometimes known as Ascension Island Base, is a British military RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, about 50 miles west of London, England, United Kingdom, is the largest airbase of the Royal Air Force RAF Mount Pleasant (also known as Mount Pleasant Airport, Mount Pleasant Complex or MPA) is a military base for the Royal Air Force in

Politics

Ascension is a dependency of Saint Helena, an overseas territory of the United Kingdom. Saint Helena (pronounced saint he-LEE-na) named after St Helena of Constantinople, is an island of volcanic origin and a British overseas territory A dependent territory dependent area or dependency is a territory that does not possess full political Independence or Sovereignty as a The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Executive authority is vested in The Queen, who is represented by the Governor of Saint Helena. For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II The Governor of Saint Helena is the representative of the British monarch in the United Kingdom 's overseas territory of Saint Helena. As the Governor resides in Jamestown, Saint Helena, an Administrator is appointed to represent the Governor on Ascension Island. Jamestown (population c 1000 is a Harbour and the Capital of Saint Helena at. An Administrator ( Administrator of the Government, Officer Administering the Government) in the constitutional practice of some countries in the Commonwealth

As a result of changes in the constitutional arrangements for Ascension Island, the first Island Council was elected and took office on 1 November 2002. Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Six of the seven members resigned in January 2007 on the grounds that they were "assisting to legitimise a democracy that doesn’t really exist on Ascension Island". [1]

Consequently, a general election was called, but by the close of nominations there were only two candidates. As a result of the boycott, the election was abandoned, and the governor suspended the Island Council for 12 months. It was stated that an election would take place in April 2008. [2]

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

Geography

Ascension Island lava flows and cinder cones.
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 craters have been identified. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR is a Mid-ocean ridge, a Divergent tectonic plate boundary located along the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. Lava is molten rock expelled by a Volcano during an eruption When first expelled from a volcanic vent it is a Liquid at Temperatures A cinder cone or scoria cone is a steep conical Hill of volcanic fragments that accumulate around and downwind from a Volcanic vent. A volcanic crater is a circular depression in the ground caused by volcanic activity

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. Green Mountain is a common name for "The Peak" on Ascension Island which has gained some fame for claims that Its highest point is at 2,817 feet (859 m). A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International

Off the east coast of Ascension is the tiny island of Boatswain Bird Island. Boatswain Bird Island is an Island some 270 meters off the east coast of Ascension Island in the South Atlantic Ocean with an area of approximately 5 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 Protection of Birds, the main island was in 2006 declared free of feral cats, and sea birds are now once again nesting on Ascension Island. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds ( RSPB) is a British Charitable organisation which works to promote conservation and protection

Ascension's climate is subtropical, with temperatures at the coast ranging from about 68 to 88 degrees Fahrenheit (20–31 °C), and about 10 degrees cooler at the highest point. Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724 The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. 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. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 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. Royal Air Force Station Ascension, more commonly known as RAF Ascension Island, and sometimes known as Ascension Island Base, is a British military Other residents include some British government employees including the island's British Administrator.

There are five settlements, the capital being Georgetown:

  1. Georgetown (pop. Georgetown is the capital of Ascension Island on the west coast of the island Georgetown is the capital of Ascension Island on the west coast of the island 560)
  2. Cat Hill (Main Base, the U. S. base, pop. 150)
  3. The Residency (pop. 3)
  4. Traveller's Hill (Wideawake, the Royal Air Force base, pop. 200)
  5. Two Boats village (pop. Two Boats is a village at the foot of Green Mountain Ascension Island, about 3 miles from Wideawake Field. 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, it is an issue now disputed by Council members and long-time employees and also their family members.

Economy

View of "The Pier", 1938.
View of "The Pier", 1938.

The main economic activity on the island is centred on the military bases at Wideawake Airfield. The MOD estate and facilities are managed by the infrastructure support provider Interserve defence. Serco manages the airport services with Sodexho providing catering and domestic facilities. Serco Group plc ( is a Business Services company based in Hook North Hampshire of the United Kingdom A former feature of Ascension was a 70,000 tonne tanker permanently moored offshore that was operated by Maersk as a bulk fuel facility. The A P Moller-Maersk Group ( AP Møller-Mærsk Gruppen) is an international Business conglomerate more commonly known simply as Maersk. 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 Ascension Island postage stamps, first issued in 1922. Ascension Island is an island in the South Atlantic Ocean, a dependency of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena. 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. Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing, is Fishing for Pleasure or Competition. 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 three times in the last four 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. Cable & Wireless ( is a British Telecommunications company In the mid-1980s it became the first company in the UK to offer an alternative Telephone 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. The European Space Agency ( ESA) established in 1975 is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 17 member Ariane 5 is a European Expendable launch French Guiana (Guyane française officially fr ''Guyane'' is an Overseas department (French département d'outre-mer, or DOM) of France

