History of Saint Helena and dependencies political status

From the pre-2009 dependency structure to the 2009 constitution granting equal island status.

2009: the constitutional reform

A new constitution took effect on 1 September 2009, giving the three islands equal status.[1]

1 September 2009 · Constitutional change

A new constitution gave the three islands equal constitutional status, ending the earlier dependency arrangement.

Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.

1.
Claim: The territory was named "Saint Helena and Dependencies" until a new constitution came into force on 1 September 2009, giving Saint Helena, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha equal status as three territories within a single grouping under the British Crown, and ending Ascension's and Tristan da Cunha's prior status as dependencies of Saint Helena.
- Politics of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (Wikipedia) link, 2009 constitution and renaming section. Source record

Printed from https://independenceatlas.com/movements/saint-helena-political-status/history · last substantive update 24 September 2026.