2000 Edition
CIA World Factbook 2000 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
- land
- 6.5 sq km
- total
- 6.5 sq km
- water
- 0 sq km
Area - comparative
about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Climate
tropical
Coastline
19.3 km
Elevation extremes
- highest point
- unnamed location 6 m
- lowest point
- Pacific Ocean 0 m
Environment - current issues
NA
Geographic coordinates
19 17 N, 166 36 E
Geography - note
strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; emergency landing location for transpacific flights
Irrigated land
0 sq km (1998)
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
- arable land
- 0%
- forests and woodland
- 0%
- other
- 100%
- permanent crops
- 0%
- permanent pastures
- 0%
Location
Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to the Northern Mariana Islands
Map references
Oceania
Maritime claims
- exclusive economic zone
- 200 nm
- territorial sea
- 12 nm
Natural hazards
occasional typhoons
Natural resources
none
Terrain
atoll of three coral islands built up on an underwater volcano; central lagoon is former crater, islands are part of the rim
People and Society
Population
- no indigenous inhabitants
- note
- US military personnel have left the island, but some civilian personnel remain (July 2000 est.)
Government
Country name
- conventional long form
- none
- conventional short form
- Wake Island
Data code
WQ
Dependency status
unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC by the Department of the Interior; occasional activities on the island are managed by the US Army under a US Air Force contract
Flag description
the flag of the US is used
Economy
Economy - overview
Economic activity is limited to providing services to contractors located on the island. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.
Electricity - production
NA kWh
Communications
Radio broadcast stations
- AM 0, FM NA, shortwave NA
- note
- Armed Forces Radio/Television Service (AFRTS) radio service provided by satellite (1998)
Telephone system
- satellite communications; 1 DSN circuit off the Overseas Telephone System (OTS)
- domestic
- NA
- international
- NA
Television broadcast stations
0 (1997)
Transportation
Airports
1 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways
- total
- 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (1999 est.)
Ports and harbors
none; two offshore anchorages for large ships
Transportation - note
formerly an important commercial aviation base, now occasionally used by US military, some commercial cargo planes, and for emergency landings
Military and Security
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of the US
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
- claimed by Marshall Islands
- WALLIS AND FUTUNA