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Wake Island

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The US annexed Wake Island in 1899 for a cable station. An important air and naval base was constructed in 1940-41. In December 1941, the island was captured by the Japanese and held until the end of World War II. In subsequent years, Wake was developed as a stopover and refueling site for military and commercial aircraft transiting the Pacific. Since 1974, the island's airstrip has been used by the US military, as well as for emergency landings. All operations on the island were suspended and all personnel evacuated in August 2006 with the approach of super typhoon IOKE (category 5), which struck the island with sustained winds of 250 kph and a 6 m storm surge inflicting major damage. A US Air Force assessment and repair team returned to the island in September and restored limited function to the airfield and facilities. The future status of activities on the island will be determined upon completion of the survey and assessment.
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 39 E
Map references
Oceania
Area
total
6.5 sq km
land
6.5 sq km
water
0 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
territorial sea
12 nm
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Climate
tropical
Terrain
atoll of three low coral islands, Peale, Wake, and Wilkes, 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% (2005)
Irrigated land
0 sq km
Natural hazards
occasional typhoons
Environment - current issues
NA
Geography - note
strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; emergency landing location for transpacific flights

Population
no indigenous inhabitants
note: since super typhoon IOKE, a small military contingent along with 75 contractor personnel have returned to the island to conduct clean-up and restore basic operations on the island (July 2007 est.)

Country name
conventional long form
none
conventional short form
Wake Island
Dependency status
unorganized, unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Department of the Interior; activities in the atoll are currently conducted by the US Air Force
Legal system
the laws of the US, where applicable, apply
Flag description
the flag of the US is used

Economy - overview
Economic activity is limited to providing services to military personnel and contractors located on the island. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.
Electricity - production
NA kWh

Telephone system
general assessment
satellite communications; 2 DSN circuits off the Overseas Telephone System (OTS)
domestic
NA
international
NA
Radio broadcast stations
AM 0, FM 0, shortwave 0 (Armed Forces Radio/Television Service (AFRTS) radio service provided by satellite (2005)
Television broadcast stations
0 (2005)

Airports
1 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
1
2,438 to 3,047 m
1 (2006)
Ports and terminals
none; two offshore anchorages for large ships
Transportation - note
there are no commercial or civilian flights to and from Wake Island, except in direct support of island missions; emergency landing is available

Military - note
defense is the responsibility of the US; the US Air Force is responsible for overall administration and operation of the island; the launch support facility is administered by the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA)

Disputes - international
claimed by Marshall Islands

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