ARCHIVE // UM // 2020

Midway Islands

2020 Edition — territory

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
View Intelligence Dossier Back to 2020 CSV Excel Print All Years
Geography
Area [time series]
total: 6 sq km | land: 6.2 sq km | water: 0 sq km | note: includes Eastern Island, Sand Island, and Spit Island
Area - comparative [time series]
about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Climate [time series]
subtropical; moderated by prevailing easterly winds
Coastline [time series]
15 km
Elevation [time series]
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m | highest point: water tower hill on Sand Island 15 m
Environment - current issues [time series]
small plastic ocean debris mistaken for fish or squid by birds is fed to fledglings resulting in starvation; fishing nets that wash ashore entangle wildlife resulting in starvation or strangulation
Geographic coordinates [time series]
28 12 N, 177 22 W
Geography - note [time series]
the coral atoll is managed as a national wildlife refuge and was open to the public for ecotourism from 1996 to 2002 and then again from 2008 to 2012; in 2000, the lands and waters of the Midway National Wildlife Refuge were also designated as the Battle of Midway National Monument; Henderson Airfield on Sand Island continues to serve as an emergency landing field for military and civilian aircraft transiting the Pacific Ocean
Irrigated land [time series]
0 sq km (2012)
Land boundaries [time series]
0 km
Land use [time series]
agricultural land: 0% (2011 est.) | arable land: 0% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 0% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 0% (2011 est.) | forest: 0% (2011 est.) | other: 100% (2011 est.)
Location [time series]
Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-third of the way from Honolulu to Tokyo
Map references [time series]
Oceania
Maritime claims [time series]
territorial sea: 12 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Natural hazards [time series]
tropical storms
Natural resources [time series]
terrestrial and aquatic wildlife
Terrain [time series]
low, nearly flat
Government
Citizenship [time series]
see United States
Country name [time series]
conventional long form: none | conventional short form: Midway Islands | etymology: originally named the Middlebrook Islands after the US captain who discovered them in 1859; the name became Midway later in the 19th century and reflects the islands' position in the North Pacific Ocean roughly equidistant between North America and Asia
Dependency status [time series]
unincorporated unorganized territory of the US; formerly administered from Washington, DC, by the US Navy; 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
Flag (Flag description) [time series]
the flag of the US is used
Legal system [time series]
the laws of the US apply where applicable
Introduction
Background [time series]
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 US National Wildlife Refuge. From 1996 to 2002 and 2008 to 2012 the refuge was open to the public, but it is now closed.
Military and Security
Military - note [time series]
defense is the responsibility of the US
People and Society
Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]
NA
Population [time series]
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 2014 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international [time series]
none
Transportation
Airports - with paved runways [time series]
total: 1 (2019) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]
total: 1 (2013) | 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2013)
Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]
major seaport(s): Sand Island
Transportation - note [time series]
Henderson Field on Sand Island serves as an emergency landing site for aircraft crossing the Pacific Ocean