by prevailing winds

Terrain: low and nearly level

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point:
unnamed location 1 m

Natural resources: terrestrial and aquatic wildlife

Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: wet or awash most of the time, maximum elevation of
about 1 meter makes Kingman Reef a maritime hazard

Environment - current issues: none

Geography - note: barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; closed
to the public

People Kingman Reef

Population: uninhabited (July 2002 est.)

Population growth rate: NA

Government Kingman Reef

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form:
Kingman Reef

Dependency status: unincorporated territory of the US; administered from
Washington, DC, by the US Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of
the Interior note: on 1 September 2000, the Department of the Interior
accepted restoration of its administrative jurisdiction over Kingman
Reef from the Department of the Navy; Executive Order 3223 signed 18
January 2001 established Kingman Reef National Wildlife Refuge to be
administered by the Director, US Fish and Wildlife Service; this refuge
is managed to protect the terrestrial and aquatic wildlife of Kingman
Reef out to the 12-nautical-mile territorial sea limit

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

Flag description: the flag of the US is used

Economy Kingman Reef

Economy - overview: no economic activity

Transportation Kingman Reef

Waterways: none

Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only

Airports: lagoon was used as a halfway station between Hawaii and
American Samoa by Pan American Airways for flying boats in 1937 and 1938

Military Kingman Reef

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the US

Transnational Issues Kingman Reef

Disputes - international: none

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002

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Kiribati

Introduction

Kiribati

Background: The Gilbert Islands were granted self-rule by the UK in 1971
and complete independence in 1979 under the new name of Kiribati. The
US relinquished all claims to the sparsely inhabited Phoenix and Line
Island groups in a 1979 treaty of friendship with Kiribati.

Geography Kiribati

Location: Oceania, gr