Wake Island

unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US Air Force (under an agreement with the US Department of Interior) since 24 June 1972

Wake Island as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 26 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

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.

Area6.5 km2
1990

Every edition of Wake Island

Populationas each edition published it
195 people January 1990 · 2,018 in 2024
Population growth% a year
Not in this edition 0% in 1995

Geography

15 fields

Land useshare of 6.5 km2

forest and woodland 0%other 100%arable land 0% in all · permanent crops 0% in all · meadows and pastures 0% in all
Total area
6.5km2
land area: 6.5 km2Comparative area: about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Coastline
19.3km
land boundaries: noneTerritorial sea: 12 nm

Disputes

claimed by the Republic of the Marshall Islands

Climate

tropical

Terrain

  • atoll of three coral islands built up on an underwater volcano;
  • central lagoon is former crater, islands are part of the rim;
  • average elevation less than four meters

Environment

subject to occasional typhoons

Note

  • strategic location 3,700 km west of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and the Northern Mariana Islands;
  • emergency landing location for transpacific flights

People

2 fields
Population
195
(January 1990); no indigenous inhabitants; temporary population consists of 11 US Air Force personnel, 27 US civilians, and 151 Thai contractors

Note

population peaked about 1970 with over 1,600 persons during the Vietnam conflict

Government

Unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US Air Force (under an agreement with the US Department of Interior) since 24 June 1972

3 fields

Type

unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US Air Force (under an agreement with the US Department of Interior) since 24 June 1972

Flag

the US flag is used

Economy

Economic activity is limited to providing services to US military personnel and contractors located on the island.

1 field

Overview

Economic activity is limited to providing services to US military personnel and contractors located on the island. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.

Communications

4 fields

Ports

none; because of the reefs, there are only two offshore anchorages for large ships

Airports

1 with permanent-surface runways 2,987 m

Telecommunications

  • underwater cables to Guam and through Midway to Honolulu;
  • AFRTS radio and television service provided by satellite;
  • stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV

Note

formerly an important commercial aviation base, now used only by US military and some commercial cargo planes

Defense Forces

1 field

Note

defense is the responsibility of the US

Central Intelligence Agency. “Wake Island.” The World Factbook 1990. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/wake-island/1990.

How to cite 1991 edition →