Baker Island

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Area	total: 1.4 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 1.4 sq km
Population	uninhabited note: 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 from US Fish and Wildlife Service only and generally restricted to scientists and educators; a cemetery and remnants of structures from early settlement are located near the middle of the west coast; visited annually by US Fish and Wildlife Service (July 2002 est.)
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This article is an import from the CIA World Factbook 2002. It's a starting point for creating a real Wikitravel country article according to our country article template. Please plunge forward and edit it.

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.

1 Geography
2 People
3 Government
4 Economy
5 Transportation
6 Military
7 Transnational Issues

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Geography

Map of Baker Island

Location: Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and Australia

Geographic coordinates: 0 13 N, 176 31 W

Map references: Oceania

Area: total: 1.4 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 1.4 sq km

Area - comparative: about 2.5 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 4.8 km

Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM

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

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

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 8 m

Natural resources: guano (deposits worked until 1891), terrestrial and aquatic wildlife

Land use: arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard

Environment - current issues: no natural fresh water resources

Geography - note: treeless, sparse, and scattered vegetation consisting of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife

[edit]

People

Population: uninhabited
note: 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 from US Fish and Wildlife Service only and generally restricted to scientists and educators; a cemetery and remnants of structures from early settlement are located near the middle of the west coast; visited annually by US Fish and Wildlife Service (July 2002 est.)

[edit]

Government

Country name: conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Baker Island

Dependency status: unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system