fic. Since 1974, the island's airstrip has been used by the
US military and some commercial cargo planes, as well as for emergency
landings. There are over 700 landings a year on the island.

Geography Wake Island

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

Geographic coordinates: 19 17 N, 166 36 E

Map references: Oceania

Area: total: 6.5 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 6.5 sq km

Area - comparative: 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

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

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point:
unnamed location 6 m

Natural resources: none

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

Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: occasional typhoons

Environment - current issues: NA

Geography - note: strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean;
emergency landing location for transpacific flights

People Wake Island

Population: no indigenous inhabitants note: US military personnel have
left the island, but civilian personnel remain; as of December 2000,
one US Army civilian and 123 contractor personnel were present (July
2002 est.)

Population growth rate: NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

Government Wake Island

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form:
Wake Island

Dependency status: unincorporated territory of the US; administered
from Washington, DC, by the Department of the Interior; activities on
the island are managed by the US Army under a US Air Force permit

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

Flag description: the flag of the US is used

Economy Wake Island

Economy - overview: Economic activity is limited to providing services
to contractors located on the island. All food and manufactured goods
must be imported.

Electricity - production: NA kWh

Communications Wake Island

Telephone system: general assessment: satellite communications;
1 DSN circuit off the Overseas Telephone System (OTS) domestic: NA
international: NA

Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM NA, shortwa