KINGMAN REEF
(territory of the US)
GEOGRAPHY
Total area: 1 km2; land area: 1 km2
Comparative area: about 1.7 times the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 3 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical, but moderated by prevailing winds
Terrain: low and nearly level with a maximum elevation of about
1 meter
Natural resources: none
Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures
0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
Environment: barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; wet or
awash most of the time
Note: located 1,600 km south-southwest of Honolulu in the North
Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and American Samoa; maximum
elevation of about 1 meter makes this a navigational hazard; closed to
the public
PEOPLE
Population: uninhabited
GOVERNMENT
Long-form name: none
Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered by the
US Navy
ECONOMY
Overview: no economic activity
COMMUNICATIONS
Airports: lagoon was used as a halfway station between Hawaii and
American Samoa by Pan American Airways for flying boats in 1937 and 1938
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
DEFENSE FORCES
Note: defense is the responsibility of the US
