Baker Island

unincorporated territory of the US administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system

Baker Island as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 19 fields, one of 21 editions from 1990 to 2020.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

Area1.4 km2
1991

Every edition of Baker Island

Populationas each edition published it
Not in this edition 1,942 in 1992

Geography

10 fields
Total area
1.4km2
land area: 1.4 km2Comparative area: about 2.3 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Coastline

  • 4.8 km Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
  • Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
  • Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
  • Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate

equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun

Terrain

low, nearly level coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef

Natural resources

guano (deposits worked until 1891)

Land use

  • arable land 0%;
  • permanent crops 0%;
  • meadows and pastures 0%;
  • forest and woodland 0%;
  • other 100%

Environment

  • treeless, sparse and scattered vegetation consisting of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs;
  • lacks fresh water;
  • primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife

Note

remote location 2,575 km southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, just north of the Equator, about halfway between Hawaii and Australia

People

2 fields

Population

uninhabited

Note

  • American civilians evacuated in 1942 after Japanese air and naval attacks during World War II;
  • occupied by US military during World War II, but abandoned after the war;
  • public entry is by special-use permit only and generally restricted to scientists and educators;
  • a cemetery and cemetery ruins located near the middle of the west coast

Government

Unincorporated territory of the US administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system

2 fields

Type

unincorporated territory of the US administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system

Economy

No economic activity

1 field

Overview

no economic activity

Communications

3 fields

Ports

none; offshore anchorage only, one boat landing area along the middle of the west coast

Airports

1 abandoned World War II runway of 1,665 m

Note

there is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast

Defense Forces

1 field

Note

defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US Coast Guard

Central Intelligence Agency. “Baker Island.” The World Factbook 1991. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/baker-island/1991.

How to cite ← 1990 edition 1992 edition →