JOHNSTON ATOLL                                                                  
(territory of the US)                                                           
GEOGRAPHY                                                                       
Total area: 2.8 km2; land area: 2.8 km2                                         
                                                                                
Comparative area: about 4.7 times the size of The Mall in                       
Washington, DC                                                                  
                                                                                
Land boundaries: none                                                           
                                                                                
Coastline: 10 km                                                                
                                                                                
Maritime claims:                                                                
                                                                                
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;                                                         
                                                                                
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);                                               
                                                                                
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;                                                
                                                                                
Territorial sea: 12 nm                                                          
                                                                                
Climate: tropical, but generally dry; consistent northeast trade                
winds with little seasonal temperature variation                                
                                                                                
Terrain: mostly flat with a maximum elevation of 4 meters                       
Natural resources: guano (deposits worked until about 1890)                     
                                                                                
Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures              
0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%                                          
                                                                                
Environment: some low-growing vegetation                                        
                                                                                
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)                                                                        
                                                                                
PEOPLE                                                                          
Population: 1,325 (December 1990); all US government personnel and              
contractors                                                                     
                                                                                
GOVERNMENT                                                                      
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                                             
                                                                                
Diplomatic representation: none (territory of the US)                           
                                                                                
Flag: the flag of the US 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 the United States Military                             
                                                                                
COMMUNICATIONS                                                                  
Ports: Johnston Island                                                          
                                                                                
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 2,743 m                               
                                                                                
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                                                               
                                                                                
Note: US Coast Guard operates a LORAN transmitting station                      
                                                                                
DEFENSE FORCES                                                                  
Note: defense is the responsibility of the US                                   
                                                                                
