Statistical information Baker Island 1992

Baker Island in the World

Baker Island - Introduction 1992

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Background: The US took possession of the island in 1857 and its guano deposits were mined by US and British companies during the second half of the 19th century. In 1935 a short-lived attempt at colonization was begun on this island - as well as on nearby Howland Island - but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. Presently the island is a National Wildlife Refuge run by the US Department of the Interior; a day beacon is situated near the middle of the west coast.

Baker Island - Geography 1992

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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area
Total: 1.4 km²
Land: 1.4 km²
Comparative: about 2.3 times the size of the Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries: none

Coastline: 4.8 km

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

Climate: equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun

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

Elevation

Natural resources: guano (deposits worked until 1891)

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

Baker Island - People 1992

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Population:

uninhabited; 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

Longform name: none

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: 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
Current issues 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

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

Baker Island - Government 1992

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Country name

Government 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