Statistical information Wake Island 1992
Wake Island in the World
Wake Island - Introduction 1992
top of pageBackground: The US annexed Wake Island in 1899 for a cable station. An important air and naval base was constructed in 1940-41. In December 1941 the island was captured by the Japanese and held until the end of World War II. In subsequent years Wake was developed as a stopover and refueling site for military and commercial aircraft transiting the Pacific. Since 1974 the island's airstrip has been used by the US military and some commercial cargo planes as well as for emergency landings. There are over 700 landings a year on the island.
Wake Island - Geography 1992
top of pageLocation
Geographic coordinates
Map reference
Area
Total: 6.5 km²
Land: 6.5 km²
Comparative: about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 19.3 km
Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 12 nm
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth)
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial 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
Elevation
Natural resources: none
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
Wake Island - People 1992
top of pagePopulation:
no indigenous inhabitants; 381 temporary population (US Air
Force personnel, civilian weather service personnel, and US and Thai contractors) (January 1992); note - population peaked about 1970 with over 1,600 persons during the Vietnam conflict
Force personnel, civilian weather service personnel, and US and Thai contractors) (January 1992); note - population peaked about 1970 with over 1,600 persons during the Vietnam conflict
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: subject to occasional typhoons
Current issues 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
Ocean, about two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and the Northern Mariana
Islands; emergency landing location for transpacific flights
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
Wake Island - Government 1992
top of pageCountry name
Government 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
Force (under an agreement with the US Department of Interior) since 24 June 1972
Capital: none; administered from Washington, DC
Administrative divisions
Dependent areas
Independence
National holiday
Constitution
Legal system
International law organization participation
Citizenship
Suffrage
Executive branch
Legislative branch
Judicial branch
Political parties and leaders
International organization participation
Diplomatic representation
Flag description
: the US flag is usedNational symbols
National anthem
National heritage
Wake Island - Economy 1992
top of pageEconomy 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.
Real gdp purchasing power parity
Real gdp growth rate
Real gdp per capita
Gross national saving
Gdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end use
Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture products
Industries
Industrial production growth rate
Labor force
Labor force
Unemployment rate
Youth unemployment
Population below poverty line
Gini index
Household income or consumption by percentage share
Distribution of family income gini index
Budget
Taxes and other revenues
Public debt
Revenue
Fiscal year
Inflation rate consumer prices
Central bank discount rate
Commercial bank prime lending rate
Stock of narrow money
Stock of broad money
Stock of domestic credit
Market value of publicly traded shares
Current account balance
Exports
Imports
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
Debt external
Stock of direct foreign investment at home
Stock of direct foreign investment abroad
Exchange rates
Wake Island - Energy 1992
top of pageElectricity
Production: supplied by US military
Coal
Petroleum
Crude oil
Refined petroleum
Natural gas
Carbon dioxide emissions
Energy consumption per capita
Wake Island - Communication 1992
top of pageTelephones
Telephone system
Broadcast media
Internet
Broadband fixed subscriptions
Wake Island - Military 1992
top of pageMilitary expenditures
Military and security forces
Military service age and obligation
Space program
Terrorist groups
Wake Island - Transportation 1992
top of pageNational air transport system
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runways 2,440-3,659 m
Heliports
Pipelines
Railways
Roadways
Waterways
Merchant marine
Ports and terminals
Wake Island - Transnational issues 1992
top of pageDisputes international
Refugees and internally displaced persons
Illicit drugs
