1991 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1991 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
equatorial, hot, and very rainy
Coastline
14.5 km
Comparative area
about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Environment
about 50 islets covered with dense vegetation, coconut trees, and balsa-like trees up to 30 meters tall
Land boundaries
none
Land use
arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 100%; other 0%
Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 12 nm; Continental shelf: 200 m (depth); Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
none
Note
located 1,600 km south-southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, almost halfway between Hawaii and American Samoa
Terrain
low, with maximum elevations of about 2 meters
Total area
11.9 km2; land area: 11.9 km2
People and Society
Population
uninhabited
Government
Long-form name
none
Type
unincorporated territory of the US; privately owned, but administered by the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the Interior
Economy
Overview
no economic activity
Communications
Airports
1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m
Ports
none; offshore anchorage in West Lagoon
Military and Security
Note
defense is the responsibility of the US _%_