Virtual Globetrotting: United States Minor Outlying Islands

Virtual Globetrotting: United States Minor Outlying Islands http://virtualglobetrotting.com/ A great way to explore everything that can be seen from space! en-us Copyright 2013 Sun, 17 Mar 2013 03:26:05 -0700 http://backend.userland.com/rss <![CDATA[Palmyra (Cooper) Airport]]>

Palmyra (Cooper) Airport
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By: Mike1989
@ 2013-03-17 03:26:05
Palmyra (Cooper) Airport (ICAO: PLPA, FAA LID: P16) is an unattended airport on Palmyra Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. It is a private-use facility, originally built during World War II and now owned by The Nature Conservancy. It has one runway (6/24) measuring 5,000 ft × 150 ft (1,524 m × 46 m).
The name for the airport and the island where it is located comes from Henry Ernest Cooper, Sr. (1857–1929) who owned Palmyra from 1911 to 1922.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/palmyra-cooper-airport/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/palmyra-cooper-airport/ Sun, 17 Mar 2013 03:26:05 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/palmyra-cooper-airport/ 5.88836400 -162.07696400 <![CDATA[Boeing C-17 Globemaster III]]>

Boeing C-17 Globemaster III
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By: Mike1989
@ 2012-10-14 07:08:19
The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft. It was developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas; the company later merged with Boeing.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/boeing-c-17-globemaster-iii-8/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/boeing-c-17-globemaster-iii-8/ Sun, 14 Oct 2012 07:08:19 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/boeing-c-17-globemaster-iii-8/ 19.28183100 166.65101100 <![CDATA[Pillbox (Midway Island)]]>

Pillbox (Midway Island)
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By: Mike1989
@ 2012-10-13 12:00:52
Direct link; http://goo.gl/maps/YNfPl]]>

Pillbox (Midway Island)
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By: Mike1989
@ 2012-10-13 12:00:52
Direct link; http://goo.gl/maps/YNfPl]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/pillbox-midway-island/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/pillbox-midway-island/ Sat, 13 Oct 2012 12:00:52 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/pillbox-midway-island/ 28.19813400 -177.38467000 <![CDATA[Midway Mall]]>

Midway Mall
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By: Mike1989
@ 2012-10-13 11:57:44
The mall was renovated in the 1960s when the library and breezeway connecting the buildings were added. During World War II, the theater hosted a variety of USO shows and the sailors and marines entertained themselves with talent shows.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/midway-mall/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/midway-mall/ Sat, 13 Oct 2012 11:57:44 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/midway-mall/ 28.21305900 -177.37344400 <![CDATA[Japanese Markers]]>

Japanese Markers
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By: Mike1989
@ 2012-10-13 11:53:46
Three memorial markers for Japanese fishermen who were lost at sea in 1911.]]>

Japanese Markers
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By: Mike1989
@ 2012-10-13 11:53:46
Three memorial markers for Japanese fishermen who were lost at sea in 1911.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/japanese-markers/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/japanese-markers/ Sat, 13 Oct 2012 11:53:46 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/japanese-markers/ 28.21147000 -177.37255800 <![CDATA[Navy Memorial (Midway Island)]]>

Navy Memorial (Midway Island)
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By: Mike1989
@ 2012-10-13 11:13:48]]>

Navy Memorial (Midway Island)
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By: Mike1989
@ 2012-10-13 11:13:48]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/navy-memorial-midway-island/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/navy-memorial-midway-island/ Sat, 13 Oct 2012 11:13:48 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/navy-memorial-midway-island/ 28.21250600 -177.37281100 <![CDATA[Torpedo Overhaul Shop]]>

Torpedo Overhaul Shop
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By: Mike1989
@ 2012-10-13 11:07:55]]>

Torpedo Overhaul Shop
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By: Mike1989
@ 2012-10-13 11:07:55]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/torpedo-overhaul-shop/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/torpedo-overhaul-shop/ Sat, 13 Oct 2012 11:07:55 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/torpedo-overhaul-shop/ 28.21080700 -177.37199600 <![CDATA[Seaplane Hangar]]>

