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NBA Most Valuable Player Award
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The National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1955–56 season to the best performing player of the regular season.
The winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named in honor of the first commissioner (then president)[a] of the NBA, who served from 1946 until 1963.
Until the 1979–80 season, the MVP was selected by a vote of NBA players. Since the 1980–81 season, the award is decided by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada.
Each member of the voting panel casts a vote for first to fifth place selections. Each first-place vote is worth 10 points; each second-place vote is worth seven; each third-place vote is worth five, fourth-place is worth three and fifth-place is worth one. Starting from 2010, one ballot was cast by fans through online voting. The player with the highest point total wins the award.[2] As of June 2018[update], the current holder of the award is James Harden of the Houston Rockets.
Every player who has won this award and has been eligible for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has been inducted. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the award a record six times.[3] Both Bill Russell and Michael Jordan won the award five times,[4] while Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James won the award four times. Russell and James are the only players to have won the award four times in five seasons.[5] Moses Malone, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson each won the award three times, while Bob Pettit, Karl Malone, Tim Duncan, Steve Nash and Stephen Curry have each won it twice.[4] Only two rookies have won the award: Wilt Chamberlain in the 1959–60 season and Wes Unseld in the 1968–69 season.[6] Hakeem Olajuwon of Nigeria,[b] Tim Duncan of the U.S. Virgin Islands,[c] Steve Nash of Canada[d] and Dirk Nowitzki of Germany are the only MVP winners considered "international players" by the NBA.[9]
Stephen Curry in 2015–16 is the only player to have won the award unanimously. Shaquille O'Neal in 1999–2000 and LeBron James in 2012–13 are the only two players to have fallen one vote shy of a unanimous selection, both receiving 120 of 121 votes.[e][5] Russell Westbrook, is the first to have played for a team that failed to win at least 50 regular-season games since the 1982–83 season.[f][11][12] Every player to have won the award has made at least one appearance as a player in the NBA Finals, with the exceptions of Steve Nash and Derrick Rose.
Contents
1 Winners
2 Multi-time winners
3 See also
4 Notes
5 References
Winners
Bill Russell (left) won the award five times in his NBA career. Wilt Chamberlain (center) won the award four times in his career.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the award a record-setting six times in his career.
Michael Jordan won the award five times in his career.
LeBron James is a four-time NBA MVP.
Tim Duncan, of the San Antonio Spurs, won back-to-back Most Valuable Player awards in the '01-02 and '02-03 seasons.
Derrick Rose became the youngest player to ever win the award at age 22.
Stephen Curry won back-to-back MVP awards and was the first unanimous winner in the '15-16 season.[13]
James Harden is the reigning MVP.
^ Denotes player who is still active in the NBA
* Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Denotes player whose team won championship that year
Player (X) Denotes the number of times the player had been named MVP at that time
Team (X) Denotes the number of times a player from this team had won at that time
Season
Player
Position
Nationality
Team
1955–56
Bob Pettit*
Power forward United States St. Louis Hawks
1956–57
Bob Cousy*
Point guard United States Boston Celtics
1957–58
Bill Russell*
Center United States Boston Celtics (2)
1958–59
Bob Pettit* (2)
Power forward United States St. Louis Hawks (2)
1959–60
Wilt Chamberlain*
Center United States Philadelphia Warriors
1960–61
Bill Russell* (2)
Center United States Boston Celtics (3)
1961–62
Bill Russell* (3)
Center United States Boston Celtics (4)
1962–63
Bill Russell* (4)
Center United States Boston Celtics (5)
1963–64
Oscar Robertson*
Point guard United States Cincinnati Royals
1964–65
Bill Russell* (5)
Center United States Boston Celtics (6)
1965–66
Wilt Chamberlain* (2)
Center United States Philadelphia 76ers
1966–67
Wilt Chamberlain* (3)
Center United States Philadelphia 76ers (2)
1967–68
Wilt Chamberlain* (4)
Center United States Philadelphia 76ers (3)
1968–69
Wes Unseld*
Center/Forward United States Baltimore Bullets
1969–70
Willis Reed*
Center United States New York Knicks
1970–71
AaaLew Alcindor*[g]
Center United States Milwaukee Bucks
1971–72
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar*[g] (2)
Center United States Milwaukee Bucks (2)
1972–73
Dave Cowens*
Center United States Boston Celtics (7)
1973–74
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar*[g] (3)
Center United States Milwaukee Bucks (3)
1974–75
Bob McAdoo*
Power forward United States Buffalo Braves
1975–76
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar*[g] (4)
Center United States Los Angeles Lakers
1976–77
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar*[g] (5)
Center United States Los Angeles Lakers (2)
1977–78
Bill Walton*
Center United States Portland Trail Blazers
1978–79
Moses Malone*
Center United States Houston Rockets
1979–80
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar*[g] (6)
Center United States Los Angeles Lakers (3)
1980–81
Julius Erving*
Small forward United States Philadelphia 76ers (4)
1981–82
Moses Malone* (2)
Center United States Houston Rockets (2)
1982–83
Moses Malone* (3)
Center United States Philadelphia 76ers (5)
1983–84
Larry Bird*
Small forward United States Boston Celtics (8)
1984–85
Larry Bird* (2)
Small forward United States Boston Celtics (9)
1985–86
Larry Bird* (3)
Small forward United States Boston Celtics (10)
1986–87
Magic Johnson*
Point guard United States Los Angeles Lakers (4)
1987–88
Michael Jordan*
Shooting guard United States Chicago Bulls
1988–89
Magic Johnson* (2)
Point guard United States Los Angeles Lakers (5)
1989–90
Magic Johnson* (3)
Point guard United States Los Angeles Lakers (6)
1990–91
Michael Jordan* (2)
Shooting guard United States Chicago Bulls (2)
1991–92
Michael Jordan* (3)
Shooting guard United States Chicago Bulls (3)
1992–93
Charles Barkley*
Power forward United States Phoenix Suns
1993–94
Hakeem Olajuwon*
Center Nigeria[b] Houston Rockets (3)
1994–95
David Robinson*
Center United States San Antonio Spurs
1995–96
Michael Jordan* (4)
Shooting guard United States Chicago Bulls (4)
1996–97
Karl Malone*
Power forward United States Utah Jazz
1997–98
Michael Jordan* (5)
Shooting guard United States Chicago Bulls (5)
1998–99
Karl Malone* (2) [h]
Power forward United States Utah Jazz (2)
1999–00
Shaquille O'Neal*
Center United States Los Angeles Lakers (7)
2000–01
Allen Iverson*
Shooting guard United States Philadelphia 76ers (6)
2001–02
Tim Duncan
Power forward United States[c] San Antonio Spurs (2)
2002–03
Tim Duncan (2)
Power forward United States[c] San Antonio Spurs (3)
