countries/WQ

Wake Island

territoryFIPS: WQ|Edition: 1997|43 fields

COMMUNICATIONS(6 fields)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 0, FM NA, shortwave NA note : Armed Forces Radio/Television Service (AFRTS) radio service provided by satellite

Radios

NA

Telephone system

satellite communications; 1 DSN circuit off the Overseas Telephone System (OTS) domestic : NA international: NA

Telephones

NA

Television broadcast stations

NA note: Armed Forces Radio/Television Service (AFRTS) television service provided by satellite

Televisions

NA

ECONOMY(4 fields)

Economy - overview

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.

Electricity - capacity

NA kW note: electricity supplied by the US military

Electricity - consumption per capita

NA kWh

Electricity - production

NA kWh note: electricity supplied by the US military

GEOGRAPHY(18 fields)

Area

total: 6.5 sq km land: 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

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 6 m

Environment - current issues

NA

Environment - international agreements

party to: NA signed, but not ratified: 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 (1993)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 0% permanent crops : 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100%

Location

Oceania, island 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

GOVERNMENT(6 fields)

Country name

conventional long form: none conventional short form : Wake Island

Data code

WQ

Dependency status

unincorporated territory of the US; administered by the US Army and Strategic Defense Command since 1 October 1994

Flag description

the flag of the US is used

Independence

none (territory of the US)

National capital

none; administered from Washington, DC

MILITARY(1 fields)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the US

PEOPLE(1 fields)

Population

no indigenous inhabitants note: there are 302 US military and contract personnel (July 1995 est.)

TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES(1 fields)

Disputes - international

claimed by the Republic of the Marshall Islands WALLIS AND FUTUNA (overseas territory of France)

TRANSPORTATION(6 fields)

Airports

1

Airports - with paved runways

total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (1996 est.)

Merchant marine

none

Ports and harbors

none; two offshore anchorages for large ships

Railways

0 km

Transportation - note

formerly an important commercial aviation base, now used by US military, some commercial cargo planes, as well as the US Army Space and Strategic Defense Command for missile launches