Seaplane Hangar
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By: Mike1989
@ 2012-10-13 11:05:05
Originally twice its size, it was shelled during the December 7, 1941, raid and was set afire by Japanese air attack on June 4, 1942. Only half of the original hangar was rebuilt.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/seaplane-hangar/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/seaplane-hangar/ Sat, 13 Oct 2012 11:05:05 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/seaplane-hangar/ 28.21080700 -177.37199600 <![CDATA[Midway House - Officer in Charge House]]>

Midway House - Officer in Charge House
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By: Mike1989
@ 2012-10-13 11:01:04
Built in 1941, designed by Albert Kahn, now serves as the Refuge Manager's house. In 1969, President Nixon hosted a secret meeting with Republic of South Vietnam President Thieu in the downstairs room. These negotiations started the process for the United States to sharply reduce U.S. troop levels in an effort to turn the war effort over to the South Vietnamese.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/midway-house-officer-in-charge-house/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/midway-house-officer-in-charge-house/ Sat, 13 Oct 2012 11:01:04 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/midway-house-officer-in-charge-house/ 28.21522000 -177.37550900 <![CDATA[Marine Barracks (Midway Island)]]>

Marine Barracks (Midway Island)
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By: Mike1989
@ 2012-10-13 10:48:43
Designed by Albert Kahn and built in 1941, these barracks were the center of the "Marine Reservation" on Sand Island. Flight crews assigned to the Lockheed Super Constellation "Willy Victor" radar aircraft, flying the Distant Early Warning line, also used these barracks. There were similar barracks across from the Midway Memorial area that were torn down during base closure. Photo credit USFWS.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/marine-barracks-midway-island/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/marine-barracks-midway-island/ Sat, 13 Oct 2012 10:48:43 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/marine-barracks-midway-island/ 28.20688100 -177.37971200 <![CDATA[Midway's Command Post (indoor)]]>

Midway's Command Post (indoor)
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By: Mike1989
@ 2012-10-13 10:43:47
On the evening of December 7, 1941, a five inch shell found its way in through a window opening and mortally wounded First Lieutenant George Cannon.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/midways-command-post-indoor/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/midways-command-post-indoor/ Sat, 13 Oct 2012 10:43:47 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/midways-command-post-indoor/ 28.20976100 -177.37282900 <![CDATA[Hawaiian monk seal]]>

Hawaiian monk seal
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By: Mike1989
@ 2012-10-11 08:58:31
The Hawaiian monk seal, Monachus schauinslandi, is an endangered species of earless seal in the Phocidae family that is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/hawaiian-monk-seal/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/hawaiian-monk-seal/ Thu, 11 Oct 2012 08:58:31 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/hawaiian-monk-seal/ 28.21679100 -177.36864100 <![CDATA[Underground Shelter/Bunker "Midway Island"]]>

Underground Shelter/Bunker "Midway Island"
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By: Mike1989
@ 2012-10-11 05:13:36]]>

Underground Shelter/Bunker "Midway Island"
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By: Mike1989
@ 2012-10-11 05:13:36]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/underground-shelter-bunker-midway-island/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/underground-shelter-bunker-midway-island/ Thu, 11 Oct 2012 05:13:36 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/underground-shelter-bunker-midway-island/ 28.19744900 -177.38750600 <![CDATA[Midway Memorial]]>

Midway Memorial
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By: Mike1989
@ 2012-10-11 05:09:31
The Battle of Midway (Japanese: ミッドウェー海戦; Rōmaji: Middowē Kaisen) is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, only six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea, the United States Navy decisively defeated an Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) attack against Midway Atoll, inflicting irreparable damage on the Japanese fleet. Military historian John Keegan called it "the most stunning and decisive blow in the history of naval warfare."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Midway]]>

NAF Midway Island hangar at Henderson Field
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By: Mike1989
@ 2012-10-11 05:04:02
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henderson_Field_(Midway_Atoll)]]>

