Johnston Atoll

1. 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. 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. Munitions destruction is
  now complete. Cleanup and closure of the facility is progressing, with
  completion anticipated in 2004.

2. Johnston Atoll Geography

Location:
  Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 717 NM (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: 2.8 km
  water: 0 km
  land: 2.8 km

Area - comparative:
  about 4.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
  0 km

Coastline:
  34 km

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

Climate:
  tropical, but generally dry; consistent northeast trade winds with little
  seasonal temperature variation

Terrain:
  mostly flat

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
  highest point: Summit Peak 5 m

Natural resources:
  guano deposits worked until depletion about 1890, terrestrial and aquatic
  wildlife

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

Irrigated land:
  0 km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
  NA

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; egg-shaped reef is 34 km in circumference; closed to
  the public; former US nuclear weapons test site; site of Johnston Atoll
  Chemical Agent Disposal System (JACADS); some lowgrowing vegetation

3. Johnston Atoll People

Population:
  no indigenous inhabitants
  note: in previous years, there was an average of 1,100 US military and
    civilian contractor personnel present; as of 1 September 2001, population
    had decreased significantly when US Army Chemical Activity Pacific
    (USACAP) departed (July 2002 est.)

Population growth rate:
  NA%

4. Johnston Atoll Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Johnston Atoll

Dependency status:
  unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Honolulu, HI, by
  Pacific Air Forces, Hickam AFB, 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, where applicable, apply

Flag description:
  the flag of the US is used

5. Johnston Atoll Economy

Economy - 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.

Electricity - production:
  approximately 1million kWh weekly; note - there are six 25,000 kWh
  generators operated by the base operating support contractor (1999)

Electricity - consumption:
  NA kWh

6. Johnston Atoll Communications

Telephone system:
  general assessment: 13 outgoing and 10 incoming commercial lines; adequate
    telecommunications
  domestic: 60-channel submarine cable (broken in January 2002), 22 DSN
    circuits by satellite, Autodin with standard remote terminal, digital
    telephone switch, Military Affiliated Radio System (MARS station),
    UHF/VHF air-ground radio, a link to the Pacific Consolidated
    Telecommunications Network (PCTN) satellite
  international: NA

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA

Television broadcast stations:
  commercial satellite television system, with 16 channels (1997)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
  NA

7. Johnston Atoll Transportation

Waterways:
  none

Ports and harbors:
  Johnston Island

Airports:
  1 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2001)

8. Johnston Atoll Military

Military - note:
  defense is the responsibility of the US

9. Johnston Atoll Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  none
