Discovered by the Portuguese Admiral Joao da Nova on the 21st May, 1502. He landed where the capital Jamestown stands today and built a chapel there. For over eighty years the Portuguese kept their discovery a secret. It then became a Dutch colony, before becoming a British possession (initially under the East India Company then the Crown). It was a strategically important port of call during the British Empire, until the opening of the Suez Canal and the advent of steamships.
St Helena’s remote location meant it was used as a place of exile for key prisoners during British rule. Prisoners includes some 6,000 Boers, King Dinuzulu, Bahraini princes and, of course,
Napoleon, who died on St Helena. The island also played an important role during the abolition of slavery. Several buildings in the islands capital are listed for their historic importance and Main Street in Jamestown has been described as ‘one of the best examples of unspoiled Georgian architecture anywhere in the world. Today it is a
British Overseas Territory, under the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the UK. Whereby St Helena has a UK appointed Governor as the head of government with a locally elected Legislative Council.
Learn more about the
history of St Helena
