Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Summit Peak 5 m
Natural resources:
guano deposits worked until depletion about 1890, terrestrial and
aquatic wildlife
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
no natural fresh water resources
Geography - note:
strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; Johnston Island and
Sand Island are natural islands, which have been expanded by coral
dredging; North Island (Akau) and East Island (Hikina) are manmade
islands formed from coral dredging; the egg-shaped reef is 34 km in
circumference; closed to the public; a former US nuclear weapons
test site; site of now-closed Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal
System (JACADS); most facilities dismantled and cleanup complete in
2004; some low-growing vegetation
People Johnston Atoll
Population:
396 no indigenous inhabitants
note: in previous years, there was an average of 1,100 US military
and civilian contractor personnel present; as of September 2001,
population had decreased significantly when US Army Chemical
Activity Pacific (USACAP) departed; as of January 2004 the island
population was just above 200 personnel, including US Air Force, US
Fish and Wildlife Service, and civilian contractor personnel (July
2004 est.)
Government Johnston Atoll