Ascension is a rocky volcanic island about 8 miles by 6 miles in area in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean. It is British territory with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants, many of whom came from St Helena. The anchorage at Georgetown is 7 degrees 55 minutes South and 14 deg 25 min West. It was uninhabited until 1815 when the British posted troops there to help prevent Napoleon from escaping St Helena. Now there is an airport on the island, a US satellite tracking station and a few tourist facilities.