Ascension << uh SEHN shuhn >> is an island in the South Atlantic about 700 miles (1,100 kilometers) northwest of Saint Helena and 500 miles (800 kilometers) south of the equator. It belongs to the United Kingdom and is under the administration of Saint Helena (see Saint Helena). Ascension has an area of 34 square miles (88 square kilometers), and a population of about 1,000. The island is a breeding ground for sea turtles and the sooty tern.
