MIDWAY ISLANDS
(territory of the US)
GEOGRAPHY
Total area: 5.2 km2; land area: 5.2 km2; includes Eastern Island
and Sand Island
Comparative area: about nine times the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 15 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 easterly winds
Terrain: low, nearly level
Natural resources: fish and wildlife
Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures
0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
Environment: coral atoll
Note: located 2,350 km west-northwest of Honolulu at the western
end of Hawaiian Islands group, about one-third of the way between
Honolulu and Tokyo; closed to the public
PEOPLE
Population: 453 US military personnel (1991)
GOVERNMENT
Long-form name: none
Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US
Navy, under command of the Barbers Point Naval Air Station in Hawaii and
managed cooperatively by the US Navy and the Fish and Wildlife Service of
the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge
System
Diplomatic representation: none (territory of the US)
Flag: the US flag is used
ECONOMY
Overview: The economy is based on providing support services for US
naval operations located on the islands. All food and manufactured goods
must be imported.
Electricity: supplied by US Military
COMMUNICATIONS
Highways: 32 km total
Pipelines: 7.8 km
Ports: Sand Island
Airports: 3 total; 2 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways;
none with runways over 2,439 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
DEFENSE FORCES
Note: defense is the responsibility of the US