NAF Midway Island hangar at Henderson Field
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By: Mike1989
@ 2012-10-11 05:04:02
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henderson_Field_(Midway_Atoll)]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/naf-midway-island-hangar-at-henderson-field/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/naf-midway-island-hangar-at-henderson-field/ Thu, 11 Oct 2012 05:04:02 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/naf-midway-island-hangar-at-henderson-field/ 28.20895000 -177.37886400 <![CDATA[Anchor]]>

Anchor
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By: Mike1989
@ 2012-10-11 04:59:04]]>

Anchor
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By: Mike1989
@ 2012-10-11 04:59:04]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/anchor-118/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/anchor-118/ Thu, 11 Oct 2012 04:59:04 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/anchor-118/ 28.21508700 -177.36367200 <![CDATA[Albatross]]>

Albatross
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By: Mike1989
@ 2012-10-11 04:48:12
Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds allied to the procellariids, storm-petrels and diving-petrels in the order Procellariiformes (the tubenoses). They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific. They are absent from the North Atlantic, although fossil remains show they once occurred there too and occasional vagrants are found.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/albatross/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/albatross/ Thu, 11 Oct 2012 04:48:12 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/albatross/ 28.19651200 -177.39411000 <![CDATA[Navassa Island Lighthouse]]>

Navassa Island Lighthouse
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By: WacoKidd110
@ 2011-05-21 12:35:25
1917. Inactive since 1996. 162 ft (49 m) round cylindrical white reinforced concrete tower with lantern and gallery. The lighthouse is unpainted; lantern painted black. The 1-story keeper's house is unroofed and in ruins. This unusual and historic lighthouse was built to guide ships bound for the Panama Canal. Unfortunately, the lighthouse is now critically endangered by abandonment and lack of maintenance. Visitors require permission from the Caribbean Islands National Wildlife Refuges main office in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Located near the highest point of the island (the focal plane was 395 ft (120 m)). Site restricted (sensitive ecological area), tower closed.]]>

Palmyra Atoll
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By: jbottero
@ 2008-04-18 15:36:36
Palmyra Atoll is an incorporated atoll administered by the United States government. The atoll is 4.6 square miles (12 km²), and it is located in the Northern Pacific Ocean.

Palmyra was first sighted in 1798 by an American sea captain, Edmund Fanning of Stonington, Connecticut, while his ship the Betsy was in transit to Asia, but it was only later—on November 7, 1802—that the first western people landed on the uninhabited atoll. On that date, Captain Sawle of the U.S. ship Palmyra was wrecked on the atoll.

http://private-islands.blogspot.com/2007/08/roger-lextrait-king-of-palmyra-island.html
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Johnston Atoll Airport (PJON) showing Closure Markings
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By: AlbinoFlea
@ 2007-09-29 18:30:33]]>

Johnston Atoll Airport (PJON) showing Closure Markings
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By: AlbinoFlea
@ 2007-09-29 18:30:33]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/johnston-atoll-airport-pjon-showing-closure-markings/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/johnston-atoll-airport-pjon-showing-closure-markings/ Sat, 29 Sep 2007 18:30:33 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/johnston-atoll-airport-pjon-showing-closure-markings/ 16.72687900 -169.53811900 <![CDATA[Akau Island (and the signs of coral dredging that created it)]]>

Akau Island (and the signs of coral dredging that created it)

Akau Island (and the signs of coral dredging that created it)
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By: AlbinoFlea
@ 2007-09-29 18:10:54
From Wikipedia

Johnston Atoll is a 130 km² atoll in the North Pacific Ocean at 16°45′N 169°31′W, about 1400 kilometers (750 nm) west of Hawaii. There are four islands located on the coral reef platform, two natural islands, Johnston Island and Sand Island, which have been expanded by coral dredging, as well as North Island (Akau) and East Island (Hikina), artificial islands formed from coral dredging.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/akau-island-and-the-signs-of-coral-dredging-that-created-it/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/akau-island-and-the-signs-of-coral-dredging-that-created-it/ Sat, 29 Sep 2007 18:10:54 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/akau-island-and-the-signs-of-coral-dredging-that-created-it/ 16.76160500 -169.51616800 <![CDATA[PGM-17 Thor Missle Launch Site]]>

