Jamestown, Saint Helena facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jamestown
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View of the harbor of Jamestown (1970)
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| Country | Saint Helena |
| Founded | 1659 |
| Population
(2016)
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| • Total | 630 (est) |
Jamestown is the capital of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, located on the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is also the historic main settlement of the island and is on its north-western coast. It is the island's only port and the centre of the island's road and communications network.
It was founded when colonists from the English East India Company settled on the island in 1659 and was briefly occupied by the Dutch East India Company in 1673 before being recaptured. Many of the buildings built by the East India Company in the 1700s survive and give the town its distinctive Georgian flavour.
The town's most known feature is Jacob's Ladder. It is a walkway up the mountains with 699 steps. The ladder was built in 1829 to connect Jamestown to the military base on Ladder Hill. The ladder is very popular with tourists. It is beautifully lit at night. Each year, people come from all over the world to take part in a timed run up the ladder.
Description
The town has some very fine examples of British Georgian era Colonial Architecture and is proposed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Many buildings are also built out of volcanic rock from the local area. The town is complete with a church, and port facilities for unloading goods delivered to the island. Jamestown is the main centre of the island's road network and communications.
It is a small town situated between large steep cliffs, which are not suitable for building. Therefore Jamestown is quite densely populated, and is rather long and thin, it also has a large number of tight, long and winding streets. The settlement is built on a large amount of volcanic rock. The temperature in this area is some 5 degrees warmer than the rest of the island, because of the difference in altitude between Jamestown and the rest of the island. The area is rough and steep. The surrounding waters can be quite rough at times, and there is a sea wall to protect the settlement.
Images for kids
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A view of James Bay in 1794
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View down Jacob's Ladder
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Map of the districts of the island
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Central Jamestown from above in 2020
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St James' Church in 1984
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See also
In Spanish: Jamestown (Santa Elena) para niños
