WAKE ISLAND
(territory of the US)
GEOGRAPHY
Total area: 6.5 km2; land area: 6.5 km2
Comparative area: about 11 times the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 19.3 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: claimed by the Republic of the Marshall Islands
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;
average elevation less than four meters
Natural resources: none
Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures
0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
Environment: subject to occasional typhoons
Note: strategic location 3,700 km west of Honolulu in the North
Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and the
Northern Mariana Islands; emergency landing location for transpacific
flights
PEOPLE
Population: 195 (January 1990); no indigenous inhabitants;
302 temporary population
Note: population peaked about 1970 with over 1,600 persons during
the Vietnam conflict
GOVERNMENT
Long-form name: none
Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US Air
Force (under an agreement with the US Department of Interior) since
24 June 1972
Flag: the US flag is used
ECONOMY
Overview: Economic activity is limited to providing services to US
military personnel and contractors located on the island. All food and
manufactured goods must be imported.
Electricity: supplied by US military
COMMUNICATIONS
Ports: none; because of the reefs, there are only two offshore
anchorages for large ships
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runways 2,440 to 3,659 m
Telecommunications: underwater cables to Guam and through Midway
to Honolulu; AFRTS radio and television service provided by satellite;
stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV
Note: formerly an important commercial aviation base, now used only
by US military and some commercial cargo planes
DEFENSE FORCES
Note: defense is the responsibility of the US
