Wake Island
coral atoll in the North Pacific Ocean administered by the US and also claimed by the Marshall Islands From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wake Island is an atoll (a type of island) in the Pacific Ocean, near Hawaii. It is controlled by the United States Army and United States Air Force. It is a territory of the United States, part of the United States Minor Outlying Islands. From December 1941 to August 1945 the Empire of Japan ruled Wake Island.
 Map of Wake Island | |
 | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | North Pacific |
| Coordinates | 19°18′N 166°38′E |
| Total islands | 3 |
| Area | 2.85 sq mi (7.4 km2) |
| Coastline | 12.0 mi (19.3 km)[1] |
| Highest elevation | 20 ft (6 m) |
| Highest point | Ducks Point |
| Administration | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 permanent, 100 temporary[2] |
Wake is located to the west of the International Date Line and sits in the Wake Island Time Zone, one day ahead of the 50 U.S. states.
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.
There is no permanent population on Wake Island, so there are no schools for children. About 100 people live there at any given time, though. Most are contractors who keep the roads and other infrastructure working. One man has been there since 1991.[2]
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