2003–04
Kevin Garnett
Power forward United States Minnesota Timberwolves
2004–05
Steve Nash*
Point guard Canada[d] Phoenix Suns (2)
2005–06
Steve Nash* (2)
Point guard Canada[d] Phoenix Suns (3)
2006–07
Dirk Nowitzki^
Power forward Germany Dallas Mavericks
2007–08
Kobe Bryant
Shooting guard United States Los Angeles Lakers (8)
2008–09
LeBron James^
Small forward United States Cleveland Cavaliers
2009–10
LeBron James^ (2)
Small forward United States Cleveland Cavaliers (2)
2010–11
Derrick Rose^ [i]
Point guard United States Chicago Bulls (6)
2011–12
LeBron James^ (3)
Small forward United States Miami Heat
2012–13
LeBron James^ (4)
Small forward United States Miami Heat (2)
2013–14
Kevin Durant^
Small forward United States Oklahoma City Thunder
2014–15
Stephen Curry^
Point guard United States Golden State Warriors (2)
2015–16
Stephen Curry^ (2)
Point guard United States Golden State Warriors (3)
2016–17
Russell Westbrook^
Point guard United States Oklahoma City Thunder (2)
2017–18
James Harden^
Shooting guard United States Houston Rockets (4)
Multi-time winners
Rank
Player
Team(s)
Awards
Years
1 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Milwaukee Bucks (3) / Los Angeles Lakers (3) 6 1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1980
2 Bill Russell
Boston Celtics 5 1958, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965
Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls 1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998
4 Wilt Chamberlain Philadelphia Warriors (1) / Philadelphia 76ers (3) 4 1960, 1966, 1967, 1968
LeBron James Cleveland Cavaliers (2) / Miami Heat (2) 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013
6 Moses Malone Houston Rockets (2) / Philadelphia 76ers (1) 3 1979, 1982, 1983
Larry Bird Boston Celtics 1984, 1985, 1986
Magic Johnson Los Angeles Lakers 1987, 1989, 1990
9 Bob Pettit St. Louis Hawks 2 1956, 1959
Karl Malone Utah Jazz 1997, 1999
Tim Duncan San Antonio Spurs 2002, 2003
Steve Nash Phoenix Suns 2005, 2006
Stephen Curry Golden State Warriors 2015, 2016
See also
National Basketball Association portal
Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award
NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award
NBA Development League Most Valuable Player Award
Notes
Jump up ^ The official title of the position was President until 1967 when it was changed to Commissioner.[1]
^ Jump up to: a b Hakeem Olajuwon was born in Nigeria, but became a naturalized United States citizen in 1993. He was the first ever international player to win the award.[7]
^ Jump up to: a b c Although Duncan was born in the U.S. Virgin Islands and is a United States citizen,[8] the NBA considers him an international player.[9]
^ Jump up to: a b c Steve Nash, who was born in South Africa, was raised in Canada.[10]
Jump up ^ Allen Iverson received the only other first-place vote in 2000, while Carmelo Anthony received the only other first-place vote in 2013.[5]
Jump up ^ Except for seasons affected by lockouts, when the schedule was shortened from the norm of 82 games. Karl Malone won in 1998–99 when Utah was 37–13 in 50 games, which projected to 60 wins in 82 games. James won in 2011–12 when the Miami Heat were 46–20 in 66 games, which projected to 57 wins.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Before the 1971–72 season, Lew Alcindor changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.[14]
Jump up ^ Malone, at 35 years and 284 days old at the end of the regular season, is the oldest MVP in NBA history.[15]
Jump up ^ Rose, at 22 years and 191 days old at the end of the regular season, is the youngest MVP in NBA history.[16]
References
General
"Most Valuable Player". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
"Most Valuable Player Award Winners". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 7, 2008.
"NBA MVP – Maurice Podoloff Trophy – Marc Mellon Sculpture Studio". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2002.
Specific
Jump up ^ Monroe, Mike. "The Commissioners". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved July 8, 2008.
Jump up ^ "LeBron receives 116 first-place votes". ESPN.com. May 2, 2010. Retrieved May 2, 2010.
Jump up ^ "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
^ Jump up to: a b "Most Valuable Player". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
^ Jump up to: a b c Wallace, Michael (May 5, 2013). "LeBron James wins 4th MVP award". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on May 6, 2013.
Jump up ^ "Wes Unseld". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
Jump up ^ "Hakeem Olajuwon Bio: 1992-93". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on May 16, 2008. Retrieved June 15, 2008.
Jump up ^ "Virgin Islands". CIA World Factbook. Retrieved August 12, 2008.
^ Jump up to: a b "NBA Players from around the world: 2005-2006 Season". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved March 13, 2011.
Jump up ^ McPeek, Jeramie. "The Canadian Kid". NBA.com (from Fastbreak Magazine of Sept./Oct. 1996). Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved April 22, 2009.
Jump up ^ "Who is the leading MVP candidate?". ESPN.com. March 6, 2015. Archived from the original on March 16, 2015.
Jump up ^ Hubbard, Jan (April 22, 1990). "NBA NOTES : Charles Barkley Running a Slick Campaign for MVP". Newsday. Archived from the original on March 16, 2015.
Jump up ^ "Stephen Curry wins MVP for second straight season". ESPN.com. May 11, 2016. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
Jump up ^ "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Bio". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved August 4, 2008.
Jump up ^ "Karl Malone 1998-99 game log". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
Jump up ^ "Derrick Rose 2010-11 game log". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
show
v
t
e
NBA Most Valuable Player Award
1956: Pettit
1957: Cousy
1958: Russell
1959: Pettit
1960: Chamberlain
1961: Russell
1962: Russell
1963: Russell
1964: Robertson
1965: Russell
1966: Chamberlain
1967: Chamberlain
1968: Chamberlain
1969: Unseld
1970: Reed
1971: Alcindor
1972: Abdul-Jabbar
1973: Cowens
1974: Abdul-Jabbar
1975: McAdoo
1976: Abdul-Jabbar
1977: Abdul-Jabbar
1978: Walton
1979: M. Malone
1980: Abdul-Jabbar
1981: Erving
1982: M. Malone
1983: M. Malone
1984: Bird
1985: Bird
1986: Bird
1987: Johnson
1988: Jordan
1989: Johnson
1990: Johnson
1991: Jordan
1992: Jordan
1993: Barkley
1994: Olajuwon
1995: Robinson
1996: Jordan
1997: K. Malone
1998: Jordan
1999: K. Malone
2000: O'Neal
2001: Iverson
2002: Duncan
2003: Duncan
2004: Garnett
2005: Nash
2006: Nash
2007: Nowitzki
2008: Bryant
2009: James
2010: James
2011: Rose
2012: James
2013: James
2014: Durant
2015: Curry
2016: Curry
2017: Westbrook
2018: Harden
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• First inhabited
1815
• Dependency of St Helena
12 September 1922
• Current constitution
1 September 2009
Area
• Total
88 km2 (34 sq mi) (219th)
• Water (%)
0
Population
• February 2016 census
806[1]
Currency
Saint Helena pound
(US$ accepted) (SHP)
Time zone
UTC (GMT)
Driving side
left
Calling code
+247
ISO 3166 code
SH-AC
Internet TLD
.ac

