Wake Island (territory of the US)

[Top of Page]

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

[Top of Page]

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

[Top of Page]

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

[Top of Page]

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

[Top of Page]

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)

[Top of Page]

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

[Top of Page]

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the US

[Top of Page]

Disputes - international: claimed by Marshall Islands