St. Helena is administered by a governor who is also president of the Legislative Council. Education is compulsory and free for children between 5 and 15 years old. The population in 1987 was 5,644. Ascension Island and the Falklands provide employment for a large number of Saints . There is a large Saint population in the UK and a substantial St. Helenian community settled in South Africa.
Saints are extremely hospitable and visitors to the island are made to feel very welcome.
Coffee crops with Sandy Bay in the Background St. Helena's main income is from the export of fish. St. Helena coffee is of very high quality but the production is quite small. Tourism operates on only a very limited scale. Less than one-third of the island is suitable for farming or forestry. There are no minerals and virtually no industry, but some locally grown timber is used for construction purposes.