Georgetown, Ascension Island

Georgetown
Georgetown (in 2011).
French map of Ascension Island showing Georgetown's location, close to Clarence Bay.
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
British overseas territory	Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
Island	Ascension
First inhabited	in 1815
Founded by	Royal Navy
Named for	King George III
Capital of	Ascension Island
Population  (2008)
• Total	450 (est.)
Time zone	UTC+0 (GMT)
Climate	BWh

Georgetown is the capital and chief settlement of Ascension Island, in the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, situated on the west coast of the island.

The town is centred on St Mary's Church, part of the Anglican Diocese of St Helena and the former Exiles Club, built as a Royal Marines barracks at the time of Napoleon's exile to Saint Helena in the early 19th century.

It is named after King George III, who reigned at the time the island was claimed for Britain and garrisoned by the Admiralty in 1815.

As well as the church, there is a pier, an athletics track, a small supermarket, Royal Mail post office (and probably Internet connexions), snackbar, hotel, police station, Georgetown Hospital, dental surgery, and a library. There is no school, however, and pupils travel to Two Boats village, 3 miles inland, in the center of the island.