countries/JQ

Johnston Atoll

territoryFIPS: JQ|Edition: 1991|22 fields

COMMUNICATIONS(4 fields)

Airports

1 with permanent-surface runway 2,743 m

Note

US Coast Guard operates a LORAN transmitting station

Ports

Johnston Island

Telecommunications

excellent system including 60-channel submarine cable, Autodin/SRT terminal, digital telephone switch, Military Affiliated Radio System (MARS station), commercial satellite television system (receive only), and UHF/VHF air-ground radio, marine VHF/FM Channel 16

DEFENSE FORCES(1 fields)

Note

defense is the responsibility of the US

ECONOMY(2 fields)

Electricity

supplied by the United States Military

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.

GEOGRAPHY(10 fields)

Climate

tropical, but generally dry; consistent northeast trade winds with little seasonal temperature variation

Coastline

10 km Contiguous zone: 12 nm; Continental shelf: 200 m (depth); Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm

Comparative area

about 4.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Environment

some low-growing vegetation

Land boundaries

none

Land use

arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%

Natural resources

guano (deposits worked until about 1890)

Note

strategic location 1,328 km west-southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-third of the way between Hawaii and the Marshall Islands; Johnston Island and Sand Island are natural islands; North Island (Akau) and East Island (Hikina) are manmade islands formed from coral dredging; closed to the public; former nuclear weapons test site; site of Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System (JACADS)

Terrain

mostly flat with a maximum elevation of 4 meters

Total area

2.8 km2; land area: 2.8 km2

GOVERNMENT(4 fields)

Diplomatic representation

none (territory of the US)

Flag

the flag of the US is used

Long-form name

none (territory of the US)

Type

unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US Defense Nuclear Agency (DNA) and managed cooperatively by DNA and the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system

PEOPLE(1 fields)

Population

1,325 (December 1990); all US government personnel and contractors