PGM-17 Thor Missle Launch Site
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By: AlbinoFlea
@ 2007-09-29 18:02:23]]>

PGM-17 Thor Missle Launch Site
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By: AlbinoFlea
@ 2007-09-29 18:02:23]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/pgm-17-thor-missle-launch-site/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/pgm-17-thor-missle-launch-site/ Sat, 29 Sep 2007 18:02:23 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/pgm-17-thor-missle-launch-site/ 16.73650600 -169.52522300 <![CDATA[Wake Island Airfield (PWAK)]]>

Wake Island Airfield (PWAK)
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By: cmike77
@ 2006-09-25 15:13:58]]>

Wake Island Airfield (PWAK)
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By: cmike77
@ 2006-09-25 15:13:58]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/wake-island-airfield-pwak/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/wake-island-airfield-pwak/ Mon, 25 Sep 2006 15:13:58 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/wake-island-airfield-pwak/ 19.28059300 166.64226700 <![CDATA[Palmyra Atoll]]>

Palmyra Atoll
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By: AlbinoFlea
@ 2006-01-18 21:38:39
From Wikipedia:

Palmyra was first sighted in 1798 by American sea captain, Edmund Fanning of Stonington, Connecticut, while his ship the Betsy was in transit to Asia, but it was only later—on November 7, 1802—that the first western people landed on the uninhabited atoll. On that date, Captain Sawle of the American ship Palmyra was wrecked on the atoll.

In 1859, Palmyra was claimed both by the American Guano Company and the United States Guano Company, but the following year it was awarded to the second company which however never started mining for guano in accordance with the Guano Islands Act of 1856. Most likely this was because there was no guano. Palmyra is located close to the Intertropical convergence zone; there is too much rain for guano to accumulate. In the meanwhile, on February 26, 1862, His Majesty Kamehameha IV (1834-1863), Fourth King of Hawai'i (1854-1863), issued a commission to Captain Zenas Bent and Johnson B. Wilkinson, both Hawaiian citizens, to sail to Palmyra and to take possession of the atoll in the king's name and on April 15, 1862 it was formally annexed to the Kingdom of Hawai'i.

Captain Bent sold his rights to Palmyra to Mr. Wilkinson on December 24, 1862 and from 1862 to 1885, Kalama Wilkinson owned the island which was divided in 1885 between three heirs, two of which immediately transferred their rights to a certain Wilcox (?) who, in turn, transferred them to the Pacific Navigation Company. The latter entity made an attempt to colonize the atoll by sending a married couple to live there between September 1885 and August 1886.

In 1898 Palmyra was annexed to the U.S. in conjunction with the overall U.S. annexation of Hawai'i. In the period preceding the formal annexation of the atoll by the U.S., the U.K. had shown interest for the atoll to become part of the "Guano Empire" of John T. Arundel & Co; and in 1889 the British had even formally annexed it. In order to end all further British attempts or contestations, a second, separate act of annexation of Palmyra by the U.S. was made in 1911.

Afterwards, by a series of agreements signed between 1888 and 1911, the Pacific Navigation Company transferred its interests to Henry Ernest Cooper Sr. (1857–1929). The third heir of Kalama Wilkinson transferred his rights to a Mr. Ringer, whose children in turn also transferred their rights to Henry Ernest Cooper Sr. (s.a.) in 1912 and who then became the sole owner of the atoll.

In 1922 Cooper sold the whole atoll except some minor islets (the 5 "home islands") to Leslie and Ellen Fullard-Leo on August 19 for $15,000.00. The latter party established the Palmyra Copra Company to exploit the coconuts growing on the atoll. Their heirs continued as proprietors afterwards, except for a period of Navy administration during World War II.

