where is ascension island

Ascension Island - An Island Radio Transmission Station By: Lisa Hagin 1/22/2019 On a 6-mile stretch of isolated volcanic rock located in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean lies Ascension Island, home of the BBC's Atlantic Relay Station serving most of Africa and South America. Ascension Island is a part of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, which is a British Overseas Territory (BOT) located in the South Atlantic Ocean. Ascension Island is just a dot on the globe: a tiny chunk of cinder, 90 kilometers square, almost half way between South America and Africa. The event was commemorated with a postage stamp 15 June 1982. These currents bring cooling effects around the eastern South Atlantic Ocean. This means that people are only allowed to remain in Ascension with the permissions of the Administrator or the Governor. Down towards the shore, I came nose-to-beak with the real reason for the name - hundreds of thousands of sooty terns, known as "wideawakes" for their constant cawing chatter, echoing ceaselessly day and night across dry lava plains. Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha is a British Overseas Territory located in the South Atlantic and consisting of the island of Saint Helena, Ascension Island, and the archipelago of Tristan da Cunha (including Gough Island).Its name was Saint Helena and Dependencies until 1 September 2009, when a new constitution came into force giving the three islands equal status as three . Det 2 works with various organizations including the Royal Air Force and Air Force Technical Applications Center. [12], Organised settlement of Ascension Island began in 1815, when the British garrisoned it as a precaution after imprisoning Napoleon on Saint Helena to the southeast. [citation needed] Wideawake Airfield expanded in the mid-1960s. The pounding Atlantic has barely begun to erode the contorted, charcoal-black lava flows that ring the island's shoreline, looking like they cooled yesterday. It's a place where Charles Darwin helped inspire an. In 1701, HMS Roebuck, the British Royal Navy warship, sank in Clarence Bay off the northwestern coast of Ascension. [103][104] As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and South African government response, the SA Airlink air service was suspended in April 2020. It is a beacon of marine conservation, research and sustainable management that is a source of pride for the people of Ascension and a valuable resource for future generations, both locally and globally. Weber's plan now is to use invasive species as part of a broader strategy, aimed at clawing back over the next century or two some of the mayhem sparked by Hooker and Darwin. [56], Off the east coast of Ascension is the islet of Boatswain Bird Island. We go to all of their functions and represent the U.S. Air Force, said Tech Sgt. 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). [24][25] In 1922, letters patent made Ascension a dependency of Saint Helena, with control being officially handed over to the Eastern Telegraph Company from the Admiralty on 20 October 1922. These are both inhabited territories with a population that is not directly connected to St. Helena and have their own identities, elected governments and flags. The airbase fell into disuse following the American departure at the end of World War II. It was stated that an election would take place in April 2008 but following consultations this was extended to October. From 2017, the runway was becoming increasingly unserviceable and a mixture of A400 and C17 planes landed at Ascension every three weeks to supply the RAF operation and deliver mail. Fishing in Ascension Island - Atlantic Fishing Charter / AFC To enter Ascension Island, individuals must apply for a visa prior to their arrival. Small island, big mission - Ascension Island supports 45 SW The battery remains largely intact, together with its guns, BL 5.5 inch Mark I naval guns removed from HMSHood during a refit in Malta in 1938. [41], In 2009 the St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Constitution Order 2009 elevated Ascension Island, and Tristan da Cunha to equal constituent parts of the territory alongside Saint Helena, with their own governments and established the position of Governor of Ascension. Ascension Island 2023: Best Places to Visit - Tripadvisor The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The RAF also used the base to supply the task force. More than 5,000 miles away from Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, sits a 35 square-mile dormant volcano, and atop of that sits an Air Force base that is fueled by hard work and relationships. Yet sailors visiting in 1726 discovered a tent and a diary. On a superficial level it looks like a tropical paradise - it's humid, there's lots of plants - but if you scratch the surface it really doesn't go a lot beyond that. The EEZ covers an area of over 440,000 square kilometres (170,000sqmi), making it one of the largest in the world. [62] The island was formerly home to the endemic Ascension crake, but the species has been extinct since the early nineteenth century. And the BBC didn't help. Ascension Island is an isolated and relatively young volcanic island in the South Atlantic Ocean, some 100 km (62 mi) west of the mid-Atlantic Ridge, 1,504 km (935 mi) from Liberia (Cape Palmas), and 2,232 km (1,387 mi) from Brazil ( Recife ). Green mountain is the coolest part of the island it's completely different to the barren volcanic lava flows and ash that makes up most of Ascension. [42], In 2016, the United States Department of Energy started operating a mobile climate research facility on the island. Ascension | British Overseas Territory, Atlantic Ocean Other seabirds