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@Midway Islands
Introduction Midway Islands
Background:
The US took formal possession of the islands in 1867. The laying of
the trans-Pacific cable, which passed through the islands, brought
the first residents in 1903. Between 1935 and 1947, Midway was used
as a refueling stop for trans-Pacific flights. The US naval victory
over a Japanese fleet off Midway in 1942 was one of the turning
points of World War II. The islands continued to serve as a naval
station until closed in 1993. Today the islands are a national
wildlife refuge. From 1996 to 2001 the refuge was open to the
public; it is now temporarily closed.
Geography Midway Islands
Location:
Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-third of the
way from Honolulu to Tokyo
Geographic coordinates:
28 13 N, 177 22 W
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 6.2 sq km
note: includes Eastern Island, Sand Island, and Spit Island
water: 0 sq km
land: 6.2 sq km
Area - comparative:
about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC