Territory Name: United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges

Government Type: 

• With the exception of Palmyra Atoll, the constituent islands are unincorporated, unorganized territories of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System.

• Note: Palmyra Atoll is partly privately owned and partly federally owned; the federally owned portion is administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as an incorporated, unorganized territory of the US; the Office of Insular Affairs of the US Department of the Interior continues to administer nine excluded areas comprising certain tidal and submerged lands within the 12 nm territorial sea or within the lagoon.

Background: All of the following US Pacific island territories except Midway Atoll constitute the Pacific Remote Islands National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) Complex and as such are managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior. Midway Atoll NWR has been included in a Refuge Complex with the Hawaiian Islands NWR and also designated as part of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. These remote refuges are the most widespread collection of marine- and terrestrial-life protected areas on the planet under a single country's jurisdiction. They sustain many endemic species including corals, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, seabirds, water birds, land birds, insects, and vegetation not found elsewhere.

Region: Oceania

Population:

• No indigenous inhabitants.

• Note: Public entry is only granted by special-use permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and generally restricted to only scientists and educators who visit annually with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

• Jarvis Island: Millersville settlement on the western side of the island was occasionally used as a weather station from 1935 until World War II, when it was abandoned, it became reoccupied again in 1957 during the International Geophysical Year by scientists who left in 1958, and it is currently unoccupied.

• Johnston Atoll: In previous years, an average of 1,100 U.S. military and civilian contractor personnel were present, but as of May 2005, all U.S. Government personnel had left the island.

• Midway Islands: Approximately 40 people make up the contractors and staff of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who live on the atoll.

• Palmyra Atoll: Approximately 4 to 20 Nature Conservancy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife staff, and researchers live on the atoll.

Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $0

Real GDP Growth Rate: 0%

Real GDP per Capita: $0

Exports: $0

Imports: $0

Natural Resources: Terrestrial and aquatic wildlife.

Natural Hazards:

• Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: The narrow fringing reef surrounding the island poses a maritime hazard.

• Kingman Reef: Wet or awash most of the time, maximum elevation of less than 2 m makes Kingman Reef a maritime hazard.

• Midway Islands, Johnston, and Palmyra Atolls: N/A

Geography:

• Total: 6,959.41 sq km

• Land: emergent land - 22.41 sq km; submerged - 6,937 sq km

• Baker Island: total - 129.1 sq km; emergent land - 2.1 sq km; submerged - 127 sq km

• Howland Island: total - 138.6 sq km; emergent land - 2.6 sq km; submerged - 136 sq km

• Jarvis Island: total - 152 sq km; emergent land - 5 sq km; submerged - 147 sq km

• Johnston Atoll: total - 276.6 sq km; emergent land - 2.6 sq km; submerged - 274 sq km

• Kingman Reef: total - 1,958.01 sq km; emergent land - 0.01 sq km; submerged - 1,958 sq km

• Midway Islands: total - 2,355.2 sq km; emergent land - 6.2 sq km; submerged - 2,349 sq km

• Palmyra Atoll: total - 1,949.9 sq km; emergent land - 3.9 sq km; submerged - 1,946 sq km

(Country Summary, The World Factbook, CIA.gov)

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