View of Jamestown, Saint Helena from Jamestown bay. © Daniel Shimmin
St Helena is some 1,200 miles off the West African coast in the South Atlantic Ocean, and has been a British Overseas Territory since 1834. The population of St Helena is approximately 4,000, of which about one fifth live in the capital, Jamestown. The island has limited natural resources and the economy is typical of small islands with high import dependency, a non-diversified economic base, a relatively large public sector and out-migration.
DFID development assistance to St Helena is provided as budgetary aid, development aid and technical cooperation.