South America and South Atlantic Islands

Ascension Island (British Overseas Territory)
Last reviewed: 28 July 2009

Country information

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HISTORY

The Portuguese sea-farer Joao da Nova discovered the island in 1501. It has no indigenous population. In 1815, a small British garrison was stationed on Ascension.

It remained under Admiralty supervision until 1922, when it was made a dependency of St Helena. During the Second World War, the US Government established an airstrip and the US Space Command still use Ascension, primarily for the down-range tracking of missile launches. Ascension was also a staging post for the transport of troops and equipment to and from the Falklands during the conflict in 1982 and the RAF continues to have a base there to support its regular flights to the Falklands. The BBC World Service broadcasts radio programmes to Africa from Ascension and Cable and Wireless is also present on the island.