| 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. 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, and cleanup and
closure of the facility is progressing. |
| Location: |
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 |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
16 45 N, 169 31 W |
| Area: |
total:
2.8 sq km
land: 2.8 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
about 4.7 times
the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
| Maritime
claims: |
exclusive
economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Climate: |
tropical, but
generally dry; consistent northeast trade winds with little
seasonal temperature variation |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Summit Peak 5 m |
| Natural
resources: |
guano deposits
worked until depletion about 1890, terrestrial and aquatic
wildlife |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 100% |
| Irrigated
land: |
0 sq km (1998) |
| Environment
- current issues: |
no natural fresh
water resources |
| Geography
- note: |
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; egg-shaped
reef is 34 km in circumference; closed to the public; former
US nuclear weapons test site; site of Johnston Atoll
Chemical Agent Disposal System (JACADS); some low-growing
vegetation |
| Population: |
no indigenous
inhabitants
note: in previous years, there was an average
of 1,100 US military and civilian contractor personnel
present; as of 1 October 2000, population decreased to
approximately 970 when US Army Chemical Activity Pacific (USACAP)
departed (January 2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
-5.94% (2001
est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: none
conventional short form: Johnston Atoll |
| Dependency
status: |
unincorporated
territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by
Pacific Air Forces, Hickam AFB, and the Fish and Wildlife
Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the
National Wildlife Refuge system |
| Legal
system: |
the laws of the
US, where applicable, apply |
| Flag
description: |
the flag of the
US is used |
| 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
- production: |
approximately
1,000,000 kWh weekly; note - there are six 25,000 kWh
generators supplied by the base operating support contractor
(1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
NA kWh |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: 13 outgoing and 10 incoming commercial
lines; adequate telecommunications
domestic: 60-channel submarine cable, 22 DSN
circuits by satellite, Autodin with standard remote
terminal, digital telephone switch, Military Affiliated
Radio System (MARS station), UHF/VHF air-ground radio, a
link to the Pacific Consolidated Telecommunications Network
(PCTN) satellite
international: NA |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM NA, FM NA,
shortwave NA |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
commercial
satellite television system, with 16 channels (1997) |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
NA |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Johnston Island |
| Airports: |
1; note - six
flights per week; three commercial, three military (2001
est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Military
- note: |
defense is the
responsibility of the US |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
|
