1BluePlanet Wake Island

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1BluePlanet Wake Island

wake island

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Introduction: WAKE ISLAND

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 and some commercial cargo planes, as well as for emergency landings. There are over 700 landings a year on the island.

GEOGRAPHY
Country name:	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Wake Island
Capital:
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 36 E
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 coral islands built up on an underwater volcano; central lagoon is former crater, islands are part of the rim
Elavation Extremes:	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 6 m
Natural Resources:	none
GOVERNEMENT
Governement Type:
Administratives Divisions:	Dependency status:unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Department of the Interior; activities on the island are conducted by the US Air Force
Independence
National Holiday:
Constitution:
Legal System;	the laws of the US, where applicable, apply
Suffrage
Executive Branch:
Legislative Branch:
Judicial Branch:
Political parties and Leaders:
PEOPLE
Population:	no indigenous inhabitants note: US military personnel have left the island, but contractor personnel remain; as of October 2001, 200 contractor personnel were present (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
Median age:
Nationality:
Ethnic groups:
Religions:
Languages:
COMUNICATIONS
Telephones - main lines in use:
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Telephone system:	general assessment: satellite communications; 1 DSN circuit off the Overseas Telephone System (OTS) domestic: NA international: NA
Radio broadcast stations:	AM 0, FM NA, shortwave NA note: Armed Forces Radio/Television Service (AFRTS) radio service provided by satellite (1998)
Television broadcast stations:	0 (1997)
Internet country code:
Internet hosts:
Internet users:
TRANSPORT
Railways:
Highways:
Waterways:
Pipelines:
Ports and harbors:	none; two offshore anchorages for large ships
Merchant marine:
Airports:	1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:	total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Heliports: