During the latest census of the island, which was conducted on February 2016, 806 people were recorded to live on the island itself. 556 of these people were from Saint Helena, who had been given the nickname "Saints" in the world. There could be more inhabitants living on the island, but they are not necessarily recorded as living at a documented address. RAF Ascension Island makes up of about 17 personnel. Due to its remote location and active volcanic activity, there has never been any population that is indigenous to the island.
There are five settlements in the Ascension islands, with the main settlement named Georgetown, possibly after one of the British Kings. A civilian village with access to early education is named Two Boats, which is the second village on the island. The rest of the settlements are split between military bases belonging to the Royal Air Force, and another base that belongs to the United States of America. In addition to these settlements, there are some luxury cottages located on Green Mountain, which are occupied by visitors occasionally. The principal residence, named the Residency, is the official address of the Administrator of the Island.
The population is very small and you need proper permission before entering the island. As such, all residents are not considered to be permanent. Most of the workers are there on contract, as it is a requirement to have a contract of employment if you are staying on the island for more than three months. Short-term visits by the occasional tourist are possible but there is a lengthy visa process. There is no "right of abode" on Ascension island, mostly due to its importance and classification as a military station. As the population grows, there is an increasing outcry to institute the right of abode for the people of the island, which was temporarily considered by the British government. It was eventually decided that this notion would be struck down.
Ascension Island is an isolated volcanic island, under the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom. The main island, Saint Helena, is located 1300km to the southeast of the island itself. It is named after the day when it was discovered, which was the Ascension of Jesus. The island was initially a haven for the call miners and mariners on the island and surrounding maritime activity to stop to refuel and recharge. During WW2, it established itself as an important air and naval station which provided a way to counter the opposing submarines of the Axis powers.
The island has one of the four dedicated ground antennas that support the very important Global Position System (GPS) which many navigational and altered reality machines use. NASA and the Air Force operate an MCAT telescope for deep space surveillance which tracks orbital debris, providing a preliminary safeguard for astronauts and some spacecraft missions.