UK Postcode: ASCN 1ZZ
Ascension Island is an isolated volcanic island, 7°56' south of the Equator in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is about 1,600 kilometres (1,000 mi) from the coast of Africa and 2,250 kilometres (1,400 mi) from the coast of Brazil. It is governed as part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha,[2] of which the main island, Saint Helena, is around 1,300 kilometres (800 mi) to the southeast. The territory also includes the sparsely-populated Tristan da Cunha archipelago, some 3,730 kilometres (2,300 mi) to the south, about halfway to the Antarctic Circle.
The island is named after the day of its recorded discovery, Ascension Day. It played a role as an important safe haven and coaling station to mariners and for commercial airliners during the days of international air travel by flying boats. During World War II it was an important naval and air station, especially providing antisubmarine warfare bases in the Battle of the Atlantic.[3] Ascension Island was garrisoned by the British Admiralty from 22 October 1815 to 1922.
The island is the location of RAF Ascension Island, which is a Royal Air Force station, a European Space Agency rocket tracking station, an Anglo-American signals intelligence facility and the BBC World Service Atlantic Relay Station. The island was used extensively as a staging point by the British military during the Falklands War. Ascension Island hosts one of four ground antennas (others are on Kwajalein Island, Diego Garcia, and Cape Canaveral) that assist in the operation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) navigational system. NASA operates a Meter Class Autonomous Telescope (MCAT) on Ascension Island for tracking orbital debris, which is potentially hazardous to operating spacecraft and astronauts, at a facility called the John Africano NASA/AFRL Orbital Debris Observatory.[4]
Contents
1 History
1.1 Discovery
1.2 Organised Settlement
1.3 Botany
1.4 Early Government
1.5 World Wars
1.6 Later Military Involvement
1.7 Modern Use
2 Geography
2.1 Geology
2.2 Climate
3 Ecology
3.1 Flora
3.2 Fauna
3.3 Important bird area
3.4 Marine reserve
4 Government
5 Demographics
6 Culture
7 Economy
7.1 Tourism and related industries
7.2 Communications
7.3 Banking and currency
8 Transport
9 See also
10 References
11 Bibliography
12 External links
History[edit]
Location of Ascension Island in the British South Atlantic territories
Discovery[edit]
In 1501, the Portuguese navigator Afonso de Albuquerque sighted the island on Ascension Day (which fell on 21 May that year) and named it Ilha da Ascensão after this feast day.[5] Dry and barren, the island had little appeal for passing ships except for collecting fresh meat, and was not claimed for the Portuguese Crown. Mariners could hunt for the numerous seabirds and the enormous female green turtles that laid their eggs on the sandy beaches. The Portuguese also introduced goats as a potential source of meat for future mariners.
In February 1701, HMS Roebuck, commanded by William Dampier, sank in the common anchoring spot in Clarence Bay to the northwest of the island. Sixty men survived for two months until they were rescued. 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).[6]
It is possible that the island was sometimes used[7] as an open prison for criminal mariners, although there is only one documented case of such an exile, a Dutch ship's officer, Leendert Hasenbosch, set ashore at Clarence Bay as a punishment for sodomy in May 1725.[citation needed] British mariners found the Dutchman's tent, belongings and diary in January 1726; the man's remains were not found. His diary was published in translation in London later that same year, under the title Sodomy Punish'd; it can nowadays be read online.[8]
Organised Settlement[edit]
Organised settlement of Ascension Island began in 1815, when the British garrisoned it as a precaution after imprisoning Napoleon I on Saint Helena to the southeast.[5] Colonel Edward Nicolls was among those sent there, apparently as punishment for what the Crown perceived as excessive support for Seminole Indians during his posting on the future U.S. Gulf Coast during the War of 1812. On 22 October the Cruizer class brig-sloops Zenobia and Peruvian claimed the island for His Britannic Majesty King George III. The Royal Navy designated the island as a stone frigate, HMS Ascension, with the classification of "Sloop of War of the smaller class".
Royal Marine barracks (1830) in the former Royal Dockyard, Georgetown.
The location of the island made it a useful stopping-point for ships and communications. The Royal Navy used the island as a victualling station for ships, particularly those of the West Africa Squadron working against the slave trade.[9] A garrison of Royal Marines was based at Ascension from 1823.
Botany[edit]
In 1836 the Beagle voyage visited Ascension. Charles Darwin described it as an arid treeless island, with nothing growing near the coast. Sparse vegetation inland supported "about six hundred sheep, many goats, a few cows & horses", large numbers of guineafowl imported from the Cape Verde islands, rats, mice, and land crabs; he agreed with the saying attributed to the people of St Helena that "We know we live on a rock, but the poor people at Ascension live on a cinder". 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. The springs were carefully managed, "so that a single drop of water may not be lost: indeed the whole island may be compared to a huge ship kept in first-rate order." In commenting on this, he noted René Primevère Lesson's remark "that the English nation alone would have thought of making the island of Ascension a productive spot; any other people would have held it as a mere fortress in the ocean."[10]
In 1843, botanist and explorer Joseph Hooker visited the island. 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. The planted trees would capture more rain and improve the soil, allowing the barren island to become a garden. So, from 1850 and continuing year on year, ships came with an assortment of plants from botanical gardens in Argentina, Europe and South Africa. By the late 1870s Norfolk pines, eucalyptus, bamboo, and banana trees grew in profusion at the highest point of the island, Green Mountain, creating a tropical cloud forest.[11]
Early Government[edit]
In 1899, the Eastern Telegraph Company installed the first underwater cable from the island, connecting the UK with its colonies in South Africa.[5] In 1922, letters patent made Ascension a dependency of Saint Helena.[5] The island was managed by the head of the Eastern Telegraph Company on the island until 1964 when the British Government appointed an Administrator to represent the Governor of Saint Helena on Ascension.[5]
World Wars[edit]
During World War II, to supply and augment extensive amphibious aircraft antisubmarine patrol operations ongoing from the early days of the war, the United States built an airbase on Ascension Island, known as "Wideawake",[5] after a nearby colony of sooty terns (locally called 'wideawake' birds because of their loud, distinctive constant (day-and-night) cawing chatter.[12] The airbase, which was under construction by the 38th Combat Engineer Battalion of the Army Corps of Engineers, was unexpectedly visited by two British Fairey Swordfish torpedo planes on 15 June 1942.[citation needed] According to one of the pilots, Peter Jinks, the planes were fired upon before being recognised as allies. The Swordfish had to land on the unfinished airstrip, thus becoming the first aircraft to land on Ascension Island proper — which had long served as an ASW base for Catalina (PBY Catalina) flying boats. The event was commemorated with a postage stamp 15 June 1982.
The airfield was used by the US military as a stopping point for American aircraft crossing the Atlantic Ocean on the way to theatres of operation in Europe and Africa. American bombers based at Wideawake were engaged in the Laconia incident. After the end of World War II, and American departure, the airbase fell into disuse.
