Airports [time series]

total: 1 usable: 1 with permanent-surface runways: 1 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 0

Note [time series]

formerly an important commercial aviation base, now used only by US military and some commercial cargo planes

Ports [time series]

none; because of the reefs, there are only two offshore anchorages for large ships

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

underwater cables to Guam and through Midway to Honolulu; 1 Autovon circuit off the Overseas Telephone System (OTS); Armed Forces Radio/Television Service (AFRTS) radio and television service provided by satellite; broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, no TV

Affiliation [time series]

(overseas territory of France)

Electricity [time series]

supplied by US military

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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.

Area [time series]

total area: 6.5 km2 land area: 6.5 km2 comparative area: about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Climate [time series]

tropical

Coastline [time series]

19.3 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

subject to occasional typhoons

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

claimed by the Republic of the Marshall Islands

Irrigated land [time series]

0 km2

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

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

Location [time series]

in the North Pacific Ocean, 3,700 km west of Honolulu, about two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and the Northern Mariana Islands

Map references [time series]

Oceania

Maritime claims [time series]

contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 m or depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources [time series]

none

Note [time series]

strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; emergency landing location for transpacific flights

Terrain [time series]

atoll of three coral islands built up on an underwater volcano; central lagoon is former crater, islands are part of the rim; average elevation less than 4 meters

Capital [time series]

none; administered from Washington, DC

Digraph [time series]

WQ

Flag [time series]

the US flag is used

Independence [time series]

none (territory of the US)

Country name (Names) [time series]

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Wake Island

Government type (Type) [time series]

unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US Air Force (under an agreement with the US Department of Interior) since 24 June 1972

Population [time series]

no indigenous inhabitants; note - there are 302 US Air Force personnel, civilian weather service personnel, and US and Thai contractors; population peaked about 1970 with over 1,600 persons during the Vietnam conflict