Statistical information Johnston Atoll 1992

Johnston Atoll in the World

Johnston Atoll - Introduction 1992

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Background: Both the US and the Kingdom of Hawaii annexed Johnston Atoll in 1858 but it was the US that mined the guano deposits until the late 1880s. The US Navy took over the atoll in 1934 and subsequently the US Air Force assumed control in 1948. The site was used for high altitude nuclear tests in the 1950s and 1960s and until late in 1992 the atoll was maintained as a storage and disposal site for chemical weapons. Munitions destruction is now complete and cleanup and closure of the facility is progressing.

Johnston Atoll - Geography 1992

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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area
Total: 2.8 km²
Land: 2.8 km²
Comparative: about 4.7 times the size of the Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries: none

Coastline: 10 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 12 nm
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth)
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: none

Climate: tropical, but generally dry; consistent northeast trade winds with little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain: mostly flat with a maximum elevation of 4 meters

Elevation

Natural resources: guano (deposits worked until about 1890)

Land use

Land use: arable land: 0%; permanent crops: 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography

Johnston Atoll - People 1992

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Population: 1,375 (December 1991); all US government personnel and contractors
Longform name: none (territory of the US)

Nationality

Ethnic groups

Languages

Religions

Demographic profile

Age structure

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate

Death rate

Net migration rate

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: some low-growing vegetation
Current issues note:

strategic location 717 nautical miles west-southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-third of the way between Hawaii and the Marshall Islands; Johnston Island and Sand Island are natural islands;
North Island (Akau) and East Island (Hikina) are manmade islands formed from coral dredging; closed to the public; former nuclear weapons test site; site of Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System (JACADS)

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment

Johnston Atoll - Government 1992

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Country name

Government type:

unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US Defense
Nuclear Agency (DNA) and managed cooperatively by DNA and the Fish and
Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the
National Wildlife Refuge system