WAKE ISLAND

@Wake Island:Geography

Location: Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to the Northern Mariana Islands

Geographic coordinates: 19 17 N, 166 36 E

Map references: Oceania

Area: total: 6.5 sq km land: 6.5 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative: about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington,
DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 19.3 km

Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical

Terrain: atoll of three coral islands built up on an underwater volcano; central lagoon is former crater, islands are part of the rim

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 6 m

Natural resources: none

Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100%

Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1998)

Natural hazards: occasional typhoons

Environment - current issues: NA

Geography - note: strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; emergency landing location for transpacific flights

@Wake Island:People

Population: no indigenous inhabitants note: US military personnel have left the island, but some civilian personnel remain (July 2000 est.)

@Wake Island:Government

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Wake Island

Data code: WQ

Dependency status: unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC by the Department of the Interior; occasional activities on the island are managed by the US Army under a US Air Force contract

Flag description: the flag of the US is used

@Wake Island:Economy

Economy - overview: Economic activity is limited to providing services to contractors located on the island. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.

Electricity - production: NA kWh

@Wake Island:Communications

Telephone system: satellite communications; 1 DSN circuit off the
Overseas Telephone System (OTS)
domestic: NA
international: NA

Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM NA, shortwave NA note: Armed Forces Radio/Television Service (AFRTS) radio service provided by satellite (1998)

Television broadcast stations: 0 (1997)

@Wake Island:Transportation

Ports and harbors: none; two offshore anchorages for large ships

Airports: 1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Transportation - note: formerly an important commercial aviation base, now occasionally used by US military, some commercial cargo planes, and for emergency landings

@Wake Island:Military

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the US

@Wake Island:Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: claimed by Marshall Islands

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