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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 is progressing, with completion
anticipated in 2004. |
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Location:
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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 |
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Geographic coordinates:
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16 45 N, 169 31 W |
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Map references:
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Oceania |
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Area:
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total: 2.8
sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 2.8 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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about 4.7 times
the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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34 km |
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Climate:
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tropical, but
generally dry; consistent northeast trade winds with little
seasonal temperature variation |
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Terrain:
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mostly flat |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Summit Peak 5 m |
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Natural resources:
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guano deposits
worked until depletion about 1890, terrestrial and aquatic
wildlife |
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Land use:
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arable land:
0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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0 sq km (1998
est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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NA |
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Environment - current issues:
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no natural fresh
water resources |
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Geography - note:
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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 |
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Population:
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396 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 2004 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: none
conventional short form: Johnston Atoll |
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Dependency status:
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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 |
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Legal system:
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the laws of the
US, where applicable, apply |
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Economy - overview:
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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. |
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Telephone system:
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general
assessment: NA
domestic: 512 KB satellite link to Hawaii teleport; 20
(POTS) voice and data lines
international: NA (2002) |
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Waterways:
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none |
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Ports and harbors:
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Johnston Island |
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Airports:
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1 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2003 est.) |
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Military - note:
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defense is the
responsibility of the US |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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