Wake Island

(territory of the US)

Geography

Location: Oceania, island in the North Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to the Northern Mariana Islands

Map references: Oceania

Area:
total area: 6.5 sq km
land area: 6.5 sq km
comparative area: 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

International 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 4 meters

Natural resources: none

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 0%
forest and woodland: 0%
other: 100%

Irrigated land: 0 sq km

Environment:
current issues: NA
natural hazards: occasional typhoons
international agreements: NA

Note: strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; emergency landing location for transpacific flights

People

Population: 302 (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 0% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population

Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population

Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population

Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA years
male: NA years
female: NA years

Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman

Government

Names:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Wake Island

Digraph: WQ

Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US Army and Strategic Defense Command since 1 October 1994

Capital: none; administered from Washington, DC

Independence: none (territory of the US)

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

Transportation

Railroads: 0 km

Ports: none; two offshore anchorages for large ships

Merchant marine: none

Airports:
total: 1
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1

Note: formerly an important commercial aviation base, now used by US military, some commercial cargo planes, as well as the US Army Space and Strategic Defense Command for missile launches

Communications

Telephone system: NA telephones; satellite communications; 1 Autovon circuit off the Overseas Telephone System (OTS)
local: NA
intercity: NA
international: NA
note: Armed Forces Radio/Television Service (AFRTS) radio and television service provided by satellite

Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 0, FM NA, shortwave NA
radios: NA
note: Armed Forces Radio/Television Service (AFRTS) radio and television service provided by satellite

Television:
broadcast stations: NA
televisions: NA
note: Armed Forces Radio/Television Service (AFRTS) radio and television service provided by satellite

Note: formerly an important commercial aviation base, now used by US military, as well as the US Army Space and Strategic Defense Command for missile launches

Defense Forces

Note: defense is the responsibility of the US