include some types of boobies, petrels, and tropicbirds (named boatswain, pronounced BO-sun birds, by the inhabitants of the island), white tern, brown noddy, black noddy and Ascension frigatebird. The largest land animal was a variety of land crab. It also receives broadcasts from the British Forces Broadcasting Service and television services for the US military. Ascension Island - Stepping Stone to Victory", "Settlers wanted for a quiet life. The fee can be paid in British pounds, Euros, US dollars or South African rand. Since I stepped foot on the ground the locals have been nothing but respectful, helpful and willing to share their culture, said Jackson. The coins of the Saint Helena pound specify that they are for use on both Saint Helena and Ascension Island, but with no mention of Tristan da Cunha, whereas the banknotes only say "Government of St. Helena". Ascension: The island where nothing makes sense - BBC News Ascension Island is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, just south of the equator, 700 miles (1150 km) northwest of Saint Helena, the United Kingdom territory by which it is administered. [17], Beginning in July 1877, the astronomer Sir David Gill and his wife Isobel spent six months on Ascension Island. British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic Ocean, This article is about the island in the South Atlantic Ocean. It ended the "dependency" status of Ascension and Tristan da Cunha on Saint Helena that had been in place, for administrative convenience, since 1922.[72]. Sailors would haul these beasts - which can weigh as much as 250kg - away to their ships and "turn" them, keeping them alive on their backs, sometimes for weeks, before boiling them up for soup. [91][92], In 2003 the British and US governments signed the Wideawake agreement designed to allow a limited number of non-scheduled civilian aircraft to land on Ascension Island, under responsibility of the British government. It may appear differently on other platforms. An Entry Permit for St Helena costs 20 and allows a stay of up to 183 days. This was to take advantage of the near approach of Mars occurring that year. Welcome The Ascension Island Marine Protected Area safeguards a unique natural ecosystem at the heart of the Atlantic Ocean. In June 2005 the first National Park on Ascension Island, the Green Mountain National Park, was opened. Several varieties of donkeys, cats, sheep, and other domesticated animals have also been introduced here. Duff Hart-Davis, The Spectator 17 October 2015, "The Stone Frigate Sails On", p.16. The British used Ascension Island as a guard post and naval staging area to make sure nobody tried to help Napoleon escape from St. Helena. [29] The United States Space Force uses the island as part of its Eastern Range. Numerous fish species like barracuda, blackfish, bonito, tuna, wahoo, sharks, marlin are found in the surrounding waters. [7] [8] "A conservative estimate is that there's now about 38,000 of these bushes," says Weber. Last recorded in 1656. Sport fishing is the main attraction for many of the visitors. [35][36] The island retains a role in space exploration: the European Space Agency now operates an Ariane monitoring facility there. The British government put in place a policy that there is no "right of abode" in Ascension Island. It is also home to endemic species of psuedoscorpion. Climate: The climate is sub-tropical with temperatures ranging from 20C to 38C. The island's location makes it a first point of Atlantic reception for acoustics from the other oceans. Population: ~ 1,000; the island has never had an indigenous population and currently it is not possible to own land or a business there. The Ascension Island is mostly barren with only a few endemic plants like ferns and spurges. 2. [60], After cats were introduced to Ascension Island in 1815, large seabird breeding colonies were quickly wiped out everywhere except in small cat-inaccessible areas, such as on the offshore Boatswain Bird Island. He would plant trees all over the 859m (2817ft) summit of Green Mountain, Ascension's highest point. This page was last edited on 18 July 2023, at 18:50. List of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha animals extinct in Charles Darwin described it as an arid, treeless island, with nothing growing near the coast. A volcanic peak rising from 100 kilometres (62mi) west of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, much of the island is a wasteland of lava flows and cinder cones; forty-four distinct dormant craters have been identified. Numerous alkaline rocks including basalt, rhyolite, trachyte, and trachyandesite have been observed on Ascension Island. Whilst the Ascension Island Government is distinct from the St Helena Government, the Governor of St Helena is also Governor of Ascension. [citation needed] On 22 October the Cruizer-class brig-sloops Zenobia and Peruvian claimed the island for King George III. Hooker devised a plan. Following a two-year campaign, feral cats were eradicated by 2004 and seabirds began to recolonise the main island.