In 1934, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, and Palmyra were placed under the Department of the Navy. When the U.S. Navy took over to use the atoll as a naval air base, the atoll was owned privately by Hawaiian and American citizens. After the war, the Fullard-Leos fought for the return of Palmyra all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and won in 1947. When Hawai‘i achieved statehood in 1959, Palmyra was explicitly separated from the new state; prior to that point in time, Palmyra Atoll was officially part of the City & County of Honolulu.

In July 1990 Peter Savio of Honolulu took a lease on the atoll until the year 2065 and formed the Palmyra Development Company. In January 2000, the atoll was purchased by The Nature Conservancy for the purposes of coral reef conservation and research.

In November 2005, a worldwide team of scientists has joined with The Nature Conservancy to launch a new research station on the Palmyra Atoll in order to study climate change, disappearing coral reefs, invasive species and other global environmental threats.]]>

Kingman Reef
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By: AlbinoFlea
@ 2006-01-18 21:34:26
From Wikipedia:

Kingman Reef is a one-square-kilometer tropical coral reef located in the North Pacific Ocean, roughly half way between Hawaiian Islands and American Samoa at 6°24′N 162°24′W. It is the northernmost of the Northern Line Islands and an unincorporated territory of the United States, part of the United States Minor Outlying Islands, administered from Washington, DC by the U.S. Navy. The reef is closed to the public.

It was found in 1789 by Captain Edmund Fanning of the ship Betsey. Captain W.E. Kingman described it in 1853. It was formally annexed to the United States on May 10, 1922.

Kingman is about 920 nautical miles south of Honolulu.

At times, its shoreline might reach three kilometers in circumference, but the highest point on the reef is about one meter above sea level and wetted or awash most of the time, making Kingman Reef a maritime hazard. It has no natural resources, is uninhabited, and supports no economic activity. The reef partly encloses a deep interior lagoon that was used in 1937 and 1938 as a halfway station between Hawai'i and American Samoa by Pan American Airways flying boats. In 1937, Pan Am had plans to anchor the ship North Wind as a floating tanker at Kingman and use the reef as a stopover for its flying boats on the route to New Zealand but Pan Am abandoned the idea finding the costs of supporting a mostly idle tanker ship prohibitive. There were also concerns that comfortable overnight accommodations would not be available in the event of a mechanical breakdown. As a result, Pan Am switched to Canton Island on May 18, 1939 and began service to New Zealand on July 12, 1940.]]>

Jarvis Island
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By: AlbinoFlea
@ 2006-01-18 21:28:16
From Wikipedia:

Jarvis Island is an uninhabited 4.5 square kilometer island located at 0°22′S 160°03′W in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to the Cook Islands. It is an unincorporated territory of the United States, part of the United States Minor Outlying Islands, administered from Washington, D.C. by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service of the United States Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system.

The island was discovered on August 21, 1821 by the British ship Eliza Francis, and named by her commander, one Captain Brown. The uninhabited island was claimed for the U.S.A. in March 1857 and formally annexed by the U.S. on 27 february 1858, but abandoned in 1879 after tons of guano had been removed.

The UK annexed the island on 3 June 1889, but never carried out plans for further exploitation. The guano deposits were mined until the late 1800s.

The U.S. occupied and reclaimed the island in 1935 as un unincorporated territory, which was administered by U.S. Department of the Interior 13 May 1936 - 27 June 1974. It was colonized by the U.S. 26 March 1935 - 7 February 1942 under authority of the two consecutive Heads of the Baker, Howland and Jarvis Colonization Scheme (see Baker Island).

The Millersville settlement on the western side of the island was occasionally used as a weather station from 1935 until World War II, when it was abandoned; it was reoccupied in 1957 during the International Geophysical Year by scientists, and shortly had its only proper local authority, Station Chief for IGY Homung (d. 1958) 1957 - Nov 1958, but was again abandoned in 1958.

Since 27 June 1974 Jarvis Island is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as Jarvis Island National Wildlife Refuge. Public entry to Jarvis Island requires a special-use permit and is generally restricted to scientists and educators only. The island is visited annually by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the United States Coast Guard.