Ascension Island viewed from the south
The only local military action during World War II occurred on 9 December 1941. At around mid-day, the German submarine U-124 approached Georgetown on the surface with the intention of sinking any ships at anchor or shelling the cable station.[citation needed] Fort Bedford, a two-gun shore battery at Cross Hill, above Georgetown, fired on the submarine. The guns scored no hits but the U-boat submerged and retreated. The battery remains largely intact to this day, together with its guns, BL 5.5 inch Mark I naval guns removed from HMS Hood during a refit in Malta in 1938.
Later Military Involvement[edit]
With the Space Race and the Cold War, the Americans returned in 1956.[5] Wideawake Airfield expanded in the mid-1960s. The runway, with its strange hump, was extended, widened, and improved to allow its use by large aircraft, and later to act as an emergency runway for the Space Shuttle, although the Shuttle never had to use it.[5] At the time, it was the world's longest airport runway.[12] The United States Air Force used the island as part of its Eastern Range. NASA established a tracking station on the island in 1967, which it operated for more than 20 years before closing it down in 1990.[5] A joint Government Communications Headquarters and National Security Agency signals intercept station was also established on Ascension during the Cold War.[13][14] The island retains a role in space exploration: the European Space Agency now operates an Ariane monitoring facility there.[5] The BBC Atlantic Relay Station was installed in 1966 for short-wave broadcasts to Africa and South America.
In 1982 the British task force used Ascension Island as a staging post during the Falklands War. The Royal Air Force deployed a fleet of Vulcan bombers and Victor tankers at the airfield. Vulcans launched the opening shots of the British offensive from Ascension in Operation Black Buck. The RAF also used the base to supply the task force. Because of the increase in air traffic during the war, Wideawake, with up to 400 movements of all types each day, was one of the busiest airfields in the world for a short period.[15] The Royal Navy's fleet stopped at Ascension for refuelling on the way. Following the war, the British retained an increased presence on the island, establishing RAF Ascension Island, and providing a refuelling stop for the regular airlink between RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, and RAF Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands.
Modern Use[edit]
Wideawake Airfield
As of 2004[update], it was reported that the Composite Signals Organisation, an arm of GCHQ, continued to operate a signals interception facility at Cat Hill on Ascension.[16] As of 2007[update] NASA continued to list Ascension Island as a "downrange site" used for range safety instrumentation.[17] In particular, the Post-Detect Telemetry System used to acquire launch vehicle telemetry includes a station on Ascension.[18]
In 2008 British diplomats at the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (UN CLCS), requested sovereignty over 77,220 square miles (200,000 km2) of submarine territory around the island. This would enable exploration into new reserves of oil, gas and minerals, though none are thought to exist.[19]
In 2016, the United States Department of Energy started operating a mobile climate research facility on the island. It is operated by the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Climate Research Facility (ARM) near the South East Crater, south of the Green Mountain summit. The field campaign requires the mobile facility to be operational for about 17 months, until October 2017.[20]
Geography[edit]
See also: List of mountains and hills of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
Comfortless Cove
The main island has an area of approximately 88 km². A volcanic peak rising from 100 km (62 mi) 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.[9]
Geology[edit]
Main article: Geology of Ascension Island
Ascension is a geologically young formation, the tip of an undersea volcano which rose above the waves only a million years ago. Although volcanic activity is mainly associated with the Mid-Atlantic Ridge plate boundary 80 km to the west, Ascension also displays some features which are commonly associated with hotspot volcanism. This appears to be the result of a smaller mantle plume that originally formed under the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, before the African plate, along with the Mid-Atlantic Ridge itself, drifted eastward – leaving the (stationary) plume at its current location west of the ridge.[21] Its last eruption may have occurred in the sixteenth century. Due to its short above-water history, its soil consists mostly of clinker.[12]
The island consists of a wide range of alkaline rocks atypical for oceanic islands, ranging from basalt through trachyandesite and trachyte to rhyolite.[21]
Black volcanic rocks
Climate[edit]
Ascension has a hot desert climate (BWh, according to the Köppen climate classification). The temperatures at the coast average from 22.7 to 27.8 °C (72.9 to 82.0 °F), and about 5 to 6 °C (9 to 11 °F) cooler at the highest point. Rain showers may occur at any time during the year, but tend to be heavier between June and September. Although the island is in the tropical zone, average annual rainfall is very low. The cause of this might be the relatively low temperature of the ocean water, as the Benguela Current and South Equatorial Current flow northward west of Africa. These currents bring cooling effects around the eastern South Atlantic Ocean. Tropical cyclones also occur only rarely in the South Atlantic Ocean which might be caused by the same phenomenon, and by strong vertical wind shear.[22][23][24]
hideClimate data for Georgetown, Ascension Island
Month
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Year
Record high °C (°F)
31.7
(89.1) 31.7
(89.1) 31.7
(89.1) 32.2
(90) 31.7
(89.1) 30.6
(87.1) 30.6
(87.1) 28.9
(84) 28.9
(84) 28.9
(84) 30.0
(86) 30.6
(87.1) 32.2
(90)
Average high °C (°F)
28.3
(82.9) 29.4
(84.9) 30.0
(86) 30.0
(86) 28.9
(84) 27.8
(82) 27.2
(81) 26.1
(79) 26.1
(79) 26.1
(79) 26.7
(80.1) 27.2
(81) 27.8
(82)
Average low °C (°F)
22.8
(73) 23.9
(75) 24.4
(75.9) 24.4
(75.9) 23.9
(75) 22.8
(73) 22.2
(72) 21.1
(70) 21.1
(70) 21.1
(70) 22.2
(72) 22.6
(72.7) 22.7
(72.9)
Record low °C (°F)
18.9
(66) 20.0
(68) 21.1
(70) 20.6
(69.1) 19.4
(66.9) 19.4
(66.9) 19.4
(66.9) 18.3
(64.9) 17.2
(63) 18.3
(64.9) 17.8
(64) 17.8
(64) 17.2
(63)
Average precipitation mm (inches)
8
(0.31) 10
(0.39) 38
(1.5) 30
(1.18) 10
(0.39) 15
(0.59) 13
(0.51) 10
(0.39) 10
(0.39) 13
(0.51) 8
(0.31) 8
(0.31) 173
(6.78)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.3 mm)
7 5 7 8 6 8 7 8 10 12 8 8 94
Average relative humidity (%)
74 73 73 73 70 69 69 70 73 73 72 73 72
Mean monthly sunshine hours
229 224 276 267 264 260 239 217 165 161 159 198 2,659
Source #1: Deutscher Wetterdienst[25]
Source #2: Danish Meteorological Institute[26]
Ecology[edit]
Main article: Ascension scrub and grasslands
Flora[edit]
The island viewed from atop Green Mountain, looking south towards Two Boats Village and Georgetown.
The endemic flora includes plants like Pteris adscensionis, Asplenium ascensionis, Euphorbia origanoides as well as the extinct species Oldenlandia adscensionis, Sporobolus durus and Dryopteris ascensionis. Anogramma ascensionis (Ascension Island parsley fern) was thought to have become extinct due to habitat loss, until four plants were found on the island in 2010. Over 60 specimens were then successfully cultivated.[27] Portuguese explorers released goats in the 1500s which ate many species to extinction. The later introduction of rabbits, sheep, rats and donkeys, and over 200 imported species further marginalised the original flora.[28]
