81 lines
6.4 KiB
Plaintext
81 lines
6.4 KiB
Plaintext
WAKE ISLAND
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(territory of the US)
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 6.5 km2; land area: 6.5 km2
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Comparative area: about 11 times the size of The Mall in
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Washington, DC
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Land boundaries: none
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Coastline: 19.3 km
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Maritime claims:
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Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
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Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
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Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
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Territorial sea: 12 nm
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Disputes: claimed by the Republic of the Marshall Islands
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Climate: tropical
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Terrain: atoll of three coral islands built up on an underwater
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volcano; central lagoon is former crater, islands are part of the rim;
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average elevation less than four meters
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Natural resources: none
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Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures
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0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
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Environment: subject to occasional typhoons
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Note: strategic location 3,700 km west of Honolulu in the North
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Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and the
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Northern Mariana Islands; emergency landing location for transpacific
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flights
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PEOPLE
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Population: 195 (January 1990); no indigenous inhabitants;
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302 temporary population
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Note: population peaked about 1970 with over 1,600 persons during
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the Vietnam conflict
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: none
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Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US Air
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Force (under an agreement with the US Department of Interior) since
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24 June 1972
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Flag: the US flag is used
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ECONOMY
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Overview: Economic activity is limited to providing services to US
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military personnel and contractors located on the island. All food and
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manufactured goods must be imported.
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Electricity: supplied by US military
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Ports: none; because of the reefs, there are only two offshore
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anchorages for large ships
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Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runways 2,440 to 3,659 m
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Telecommunications: underwater cables to Guam and through Midway
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to Honolulu; AFRTS radio and television service provided by satellite;
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stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV
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Note: formerly an important commercial aviation base, now used only
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by US military and some commercial cargo planes
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Note: defense is the responsibility of the US
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