There are no ports or harbors, but there are offshore anchorage spots. There is one boat landing area in the middle of the west coast and another near the southwest corner of the island. A day beacon is near the middle of the west coast.

The climate is tropical, with scant rainfall, constant wind, and burning sun. Varying from sea level to 7 meters, the terrain is sandy, and the coral island is surrounded by a narrow fringing reef. Its sparse bunch grass, prostrate vines, and low-growing shrubs are primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife. The island has no natural fresh water.]]>

Howland Island (Amelia Earhart's Destination)
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By: AlbinoFlea
@ 2006-01-18 21:22:44
From Wikipedia:

Sparse remnants of trails and other artifacts indicate a sporadic early Polynesian presence but Howland Island was uninhabited when the United States took possession of it in 1857 through claims under the Guano Islands Act of 1856. Its guano deposits were mined by American and British companies during the second half of the 19th century. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization was begun with a rotating population of four young civilians from Hawaii in the settlement Itascatown (a cluster of no more than two or three small structures named after the U.S. Coast Guard vessel that brought them and made regular visits during that era). Similar projects were started on nearby Baker Island and on Jarvis Island, but these were disrupted by World War II and abandoned.

Howland Island was a refueling stop for American pilot Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan on their round-the-world flight in 1937. They took off for the island from Lae, New Guinea, but were never seen again.

A Japanese air attack killed two of the colonists at the beginning of U.S. involvement in World War II and the two survivors were evacuated in early 1942. The island was then occupied by the U.S. military but abandoned after the war. Public entry to the island is by special-use permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service only and is generally restricted to scientists and educators.]]>

Baker Island
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By: AlbinoFlea
@ 2006-01-18 21:19:58
From Wikipedia:

The United States of America took possession of the island in 1857, claimed under the Guano Islands Act of 1856, and it became a British Overseas Territory from 1886 to 1934. Its guano deposits were mined by U.S. and British companies during the second half of the 19th century. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization was begun on this island, with a population of four in the settlement Meyerton—as well as on nearby Howland Island—but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. Feral cats were eradicated from the island in 1964.

American civilians evacuated in 1942 after Japanese air and naval attacks during World War II; occupied by U.S. military during World War II, but abandoned after the war; public entry is by special-use permit from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service only and generally restricted to scientists and educators; a cemetery and remnants of structures from early settlement are located near the middle of the west coast; visited annually by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (July 2000 est.)]]>

Johnston Island
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By: AlbinoFlea
@ 2005-11-18 00:31:20
From Wikipedia:

Johnston Atoll is a 2.8 km² atoll in the North Pacific Ocean at 16°45′ N 169°30′ W, about one-third of the way from Hawai'i to the Marshall Islands. Johnston Island and Sand Island are natural islands, which have been expanded by coral dredging. North Island (Akau) and East Island (Hikina) are artificial islands formed from coral dredging.

Johnston is an unincorporated territory of the United States, administered from Washington, D.C. by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service of the United States Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system. The defense of Johnston Atoll is managed by the military of the United States. The islands are not open to the public.

The island was named for Captain James Johnston who claimed its official discovery on December 10, 1807. The Johnston Atoll was claimed by both the United States and the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1858. The Atoll's guano deposits, mined by U.S. interests operating under the Guano Islands Act, were worked until depletion at about 1890. On July 29, 1926, President Calvin Coolidge established the Johnston Atoll as a Federal bird refuge and placed it under the control of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. On December 29, 1934 President Franklin D. Roosevelt transferred control of Johnston Atoll to the U.S. Navy to establish an air station and also to the Department of the Interior to administer the bird refuge. In 1936, the U.S. Navy began developing a seaplane base, an airstrip and refueling facilities on the atoll. It was designated as a Naval Defensive Sea Area and Airspace Reservation on February 14, 1941.

Johnston Atoll was shelled by Japan in World War II. The area was subsequently a U.S. nuclear weapons test site and later the site of the Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System (JACADS).

