top of pageBackground: All of the following US Pacific island territories except Midway Atoll constitute the Pacific Remote Islands National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) Complex and as such are managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior. Midway Atoll NWR has been included in a Refuge Complex with the Hawaiian Islands NWR and also designated as part of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. These remote refuges are the most widespread collection of marine- and terrestrial-life protected areas on the planet under a single country's jurisdiction. They sustain many endemic species including corals, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, seabirds, water birds, land birds, insects, and vegetation not found elsewhere.
AreaLand: 6,959.41 km² (emergent land - 22.41 km²; submerged - 6,937 km²)
Baker Island: total - 129.1 km²; emergent land - 2.1 km²; submerged - 127 km²
Howland Island: total - 138.6 km²; emergent land - 2.6 km²; submerged - 136 km²
Jarvis Island: total - 152 km²; emergent land - 5 km²; submerged - 147 km²
Johnston Atoll: total - 276.6 km²; emergent land - 2.6 km²; submerged - 274 km²
Kingman Reef: total - 1,958.01 km²; emergent land - 0.01 km²; submerged - 1,958 km²
Midway Islands: total - 2,355.2 km²; emergent land - 6.2 km²; submerged - 2,349 km²
Palmyra Atoll: total - 1,949.9 km²; emergent land - 3.9 km²; submerged - 1,946 km²
Terrain: low and nearly flat sandy coral islands with narrow fringing reefs that have developed at the top of submerged volcanic mountains, which in most cases rise steeply from the ocean floor
ElevationHighest point: Baker Island, unnamed location 8 m; Howland Island, unnamed location 3 m; Jarvis Island, unnamed location 7 m; Johnston Atoll, Sand Island 10 m; Kingman Reef, unnamed location 2 m; Midway Islands, unnamed location less than 13 m; Palmyra Atoll, unnamed location 3 m
top of pagePopulation: no indigenous inhabitants
Note: public entry is only by special-use permit from US Fish and Wildlife Service and generally restricted to scientists and educators; visited annually by US Fish and Wildlife Service
EnvironmentCurrent issues BakerIsland: no natural freshwater resources; feral cats, introduced in 1937 during a short-lived colonization effort, ravaged the avian population and were eradicated in 1965
Current issues
HowlandIsland: no natural freshwater resources; the island habitat has suffered from invasive exotic species; black rats, introduced in 1854, were eradicated by feral cats within a year of their introduction in 1937; the cats preyed on the bird population and were eliminated by 1985
Current issues
JohnstonAtoll: no natural freshwater resources; the seven decades under US military administration (1934-2004) left the atoll environmentally degraded and required large-scale remediation efforts; a swarm of Anoplolepis (crazy) ants invaded the island in 2010 damaging native wildlife; eradication has been largely, but not completely, successful
top of pagetop of pagetop of pagetop of pagetop of pagetop of pageAirportsBaker Island: (2013) one abandoned World War II runway of 1,665 m covered with vegetation and unusable
Howland Island: (2013) airstrip constructed in 1937 for scheduled refueling stop on the round-the-world flight of Amelia EARHART and Fred NOONAN; the aviators left Lae, New Guinea, for Howland Island but were never seen again; the airstrip is no longer serviceable
Johnston Atoll: (2013) one closed and not maintained
Kingman Reef: (2013) lagoon was used as a halfway station between Hawaii and American Samoa by Pan American Airways for flying boats in 1937 and 1938
Midway Islands: (2013) 3 - one operational (2,377 m paved); no fuel for sale except emergencies
Palmyra Atoll: (2013) 1 - 1,846 m unpaved runway; privately owned
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m:1 (2016) - Johnston Atoll;
note - abandoned but usable
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2016) - Palmyra Atoll
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