|
|
|
Background:
|
Both the
US and the Kingdom of Hawaii annexed Johnston Atoll in
1858, but it was the US that mined the guano deposits
until the late 1880s. Johnston and Sand Islands were
designated wildlife refuges in 1926. The US Navy took
over the atoll in 1934, and subsequently the US Air
Force assumed control in 1948. The site was used for
high-altitude nuclear tests in the 1950s and 1960s, and
until late in 2000 the atoll was maintained as a storage
and disposal site for chemical weapons. Munitions
destruction is now complete. Cleanup and closure of the
facility was completed in 2004. |
|
Location:
|
Oceania,
atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 717 nm (1328 km)
southwest of Honolulu, Hawaii, about one-third of the
way from Hawaii to the Marshall Islands |
|
Geographic coordinates:
|
16 45 N,
169 31 W |
|
Map references:
|
Oceania
|
|
Area:
|
total:
2.8 sq km
land: 2.8 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
|
Area - comparative:
|
about 4.7
times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
|
Land boundaries:
|
0 km |
|
Coastline:
|
34 km
|
|
Maritime claims:
|
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
|
Climate:
|
tropical,
but generally dry; consistent northeast trade winds with
little seasonal temperature variation |
|
Terrain:
|
mostly
flat |
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest
point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Summit Peak 5 m |
|
Natural resources:
|
guano
deposits worked until depletion about 1890, terrestrial
and aquatic wildlife |
|
Land use:
|
arable
land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2001) |
|
Irrigated land:
|
0 sq km
(1998 est.) |
|
Natural hazards:
|
NA |
|
Environment - current issues:
|
no
natural fresh water resources |
|
Geography - note:
|
strategic
location in the North Pacific Ocean; Johnston Island and
Sand Island are natural islands, which have been
expanded by coral dredging; North Island (Akau) and East
Island (Hikina) are manmade islands formed from coral
dredging; the egg-shaped reef is 34 km in circumference;
closed to the public; a former US nuclear weapons test
site; site of now-closed Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent
Disposal System (JACADS); most facilities dismantled and
cleanup complete in 2004; some low-growing vegetation
|
|
Population:
|
361 no
indigenous inhabitants
note: in previous years, there was an average of
1,100 US military and civilian contractor personnel
present; as of September 2001, population had decreased
significantly when US Army Chemical Activity Pacific
(USACAP) departed; as of January 2004 the island
population was just above 200 personnel, including US
Air Force, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and civilian
contractor personnel (July 2005 est.) |
|
Country name:
|
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Johnston Atoll |
|
Dependency status:
|
unincorporated territory of the US; administered from
Honolulu, HI, by Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Force
Base, and the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US
Department of the Interior as part of the National
Wildlife Refuge system |
|
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 US military
personnel and contractors located on the island. All
food and manufactured goods must be imported. |
|
Telephone system:
|
general assessment: NA
domestic: 512 KB satellite link to Hawaii
teleport; 20 (POTS) voice and data lines
international: NA (2002) |
|
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
|
1 256 KB
circuit to US Department of Defense-run Nonsecure
Internet Protocol Router Network (NIPRNET) (2002) |
|
Ports and harbors:
|
Johnston
Island |
|
Airports:
|
1 (2004
est.) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total:
1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
|
Military - note:
|
defense
is the responsibility of the US |
|
Disputes - international:
|
none |
|
This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
|
|
| |
|
|