Between 1958 and 1975 several sounding rockets were launched from Johnston Island. There were also rockets launched for nuclear tests related to a project called Starfish Prime.]]>

Wake Island
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By: AlbinoFlea
@ 2005-11-18 00:25:35
From Wikipedia:

Wake Island (also known as Wake Atoll) is a coral atoll (having a coastline of 12 miles (19.3 kilometers)) in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu (2,300 statute miles or 3,700 km west) to Guam (1,510 miles or 2,430 km east). It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior. Wake is located to the west of the International Date Line and is one day ahead of the 50 states. Access to the island is restricted and all current activities on the island are managed by the United States Air Force, the United States Army and by Chugach McKinley, Inc., a civilian base operations and maintenance services company.

Although Wake is officially called an island in the singular form, it is actually an atoll comprised of three islands (Wake, Wilkes, and Peale) surrounding a central lagoon. Referring to the atoll as an island is the result of a pre-World War II desire by the United States Navy to distinguish Wake from other atolls, most of which were Japanese territory. The largest island (also known as Wake Island) is the center of activity on the atoll and is home to a 9,800 foot runway.

Wake Island was annexed by the United States on January 17, 1899. In 1935, Pan American Airways constructed a small village, nicknamed "PAAville," to service flights on its U.S.-China route. The village was the first human settlement on the island, and remained in operation up to the day of the first Japanese air raid.

On December 8, 1941 the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor (Wake being on the opposite side of the International Date Line), 16 Japanese medium bombers flown from bases on the Marshall Islands attacked Wake Island, destroying eight of the twelve F4F Wildcat fighter aircraft belonging to Marine Corps fighter squadron VMF-211 on the ground. All of the Marine garrison's defensive emplacements were left intact by the raid, which primarily targeted the Naval aircraft.]]>

Midway Island (Midway Atoll)
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By: AlbinoFlea
@ 2005-11-18 00:17:17
From Wikipedia:

Midway Atoll (also known as Midway Island or Midway Islands, Hawaiian: Pihemanu) is a 6.2 square kilometer atoll located in the North Pacific Ocean (near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian archipelago) at 28°13′ N 177°22′ W, about one-third of the way between Honolulu and Tokyo. It is less than 150 miles east of the International Date Line and is about 2,800 miles west of San Francisco and 2,200 miles east of Japan. It consists of a ring-shaped barrier reef and several sand islets. The two significant pieces of land, Sand Island and Eastern Island, provide habitat for hundreds of thousands of seabirds.

The atoll, which has no indigenous inhabitants, is an unincorporated territory of the United States, designated an insular area under the authority of the U.S. Department of the Interior. It is a National Wildlife Refuge administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The visitor program closed in January 2002 and there are no facilities at the present time for receiving visitors. However, visitors able to provide their own transportation can contact the refuge manager for information about visiting the atoll. The economy is derived solely from governmental sources. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.

Midway lies nearly halfway between North America and Asia. It also lies almost halfway around the earth from Greenwich, England.

Midway is best known as the location of the Battle of Midway, fought in World War II on June 4, 1942. The nearby United States Navy defeated a Japanese attack against the "Midway Islands," marking a turning point in the war in the Pacific theater.]]>

Navassa Island
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By: AlbinoFlea
@ 2005-11-18 00:08:49
From Wikipedia:

Navassa Island or La Navase in Haitian Kreyòl is a small, uninhabited island in the Caribbean Sea. The government of the United States claims the island as an unincorporated territory of the United States, and it is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. However, California businessman Bill Warren has advanced a claim against the island (using the Guano Islands Act), and it is also claimed by Haiti.

In 1504, Christopher Columbus, stranded on Jamaica, sent some crew members by canoe to Hispaniola for help. They ran into the island on the way, but it had no water. They called it Navaza, and it was avoided by mariners for the next 350 years.

It was claimed by Peter Duncan, an American sea captain, in 1857 under the Guano Islands Act of 1856 because of its guano deposits, the third island to be claimed under this act. These deposits were actively mined from 1865 to 1898. Haiti protested the annexation and claimed the island, but the U.S. rejected the claim.]]>