By 1843 the island was barren with few plants. However, due to the introduction of species by the British, Ascension Island's Green Mountain is now one of the few large-scale planned forests, and is gradually growing with each year. Its highest point is at 859 m.[9] Non-indigenous plants teem there, and the crown of Green Mountain is a lush halo of bamboo. Flanking one side is a large stand of tall Norfolk pine, trees planted by British mariners, which were to have been used as replacement masts for sailing ships. In June 2005 the first National Park on Ascension Island, the Green Mountain National Park, was opened.
Prosopis juliflora, a type of mesquite known as Mexican thorn, was introduced by BBC engineers to bind the dry top soil when they arrived in 1966 to construct a shortwave relay station. It has thrived on the barren lava of the island – an estimated 38,000 bushes existed by 2016. Its spread has been destructive to other species, and current encroachment on the edges of beaches threatens those that use this space, such as the green turtle. Its hardy taproots can extend to 30 meters deep. Local authorities are considering means of controlling or eradicating it.[12][29]
Fauna[edit]
A variety of mammals have been introduced: donkeys, sheep, cats and rats among others. Reptiles consist of two species of lizards. Endemic insect species include the minute, wingless Psocopteran Troglotroctes ashmolearum, that has been found in caves and between lava blocks.[30] In summer, flies are known to be a problem.
Lava fields
The largest native land animal is the land crab Johngarthia lagostoma (formerly Gecarcinus lagostoma).[31] Offshore, there is a variety of open-ocean fish, including sharks, wahoo, tuna, bonito, barracuda, marlin, blackfish and sailfish. The protected green turtle is perhaps the most notable of the endemic fauna, coming ashore to lay their eggs on the beaches from November to May. Turtles were regularly harvested until 1930, when the practice was banned. By 1970 the turtle population had begun to rebound.[12] From the 1970s, when records began, to 2014, green turtle nesting increased by 500%, resulting in some 24,000 nests being laid on the island's main beaches each year.[32]
On land are found such non-native birds such as canaries, francolins, mynas, sparrows, and waxbills. Sooty terns or "wideawake birds" nest in great seashore lava "fairs". 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 Ascension crake became extinct around the beginning of the nineteenth century.[29]
Off the east coast of Ascension is the islet of Boatswain Bird Island. It is a haven for sea birds providing refuge from the rats, cats and people that came to Ascension Island from Europe and Africa. Following a successful campaign headed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the main island was in 2006 declared free of feral cats, and sea birds are now once again nesting on Ascension Island.[33]
Important bird area[edit]
Ascension Island, including fourteen inshore stacks and marine habitat extending out for three nautical miles from the coastline, has been identified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International as a breeding site for seabirds. Birds for which the IBA is significant include red-billed tropicbirds, Ascension frigatebirds (an endemic breeder), sooty terns and black noddies.[34] The island was formerly home to the endemic Ascension crake, but the species has been extinct since the early nineteenth century.
Marine reserve[edit]
In January 2016 the UK Government announced that an area around Ascension Island was to become a huge marine reserve, to protect its varied and unique ecosystem, including some of the largest marlin in the world, large populations of green turtle, and the island's own species of frigate bird. With an area of 234,291 square kilometres (90,460 sq mi), slightly more than half of the reserve will be closed to fishing while the remainder will be policed thanks to a grant from the Louis Bacon Foundation. The reserve should be ready for formal designation by 2017.[35]
Government[edit]
Ascension Island
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Ascension Island
The Crown[show]
Monarch
Queen Elizabeth II
Government[show]
Governor
Lisa Phillips
Plantation House
The Castle
Responsible Minister (UK)
Tariq Ahmad
Administrator of Ascension Island
Justine Allan
Ascension Island Council
Judiciary[show]
Attorney General
Court of Appeal
Supreme Court
Magistrates and Juvenile Courts
Other[show]
Flag
Georgetown (capital)
RAF Ascension Island
Saint Helena Pound
Cat Hill
Two Boats Village
Other countries
Atlas
v
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Ascension forms part of a British overseas territory together with Saint Helena and Tristan da Cunha.[9] Executive authority is vested in Elizabeth II,[9] who is represented by the Governor of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. As the Governor resides in Jamestown, Saint Helena, an Administrator is appointed to represent the Governor on Ascension Island.
Ascension Government House
As a result of changes in the constitutional arrangements for Ascension Island, the first Island Council of seven members was elected, and took office on 1 November 2002. This Council was dissolved by order of the Governor of Saint Helena on 24 October 2005, and a new election was held on 16 November 2005. 697 electors chose among ten candidates contesting the seven seats.[36]
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".[37] The exact preceding quote and its citation does not exist as of May 2018[update], but a memorandum sent by a group of Ascension Island residents suggests that the handling of economic development, taxation and representation led to the dispute and that all six councillors resigned (five of them at once). The memorandum states, "The elected Council has been used to legitimise an illegitimate system that has never been a true democracy and, it seems, was never intended to be."[38] The counter-argument was that as the island has no indigenous population whatsoever, it is in an unusual political position.[citation needed] Consequently, a general election was called, but by the close of nominations, there were only two candidates.[38] The election was abandoned, and the governor suspended the Island Council for 12 months. It was stated that an election would take place in April 2008 but following consultations this was extended to October.[39] Eventually, candidates were elected to form a new Island Council, which was sworn in on 27 October 2008.[40][not in citation given][41]
Ascension Island has its own local system of law, much of which is based on the laws of Saint Helena and some parts of English law with modifications.[9] The Island Council advises on new or revised laws. Where local legislation does not exist, Saint Helena law may be used where appropriate and suitable for local adaptation, or specific Ascension Island law is enacted. Employment legislation is a mixture of contract law and the Workmen's Protection Ordinance, which guarantees a contract, and obliges employers to provide free accommodation, medical cover, food (or a food allowance), and travel.
The Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Constitution Order 2009 was made by HM the Queen and the Privy Council on 8 July and came into operation in September 2009.[9] The new constitution replaced the 1988 version and among other changes limited the Governor's powers, included a Bill of Rights, established independence of the judiciary and the public service, and designated the Governor of St Helena as, concurrently, the Governor for Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. It ended the "dependency" status of Ascension and Tristan da Cunha on Saint Helena that had been in place, for administrative convenience, since 1922.[42]
Demographics[edit]
Georgetown seen here is the primary settlement on the island and comprises the post office, police station, court, government house and the island's supermarket. It also boasts the island's port: a small pier where supplies are off-loaded and a connection exists for a pipeline hose for fuel.
