Jarvis Island
Jarvis Island as the 2017 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 24 fields, one of 24 editions from 1990 to 2020.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
First discovered by the British in 1821, the uninhabited island was annexed by the US in 1858 but abandoned in 1879 after tons of guano deposits had been removed for use in producing fertilizer. The UK annexed the island in 1889 but never carried out plans for further exploitation. The US occupied and reclaimed the island in 1935. Abandoned after World War II, the island is currently a National Wildlife Refuge administered by the US Department of the Interior.
Geography
Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and the Cook Islands
14 fieldsLocation
Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and the Cook Islands
Geography - note
sparse bunch grass, prostrate vines, and low-growing shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife
People and Society
1 fieldPopulation
uninhabited
note: Millersville settlement on western side of island occasionally used as a weather station from 1935 until World War II, when it was abandoned;
reoccupied in 1957 during the International Geophysical Year by scientists who left in 1958; public entry is by special-use permit from US Fish and Wildlife Service only and generally restricted to scientists and educators; visited annually by US Fish and Wildlife Service
Government
4 fieldsCountry name
- conventional long form:
- none
- conventional short form:
- Jarvis Island
- etymology:
- named after three brothers JARVIS, the owners of the British ship from which the island was discovered in 1821
Dependency status
unincorporated territory 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
Transportation
2 fieldsPorts and terminals
- none;
- offshore anchorage only;
- note - there is one small boat landing area in the middle of the west coast and another near the southwest corner of the island
Military and Security
1 fieldTransnational Issues
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Jarvis Island.” The World Factbook 2017. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/jarvis-island/2017.