fic flights. The US naval victory
over a Japanese fleet off Midway in 1942 was one of the turning
points of World War II. The islands continued to serve as a naval
station until closed in 1993. Today the islands are a national
wildlife refuge. From 1996 to 2001 the refuge was open to the
public; it is now temporarily closed.

Geography Midway Islands

Location:
Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-third of the
way from Honolulu to Tokyo

Geographic coordinates:
28 13 N, 177 22 W

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 6.2 sq km
land: 6.2 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Eastern Island, Sand Island, and Spit Island

Area - comparative:
about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
15 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
subtropical; moderated by prevailing easterly winds

Terrain:
low, nearly level

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 13 m

Natural resources:
wildlife, terrestrial and aquatic

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2001)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
a coral atoll managed as a national wildlife refuge and open to the
public for wildlife-related recreation in the form of wildlife
observation and photography, sport fishing, snorkeling, and scuba
diving; the refuge is temporarily closed for reorganization at
present (2004)

People Midway Islands

Population:
no indigenous inhabitants; approximately 40 people make up the
staff of US Fish and Wildlife Service and their services contractor
living at the atoll (July 2005 est.)

Government Midway Islands

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Midway Islands

Dependency status:
unincorporated territory of the US; formerly administered from
Washington, DC, by the US Navy; on 31 October 1996, through a
presidential executive order, the jurisdiction and control of the
atoll was transferred to the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US
Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge
system

Legal system:
the laws of the US, where applicable, apply

Flag description:
the flag of the US is used

Economy Midwa