CIA World Fact Book, 2004/Midway Islands


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!| Background:
 * The US took formal possession of the islands in 1867. The laying of the trans-Pacific cable, which passed through the islands, brought the first residents in 1903. Between 1935 and 1947, Midway was used as a refueling stop for trans-Pacific flights. The US naval victory over a Japanese fleet off Midway in 1942 was one of the turning points of World War II. The islands continued to serve as a naval station until closed in 1993. Today the islands are a national wildlife refuge. From 1996 to 2001 the refuge was open to the public; it is now temporarily closed.
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!| Location: !| Geographic coordinates: !| Map references: !| Area: note: includes Eastern Island, Sand Island, and Spit Island water: 0 sq km land: 6.2 sq km !| Area - comparative: !| Land boundaries: !| Coastline: !| Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm !| Climate: !| Terrain: !| Elevation extremes: highest point: unnamed location 13 m !| Natural resources: !| Land use: permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001) !| Irrigated land: !| Natural hazards: !| Environment - current issues: !| Geography - note:
 * Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-third of the way from Honolulu to Tokyo
 * 28 13 N, 177 22 W
 * Oceania
 * total: 6.2 sq km
 * about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
 * 0 km
 * 15 km
 * territorial sea: 12 nm
 * subtropical; moderated by prevailing easterly winds
 * low, nearly level
 * lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
 * wildlife, terrestrial and aquatic
 * arable land: 0%
 * 0 sq km (1998 est.)
 * NA
 * NA
 * a coral atoll managed as a national wildlife refuge and open to the public for wildlife-related recreation in the form of wildlife observation and photography, sport fishing, snorkeling, and scuba diving; the refuge is temporarily closed for reorganization at present (2004)
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!| Population:
 * no indigenous inhabitants; approximately 40 people make up the staff of US Fish and Wildlife Service and their services contractor living at the atoll (July 2004 est.)
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!| Country name: conventional short form: Midway Islands !| Dependency status: !| Legal system: !| Flag description:
 * conventional long form: none
 * unincorporated territory of the US; formerly administered from Washington, DC, by the US Navy, under Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific Division; this facility has been operationally closed since 10 September 1993; on 31 October 1996, through a presidential executive order, the jurisdiction and control of the atoll was transferred to the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system
 * the laws of the US, where applicable, apply
 * the flag of the US is used
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!| Economy - overview:
 * The economy is based on providing support services for the national wildlife refuge activities located on the islands. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.
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!| Highways: paved: NA km unpaved: NA km !| Ports and harbors: !| Airports: !| Airports - with paved runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2004 est.) !| Airports - with unpaved runways: 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) !| Transportation - note:
 * total: NA km
 * Sand Island
 * 3 (2003 est.)
 * total: 2
 * total: 1
 * airfield serves as an emergency landing site for commercial aircraft crossing the Pacific Ocean
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!| Military - note:
 * defense is the responsibility of the US
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