Wake Island

Airports

total: 1 usable: 1 with permanent-surface runways: 1 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 0

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

Ports

none; because of the reefs, there are only two offshore anchorages for large ships

Telecommunications

satellite communications; 1 Autovon circuit off the Overseas Telephone System (OTS); Armed Forces Radio/Television Service (AFRTS) radio and television service provided by satellite; broadcast station - closed early 1992.

Affiliation

(overseas territory of France)

Electricity

supplied by US 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.

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

Climate

tropical

Coastline

19.3 km

Environment

current issues: NA natural hazards: subject to occasional typhoons international agreements: NA

International disputes

claimed by the Republic of the Marshall Islands

Irrigated land

0 sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

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

Location

Oceania, Micronesia, in the North Pacific Ocean, 3,700 km west of Honolulu, about two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and the Northern Mariana Islands

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

none

Note

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

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

Capital

none; administered from Washington, DC

Digraph

WQ

Flag

the US flag is used

Independence

none (territory of the US)

Names

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Wake Island

Type

unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US Air Force (under an agreement with the US Department of Interior) since 24 June 1972; presently administered by Base Commander, Major James ANDEL until August 1994, when Willis ALLEY will take over until July 1995

Population

302 (July 1994 est.)