Wake Island




                                  Header


Affiliation:
     (territory of the US)


                                 Geography


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
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
Land boundaries:
     0 km
Coastline:
     19.3 km
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
International disputes:
     claimed by the Republic of the Marshall Islands
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; average
     elevation less than 4 meters
Natural resources:
     none
Land use:
arable land:
     0%
permanent crops:
     0%
meadows and pastures:
     0%
forest and woodland:
     0%
other:
     100%




Irrigated land:
     0 sq km
Environment:
current issues:
     NA
natural hazards:
     subject to occasional typhoons
international agreements:
     NA
Note:
     strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; emergency landing
     location for transpacific flights


                                  People


Population:
     302 (July 1994 est.)


                                Government


Names:
conventional long form:
     none
conventional short form:
Digraph:
     WQ
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
Capital:
     none; administered from Washington, DC
Independence:
     none (territory of the US)
Flag:
     the US flag is used


                                  Economy


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.
Electricity:
     supplied by US military


                              Communications


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




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
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.
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


                              Defense Forces


     defense is the responsibility of the US