World Factbook
Johnston Atoll
Introduction
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. Johnston Island and Sand Island were designated wildlife refuges in 1926. 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 2000 the atoll was maintained as a storage and disposal site for chemical weapons. Cleanup and closure of the weapons facility ended in May 2005.
Geography
Location
Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1328 km southwest of Honolulu, Hawaii, about one-third of the way from Hawaii to the Marshall Islands
Geographic coordinates
16 45 N, 169 31 W
Map references
Oceania
Area
total: 2.63 sq km
land: 2.63 sq km
water: 0 sq km
country comparison to the world: 254
Area - comparative
about 4.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries
0 km
Coastline
34 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12nm
exclusive economic zone: 200nm
Climate
tropical, but generally dry; consistent northeast trade winds with little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain
mostly flat
Natural resources
guano deposits (worked until about 1890), terrestrial and aquatic wildlife
Natural hazards
occasional tropical cyclones; coral reef to the north and west of the atoll is a maritime hazard
Environment - current issues
no natural fresh water resources
Geography - note
strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; Johnston Island and Sand Island are natural islands, which have been expanded by coral dredging; North Island (Akau) and East Island (Hikina) are manmade islands formed from coral dredging; the egg-shaped reef is 34 km in circumference; closed to the public; a former US nuclear weapons test site; site of now-closed Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System (JACADS); most facilities dismantled and cleanup complete in 2004; some low-growing vegetation
People and Society
Population
uninhabited
note: in previous years, there was an average of 1,100 US military and civilian contractor personnel present; as of September 2001, population had decreased significantly when US Army Chemical Activity Pacific (USACAP) departed; as of May 2005 all US Government personnel had left the island
Government
Country name
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Johnston Atoll
etymology: although first encountered in 1796, the islands were named after Captain Charles JOHNSTON, who sighted them in 1807
Dependency status
unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Honolulu, Hawaii, by Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Force Base, and the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System
Legal system
the laws of the US apply where applicable
Flag description
the flag of the US is used
Military and Security
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of the US
Transportation
Airports - with paved runways
total: 1 (2013)
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2013)
Ports and terminals
Johnston Island
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
none
