Where is Ascension Island located?
Q: Where is Ascension Island located?
A: Ascension Island is located in the South Atlantic Ocean, some 100 km west of the mid-Atlantic Ridge, 1,504 km from Liberia (Cape Palmas), and 2,232 km from Brazil (Recife).
Q: What is the nearest land to Ascension Island?
A: The nearest land to Ascension Island is Saint Helena, 1,296 km to the south-east.
Q: How did Ascension Island get its name?
A: Ascension Island is named after Ascension Day, the day of its recorded discovery.
Q: What is the political status of Ascension Island?
A: Ascension Island is part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, of which the main island is St Helena.
Q: What important infrastructure is located on Ascension Island?
A: Ascension Island hosts a Royal Air Force station with a United States Air Force presence, a European Space Agency station, and the BBC World Service Atlantic Relay Station. There is also one antenna of the five that assist in the operation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) navigational system.
Q: How old is Ascension Island?
A: Ascension Island is relatively young, as it is a volcanic island.
Q: How far away are the other GPS navigational system antennas located?
A: The other four GPS navigational system antennas are located on Kwajalein Island, Diego Garcia, Colorado Springs, and Hawaii.