[61]. Ascension Island was discovered by the Portuguese navigator Joo da Nova in 1501 and named Conception Island, but was rediscovered in 1503 on Ascension Day by Alphonse de Albuquerque and renamed. Tristan da Cunha however uses the pound sterling rather than the Saint Helena pound. Both the BBC and Cable & Wireless Worldwide (owned by Vodafone since 2012)[87] have communications posts there. It's a place where Charles Darwin helped inspire an alarming change, writes Matthew Teller. Five ratings died while on a recreational boat trip in 1879. As a result of changes in the constitutional arrangements for Ascension Island, a unicameral Legislative Council with advisory powers was introduced in 2002. Sea Captains, Ships, Merchant Marines, Merchandise, Migrations", "Space Force units are already operating worldwide, and experts expect more to pop up soon", Reception At Ascension Island, South Atlantic, of the Transmissions From The Heard Island Feasibility Test (NOAA Technical Memorandum ERL AOML-73), "From Sheep to Sound Waves, the Data Confirms a Nuclear Test", "Part 19. Four years later, Hooker, with much encouragement from Darwin, advised the Royal Navy that with the help of Kew Gardens, they should institute a long-term plan of shipping trees to Ascension. This is managed by the Air Force, but is open to civilians, with a quota of tickets available on each flight. One sweltering afternoon I drove out past Wideawake Airfield, popularly believed to have been named for its role as a late-night refuelling stop for RAF planes flying between the UK and the Falklands. However, this change should not necessarily imply that the practice of St. Helena, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha sharing the same Governor should come to an end.[74]. This, alongside Weber's work on Green Mountain preserving introduced ficus trees as makeshift habitats for the struggling native ferns, pushes Ascension's oddity into new areas. Ascension Island - Saint Helena - Atlas Obscura Ascension Island covers an area of about 88 km2 and is a volcanic islet that comprises over 44 distinct dormant volcanic craters. Nasa tracked the Apollo Moon landings from Ascension. A secondary export is the international internet domain code .ac, which small UK educational colleges and science museums are favouring due to its similarity to .ac.uk, the domain code reserved for well-established UK academic institutions. The Royal Navy used the island as a victualling station for ships, particularly those of the West Africa Squadron working against the slave trade. On October 22, 1815, the island was captured by the British Royal Navy ships HSM Peruvian and HSM Zenobia and was transformed into a naval base. Today the dry, stiff-thorned mesquite runs riot, dominating whole swathes of Ascension's terrain. This would enable exploration into possible new reserves of oil, gas and minerals, though none are thought to exist. Having found an area on the south west of the island seemingly less affected, they then had to determine how to move 20 tons of delicate observational equipment to the new location. Ascension Island is a remote volcanic island located in the heart of the tropical South Atlantic Ocean. Costing The Earth: The Mars of the Mid-Atlantic, presented by Peter Gibbs and produced by Matthew Teller, is on BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday 19 April, at 15:30 BST. Ascension's sister island and closest point of comparison . All of the effort was ultimately a success producing a solar distance of 93.08 0.16 million miles, not far off the modern measurement of 92.9558. For more information on currency in the wider region, see British currency in the South Atlantic and the Antarctic. The airport - whose runway was once the longest in the world, designed to accommodate the Space Shuttle - is operated by the US Air Force, which grants limited access to Britain. [14], Ascension Island has the international calling code +247 and, from 1 June 2015 has five digit numbers (the old four-digit number prefixed by the digit "6" and "4" for mobile telephones).[88]. [2] RAF Ascension Island is made up of 17 staff. [73] In practice the Administrator is the head of the Ascension Island Government and is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Government. [93][94], Poor runway conditions at RAF Ascension Island led in April 2017 to the cancellation of twice-weekly flights from there to the UK (RAF Brize Norton) and to the Falkland Islands (RAF Mount Pleasant). Boatswain Bird Island Sanctuary is a barren, steep island rising to 104m, with a relatively flat top, located off the coast of Letterbox Peninsula. [39] In particular, the Post-Detect Telemetry System used to acquire launch vehicle telemetry includes a station on Ascension. We are a few minutes' drive from the sweltering lava plains, but up here it's mild and breezy. The island was originally a dry, barren islet that was not at all appealing to most passing vessels except for the collection of fresh meat, and hence the island was not claimed by the Portuguese Crown. [102], Following the retirement of the RMS St Helena in 2018, the South African airline SA Airlink has operated an inter-island air service between St Helena and Ascension once a month. [7] [8]. The island was used extensively as a staging point by the British military during the Falklands War. Saint Helena is approximately 1,300 km southeast of Ascension Island while the Tristan da Cunha archipelago is located about 4,300 km southwest of Saint Helena. Ascension Island - WorldAtlas Dry and barren, the island had little appeal for passing ships except for collecting fresh meat, and was not claimed for the Portuguese Crown. Why choose the easy solution when the hard way is much more satisfying? His diary was published in translation in London later that same year, under the title Sodomy Punish'd. [68] Eventually, candidates were elected to form a new Island Council, which was sworn in on 27 October 2008. [38] As of 2007[update] NASA continued to list Ascension Island as a "downrange site" used for range safety instrumentation. He noted the care taken to sustain "houses, gardens & fields placed near the summit of the central mountain," and cisterns at roadsides to provide drinking water. [65], Six of the seven members resigned in January 2007 in the belief that they were "assisting to legitimise a democracy that doesn't really exist on Ascension Island".
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