In the February 2016 census, 806 people were recorded living on Ascension Island, 556 from Saint Helena (nicknamed the "Saints"[43]) and 250 people of other nationalities.[1] RAF Ascension Island is made up of 17 staff. There has never been an indigenous population on the island.[44]
There are five settlements:
Georgetown (the main civilian settlement and capital of the island)
Two Boats (a civilian village, with its school)
Cat Hill (the United States' main base on the island)
Traveller's Hill (Royal Air Force base)
Wideawake Airfield (with the Royal Air Force station).
Additionally, there are some cottages on Green Mountain, occasionally occupied by visitors, and the Residency, the official residence of the Administrator.
To enter Ascension Island, individuals need the Administrator's written permission. There is no permanent residence. A contract of employment is a requirement to stay on the island,[43] though short term visits by tourists are possible with prior approval. The British government has confirmed that there is no "right of abode" on Ascension Island.[45] As the local newspaper The Islander reported at the time,[46][47] it was raised by some former Council members and 4 expatriate employees that whilst it was agreed there was no right of abode, the authorities had previously indicated it would consider changing the law to allow the rights of abode and property purchase, but decided not to do so.[48]
Culture[edit]
See also: Scouting and Guiding on Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
There are Scouting and Guiding groups on Saint Helena and Ascension Island. Scouting was established on Ascension Island in November 1973,[49] having been established on St Helena island in 1912.
Two Boats School is the only school on the island and provides education to all resident children aged 3–16.
Economy[edit]
View of "The Pier" (1938)
The main economic activity on the island is centred on the military bases at Wideawake Airfield, and the BBC World Service's Atlantic Relay station. The Ministry of Defence estate and facilities are managed by the infrastructure support provider Interserve Defence. Serco runs the airport services and Sodexo provides catering and domestic facilities. A former feature of Ascension was a 70,000 tonne tanker permanently moored offshore that was operated by Maersk as a bulk fuel facility. In December 2002, this was replaced by an on-shore Petroleum Supply Depot under military management, with fuel still being delivered by a chartered tanker, the Maersk Rapier, which operates on an MOD resupply contract for both Ascension and the Falkland Islands every two months. Fuel for the island is transferred via a floating hose, which is connected to the on-shore depot at the island's pier head and to the ship at anchor.
The main export items are Ascension Island postage stamps, first issued in 1922, and, since 2010, commemorative coins (which are legal tender but non-circulating) and commercial fishing licences for long-line tuna fishing vessels operating to ICCAT quotas.
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 educational institutions. In December 2013, The Pirate Bay (one of the most well-known file piracy websites in the world) moved to .ac following the seizure of their .sx website.
Tourism and related industries[edit]
Devil's Ashpit
Until 2002, tourism was virtually non-existent because of the inaccessibility of the island to transport, the absence of guest accommodation and the need for a sponsor. Limited air travel has, however, been made available in recent years to the public by the RAF, and the Georgetown Obsidian Hotel and a number of guest cottages have been opened. All visitors are required to obtain an entry permit before travelling. Sport fishing is the main attraction for many of the visitors. The island also boasts what is sometimes called the worst golf course in the world.[50][51]
Communications[edit]
See also: Communications in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
The island hosts many communications and relay stations, exploiting its mid-Atlantic position. Both the BBC and Cable & Wireless Worldwide (owned by Vodafone since 2012[52]) have communications posts there. The European Space Agency (ESA) also has a tracking station on the island that tracks the Ariane 5 and the Soyuz rockets shortly after their launch from Kourou in French Guiana.
Ascension has one local radio station and one relayed from St. Helena. It also receives broadcasts from the British Forces Broadcasting Service and television services for the US military.[9]
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”).[53]
The island provided a base for a NASA communications dish during the space race in the mid-twentieth century.[12] The island was chosen due to its central location in the Atlantic. Sites were chosen due to their proximity to orbital paths – generally along the Equator.
Banking and currency[edit]
The Bank of St. Helena has a branch on the island; it holds an account with the UK's Lloyds Bank for the purposes of conducting money transfers with the rest of the world.[54] The currency on Ascension Island is the Saint Helena pound. Tristan da Cunha however uses the pound sterling rather than the Saint Helena pound. 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. For more information on currency in the wider region, see Pound sterling in the South Atlantic and the Antarctic.
Transport[edit]
Ascension Island
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.[55][56]
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). An Airbus A330 aircraft operated by AirTanker Services on behalf of the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) carried out those flights, called the South Atlantic Air Bridge, although a limited number of commercial passenger tickets were available. Those flights now travel via Cape Verde.[57]
While A330s are for now unable to land at the airport, the United States military uses Air Transport International flying 757 "combi" jets to maintain a twice monthly flight between the island and Patrick Air Force Base in Florida for the use of its personnel only, while the (MV Ascension) supply ship regularly services US facilities.
A C17 for the UK's MoD lands there at Ascension once a month for its own personnel.[57]
There is no taxi service on the island and most visitors requiring transport hire a car. There are around 40 kilometres (25 mi) of roads on the island, all hard-surfaced.[9] Some of the surfacing used surplus tarmac from construction of the airstrip.[43] Traffic drives on the left.[43]
See also[edit]
Geography portal
Africa portal
United Kingdom portal
British Empire portal
Outline of Ascension Island
Index of Ascension Island-related articles
Diocese of St Helena
Diego Garcia
Saint Helena
Tristan da Cunha
References[edit]
^ Jump up to: a b "Census 2016 – summary report" (PDF). St Helena Government. June 2016. p. 9. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
Jump up ^ "The St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Constitution Order 2009".
Jump up ^ Victory at Sea (Series title), Volume-10 "Beneath the Southern Cross" 1952 production of NBC, (Disc 2 of DVD collection reproduction ca. 2007-2008)
Jump up ^ Garcia, Mark (2016-08-11). "Searching for "Space Junk" in Paradise". Retrieved 2016-08-14.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j "Ascension History". mysterra.org. Mysterra Magazine. Retrieved 3 January 2011.
Jump up ^ Duff Hart-Davis, Ascension, the story of a South Atlantic island.
Jump up ^ see Carl Friedrich Behrens, Reise durch die Sued-Laender und um die Welt (1737), p. 250, who wrote that various criminal mariners had been exiled to the island; also in Alex Ritsema A Dutch Castaway on Ascension Island in 1725 (2010), pp. 26, 115-117.
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^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i "Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on 28 December 2010. Retrieved 3 January 2011.
