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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:
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Oceania, atoll in
the North Pacific Ocean, about one-third of the way from
Honolulu to Tokyo |
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Geographic coordinates:
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28 13 N, 177 22 W |
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Map references:
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Oceania |
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Area:
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total: 6.2
sq km
note: includes Eastern Island, Sand Island, and Spit
Island
water: 0 sq km
land: 6.2 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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about nine times
the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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0 k |
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Coastline:
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15 km |
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Climate:
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subtropical;
moderated by prevailing easterly winds |
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Terrain:
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low, nearly level |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 13 m |
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Natural resources:
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wildlife,
terrestrial and aquatic |
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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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NA |
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Geography - note:
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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:
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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:
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conventional
long form: none
conventional short form: Midway Islands |
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Dependency status:
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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 |
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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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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:
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total: NA
km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km |
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Waterways:
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none |
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Pipelines:
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7.8 km |
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Ports and harbors:
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Sand Island |
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Airports:
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3 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2003 est.) |
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Transportation - note:
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airfield serves
as an emergency landing site for commercial aircraft crossing
the Pacific Ocean |
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Military - note:
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defense is the
responsibility of the US |
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Disputes - international:
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none |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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