WAKE ISLAND                                                                     
(territory of the US)                                                           
GEOGRAPHY                                                                       
Total area: 6.5 km2; land area: 6.5 km2                                         
                                                                                
Comparative area: about 11 times the size of The Mall in                        
Washington, DC                                                                  
                                                                                
Land boundaries: none                                                           
                                                                                
Coastline: 19.3 km                                                              
                                                                                
Maritime claims:                                                                
                                                                                
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;                                                         
                                                                                
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);                                               
                                                                                
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;                                                
                                                                                
Territorial sea: 12 nm                                                          
                                                                                
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 four meters                                         
                                                                                
Natural resources: none                                                         
                                                                                
Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures              
0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%                                          
                                                                                
Environment: subject to occasional typhoons                                     
                                                                                
Note: strategic location 3,700 km west of Honolulu in the North                 
Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and the               
Northern Mariana Islands; emergency landing location for transpacific           
flights                                                                         
                                                                                
PEOPLE                                                                          
Population: 195 (January 1990); no indigenous inhabitants;                      
302 temporary population                                                        
                                                                                
Note: population peaked about 1970 with over 1,600 persons during               
the Vietnam conflict                                                            
                                                                                
GOVERNMENT                                                                      
Long-form name: none                                                            
                                                                                
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                                                                    
                                                                                
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: 1 with permanent-surface runways 2,440 to 3,659 m                     
                                                                                
Telecommunications: underwater cables to Guam and through Midway                
to Honolulu; AFRTS radio and television service provided by satellite;          
stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV                                                    
                                                                                
Note: formerly an important commercial aviation base, now used only             
by US military and some commercial cargo planes                                 
                                                                                
DEFENSE FORCES                                                                  
Note: defense is the responsibility of the US                                   
                                                                                