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Jump up ^ "Charles Darwin's ecological experiment on Ascension isle". BBC News. 1 September 2010. Archived from the original on 1 September 2010. Retrieved 1 September 2010.
Wilkinson, David M. (2003). "The parable of Green Mountain: Ascension Island, ecosystem construction and ecological fitting". Journal of Biogeography. 31: 1–4. doi:10.1046/j.0305-0270.2003.01010.x.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f BBC News, The island where nothing makes sense, 19 April 2016
Jump up ^ Aldrich, Richard (2010). GCHQ: The Uncensored Story of Britain's Most Secret Intelligence Agency. London: HarperPress. ISBN 9780007357123.
Jump up ^ Bamford, James (2008). Body Of Secrets. New York: Random House. p. 168. ISBN 9781407009209.
Jump up ^ "Part 19. Ascension Island - Stepping Stone to Victory". Naval History. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
Jump up ^ "Settlers wanted for a quiet life. No rush". The Telegraph. 5 April 2004. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
Jump up ^ "NASA Range Safety Program – 2007 Annual Report" (PDF). NASA. p. 60. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 September 2008. Retrieved 7 August 2008.
Jump up ^ "NASA Range Safety Program – 2007 Annual Report" (PDF). NASA. p. 62. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 September 2008. Retrieved 7 August 2008.
Jump up ^ Lewis, Paul (28 August 2008). "Ascension Island. Barren, 4,044 miles (6,508 km) from Land's End, but ours says the FO". The Guardian. London. p. 1. Archived from the original on 31 August 2008. Retrieved 28 August 2008.
Jump up ^ "ARM - Field Campaign - LASIC: Layered Atlantic Smoke Interactions with Clouds". www.arm.gov. Retrieved 2016-05-01.
^ Jump up to: a b "The geology of Ascension Island". Ascension Island Volcanology. 2017-10-25. Retrieved 2018-01-05.
Jump up ^ "The South Equatorial Current System". oceancurrents.rsmas.miami.edu. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
Jump up ^ "The Benguela Current". oceancurrents.rsmas.miami.edu. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
Jump up ^ "TCFAQ G6) Why doesn't the South Atlantic Ocean experience tropical". www.aoml.noaa.gov. Retrieved 2016-04-28.
Jump up ^ "Klimatafel von Georgetown (Flugh.), Insel Ascension / Südatlantik / Großbritannien" (PDF). Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
Jump up ^ "STATIONSNUMMER 61902" (PDF). Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Climate. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
Jump up ^ Gill, Victoria (24 June 2010). "Experts rediscover plant presumed extinct for 60 years". BBC News. Archived from the original on 17 July 2010. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
Jump up ^ "native flora" (PDF).
^ Jump up to: a b "Bermuda Conference, Procedure Point 5b" (PDF).
Jump up ^ Lienhard, 1996, Psocoptères nouveaux ou peu connus de quelques îles atlantiques (Canaries, Madère, Açores, Ascension) et de l'Afrique du Nord (Insecta: Psocoptera), Boletim do Museu Municipal do Funchal (Historia Natural) 48(267)
Jump up ^ Richard G. Hartnoll; Annette C. Broderick; Brendan J. Godley; Kate E. Saunders (2009). "Population structure of the land crab Johngarthia lagostoma on Ascension Island" (pdf]). Journal of Crustacean Biology. 29 (1): 57–61. doi:10.1651/08-2992.1. [permanent dead link]
Jump up ^ "Scientists: Number of Green Turtles Increases More than 500%". 2 August 2014.
Jump up ^ Jorge. "Stray pets". Retrieved 3 January 2016.
Jump up ^ "Ascension Island: mainland and stacks". Important Bird Areas factsheet. BirdLife International. 2012. Archived from the original on 10 July 2007. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
Jump up ^ "Ascension Island to become marine reserve". BBC. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
Jump up ^ Juanita Brock, Ascension: Ascension Island Votes for Councillors
Jump up ^ "Ascension Island News for October 2015 from The Islander Newspaper". Archived from the original on 22 April 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
^ Jump up to: a b "Letter and submission from Residents of the Ascension Island". publications.parliament.uk. 12 October 2007.
Jump up ^ "Ascension Island Council". Archived from the original on 10 February 2008. Retrieved 3 February 2008.
Jump up ^ Ascension : Councillors Response to Article - Ascension Island – Why should we bother?
Jump up ^ Ascension : Ascension Island Council Election - 2008
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^ Jump up to: a b c d "Ascension Population". mysterra.org. Mysterra Magazine. Retrieved 3 January 2011.
Jump up ^ "The Island". 17 December 2012.
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Jump up ^ "FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE — SELECT COMMITTEE ANNOUNCEMENT (4 July 2008)". Retrieved 3 June 2009.
Jump up ^ "Letter's To FCO From Cyril Leo". Retrieved 3 June 2009.
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Jump up ^ "Travel news, photos, flight status, trip booking and more". MSN Travel. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
Jump up ^ Ella Morton. "Ascension Island: Home of Lava Fields, a False Forest, and the World's Worst Golf Course". Slate. Slate. Archived from the original on 29 May 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
Jump up ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-02. CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
Jump up ^ "International Telecommunication Union Directory" (PDF).
Jump up ^ "the Bank of St. Helena". Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
Jump up ^ "AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CONCERNING THE USE OF WIDEAWAKE AIRFIELD ON ASCENSION ISLAND BY CIVIL AIRCRAFT NOT ENGAGED IN SCHEDULED INTERNATIONAL AIR SERVICES." 1 October 2003. United Nations Treaty Collection, Volume 2270, I-40420. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
Jump up ^ "Information for Aviators" Ascension Island Government. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
^ Jump up to: a b Leithead, Alastair (4 July 2017). "Ascension: The increasingly unreachable island" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
Keynes, Richard (2001), Charles Darwin's Beagle Diary, Cambridge University Press, archived from the original on 18 September 2010, retrieved 19 September 2010
Bibliography[edit]
Duff Hart-Davis, Ascension, the story of a South Atlantic island, p. 15
Mitchell, David F. 2010. Ascension Island and the Second World War. Ascension Island: Ascension Island Heritage Society.
Correspondent's diary: Ascension Island | The Economist
Official Ascension Island Government site
Global Volcanism Program: Ascension Island
Sanders, Sarah, Important Bird Areas in the United Kingdom Overseas Territories; priority sites for conservation (RSPB, 2006)
Stonehouse, Bernard. (1960). Wideawake Island. The Story of the BOU Centenary Expedition to Ascension. Hutchinson: London
Duff Hart-Davis, The Spectator 17 October 2015, "The Stone Frigate Sails On", p. 16.
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ascension Island.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Ascension.
Ascension Island Government
Ascension Island Newsletter
Ascension Conservation
Rocket launches from Ascension
Detailed description of the BBC Atlantic Relay Station
CIA World Factbook entry about Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha
Live Web Cam of Ascension
Colonial History of Ascension Island
Google Satellite View
Ascension Island at Britlink – British Islands & Territories
Army Ornithological Society Ascension Island Research
Ascension Island & St Helena community website
James Rogers and Luis Simón.
Isla Ascensión o Ascension island(Spanish)
The Status and Location of the Military Installations of the Member States of the European Union and Their Potential Role for the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). Brussels: European Parliament, 2009. 25 pp.
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Habitat loss