Banking

The Bank of St. Helena has a branch on the Island. The Bank of St Helena is a Commercial bank based on the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, also operating in the dependent territory of Ascension Domestic transfers to the UK are possible, as Saint Helena and all its dependencies 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). Royal Air Force Station Ascension, more commonly known as RAF Ascension Island, and sometimes known as Ascension Island Base, is a British military RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, about 50 miles west of London, England, United Kingdom, is the largest airbase of the Royal Air Force RAF Mount Pleasant (also known as Mount Pleasant Airport, Mount Pleasant Complex or MPA) is a military base for the Royal Air Force in 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. Omni Air International is a United States charter Airline, based in Tulsa Oklahoma, USA. The United States maintains a weekly flight between the island and Patrick Air Force Base in Florida. Patrick Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base located between Satellite Beach and Cocoa Beach, in Brevard County, Florida Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the 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 visits Ascension Island approximately once a month linking the island to Walvis Bay (Namibia), St Helena and Cape Town. The RMS St Helena is a cargo and passenger ship that serves the British overseas territory of Saint Helena. Cape Town (Kaapstad Xhosa: Ikapa) is the second most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the metropolitan municipality of the 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 article: 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. Saint Helena, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha as well the other uninhabited islands nearby are a haven for wildlife in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean "Chelonia" redirects here It is also the name of the Superorder uniting turtles tortoises and terrapins ( Testudines) with the "proto-turtle" Sooty Terns or "Wideawake Birds" nest in great seashore lava "fairs". The Sooty Tern, Onychoprion fuscatus (formerly Sterna fuscata) is a Seabird of the Tern family (Sternidae Lava is molten rock expelled by a Volcano during an eruption When first expelled from a volcanic vent it is a Liquid at Temperatures Other seabirds include some types of boobies, petrels and tropicbirds (named boatswain birds by the inhabitants of the island), White Tern, Brown Noddy, Black Noddy and Ascension Frigatebird. Seabirds are Birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment This article is about the petrel seabirds For other uses see Petrel (disambiguation. Tropicbirds are a family, Phaethontidae, of tropical pelagic Seabirds There are three species in one Genus Phaethon The White Tern ( Gygis alba) is a small Seabird found across the Tropical oceans of the world The Brown Noddy or Common Noddy Anous stolidus is a Seabird from the Tern family. The Black Noddy or White-capped Noddy ( Anous minutus) is a Seabird from the Tern family. The Ascension Frigatebird ( Fregata aquila) breeds only on the tiny Boatswainbird Island near Ascension Island in the tropical Atlantic Ocean On land are found such non-native birds such as canaries, francolins, mynahs, sparrows, and waxbills. The Canary ( Serinus canaria) also called the Island Canary, Atlantic Canary or Common Canary, is a small Passerine Bird The francolins are Birds of the genus Francolinus. They are members of the pheasant family Phasianidae. Distinguish from Miner and Minor. The mynas (also spelt mynahs) are birds of the Starling family The "true sparrows" the Old World sparrows in the family Passeridae, are small Passerine Birds Generally sparrows tend to be The estrildid finches are small Passerine Birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia. A variety of mammals have been introduced: donkey, sheep, cats and rats among others. Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands The donkey or ass, Equus asinus, is a member of the Equidae or horse family and an odd-toed ungulate. Rats are various medium sized long-tailed Rodents of the superfamily Muroidea Reptiles consist of two species of lizards. Reptiles, or members of the class Reptilia are air-breathing Cold-blooded Vertebrates that have skin covered in scales as opposed to hair or feathers Lizards are a large and widespread group of Reptiles of the order Squamata, with nearly 5000 species and ranging across all continents except In summer, flies are known to be problematic. True flies are Insects of the Order Diptera ( Greek: di = two and pteron = wing possessing a single pair of 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 British mariners for use as replacement masts for sailing ships should the need arise. Bamboo is a group of Woody perennial Evergreen Plants in the True grass family Poaceae, subfamily Araucaria heterophylla (synonym A excelsa) is a distinctive conifer, a member of the ancient and now disjointly distributed family Araucariaceae The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Sailing ship is now used to refer to any large Wind -powered Vessel. A few wild flowers narrowly abound such as periwinkle; cactus is present with land crabs in several large colonies near the sea and mountains. A cactus (plural cacti) is any member of the Spine plant family Cactaceae, native to the Americas Crabs are decapod Crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (βραχύ / brachy

Prosopis juliflora or the Mexican Thorn, has thrived on the barren lava of the island in recent years: growing on the edges of beaches this threatens the green turtle[3]. Prosopis juliflora ( Spanish: bayahonda blanca) is a shrub or small tree native to Mexico, South America and the Caribbean "Chelonia" redirects here It is also the name of the Superorder uniting turtles tortoises and terrapins ( Testudines) with the "proto-turtle"

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. Boatswain Bird Island is an Island some 270 meters off the east coast of Ascension Island in the South Atlantic Ocean with an area of approximately 5

Offshore, there is a variety of open-ocean fish, including sharks, wahoo, tuna, bonito, barracuda, marlin, blackfish and sailfish. Sharks ( Superorder Selachimorpha) are a type of Fish with a full cartilaginous Skeleton and a highly streamlined body wahoo ( Acanthocybium solandri) is a dark blue scombrid Fish found worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas Tuna, are several Species of ocean-dwelling Fish in the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. Bonito (Spanish and Portuguese for "beautiful" is a name given to various species of medium-sized Predatory fish of the genus Sarda, in the Mackerel The barracuda is a Ray-finned fish known for its large size (up to 16 ft in length and up to a foot in width for some species) and fearsome appearance Marlin, Istiophoridae, is a member of a larger grouping of marine Fishes known as "billfish" of which several are popular in Big-game fishing This article is about the fish For the submarines see ''USS'' 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. UserPolbot. --> Pteris adscensionis is a species of Fern in the Pteridaceae family UserPolbot. --> Asplenium ascensionis is a species of Fern in the Aspleniaceae family UserPolbot. --> Euphorbia origanoides (also called Ascension Spurge) is a species of Plant in the UserPolbot. --> Oldenlandia adscenionis was a species of Plant in the Rubiaceae family UserPolbot. --> Sporobolus durus was a species of Grass in the Poaceae family found only on Ascension In June 2005 the first ever National Park on Ascension Island, the Green Mountain National Park, was opened.

See also

Bibliography

References

  1. ^ see Duff Hart-Davis, Ascension, the story of a South Atlantic island.

External links

Dictionary

Ascension Island

-proper noun

  1. An island in the South Atlantic that is a British dependency of Saint Helena.
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