CIA World Fact Book, 2004/Wake Island


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!| Background:
 * 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.
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!| Location: !| Geographic coordinates: !| Map references: !| Area: water: 0 sq km land: 6.5 sq km !| Area - comparative: !| Land boundaries: !| Coastline: !| Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm !| Climate: !| Terrain: !| Elevation extremes: highest point: unnamed location 6 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 two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to the Northern Mariana Islands
 * 19 17 N, 166 36 E
 * Oceania
 * total: 6.5 sq km
 * about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
 * 0 km
 * 19.3 km
 * territorial sea: 12 nm
 * tropical
 * atoll of three coral islands built up on an underwater volcano; central lagoon is former crater, islands are part of the rim
 * lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
 * none
 * arable land: 0%
 * 0 sq km (1998 est.)
 * occasional typhoons
 * NA
 * strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; emergency landing location for transpacific flights
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!| Population: note: US military personnel have left the island, but contractor personnel remain; as of October 2001, 200 contractor personnel were present (July 2004 est.)
 * no indigenous inhabitants
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!| Country name: conventional short form: Wake Island !| Dependency status: !| Legal system: !| Flag description:
 * conventional long form: none
 * unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Department of the Interior; activities on the island are conducted by the US Army under a caretaker permit from the US Air Force
 * the laws of the US, where applicable, apply
 * the flag of the US is used
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!| Economy - overview: !| Electricity - production:
 * Economic activity is limited to providing services to contractors located on the island. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.
 * NA
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!| Telephone system: domestic: NA international: NA !| Radio broadcast stations: note: Armed Forces Radio/Television Service (AFRTS) radio service provided by satellite (1998) !| Television broadcast stations:
 * general assessment: satellite communications; 1 DSN circuit off the Overseas Telephone System (OTS)
 * AM 0, FM NA, shortwave NA
 * 0 (1997)
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!| Ports and harbors: !| Airports: !| Airports - with paved runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.) !| Transportation - note:
 * none; two offshore anchorages for large ships
 * 1 (2003 est.)
 * total: 1
 * formerly an important commercial aviation base, now used by US military, some commercial cargo planes, and for emergency landings
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!| Military - note:
 * defense is the responsibility of the US; launch support facility is part of the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site (RTS) administered by US Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC)
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