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Centrolophus niger

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/wiki/Estrildid_finch
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Estrildid finch

values: Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

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/wiki/Lisa_Phillips_(Governor)
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Lisa Phillips (Governor)

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/wiki/A._P._Moller-Maersk_Group
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A. P. Moller-Maersk Group

values: Postage stamps and postal history of Ascension Island

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values: Communications in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

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/wiki/Coins_of_the_Saint_Helena_pound
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Coins of the Saint Helena pound

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values: Index of Ascension Island-related articles

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external text
http://www.dmi.dk/dmi/tr01-17.pdf

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10402534

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//doi.org/10.1651%2F08-2992.1

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http://www.birdlife.org

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35216313

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http://www.sartma.com/art_2205.html

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40442318

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external text
http://www.economist.com/node/17082686

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http://www.ascension-island.gov.ac/
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http://www.the-islander.org.ac/
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http://www.the-islander.org.ac/webcam/
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http://www.aos-uk.com/ascension.html

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Anglo-Iraqi Treaty

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Gibraltarian people

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Demographics of Saint Helena

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Scots Gaels

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https://viaf.org/viaf/154765323

values: Category:Islands of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

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Ascension – Bosnian
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Ascension – Breton
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Ascension – Danish
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Ascension – German
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Ascension – Estonian
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Ascension – Esperanto
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Ascension – Basque
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Ascension – Indonesian
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Ascension – Norwegian
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Ascension – Norwegian Nynorsk
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Ascension – Romanian
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Ascension – Slovenian
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Ascension – Finnish
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Ascension – Swedish
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