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Wake Island

Coordinates: 19°18′N 166°38′E / 19.300°N 166.633°E / 19.300; 166.633
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wake Island
Map of Wake Island
Map
Geography
LocationNorth Pacific
Coordinates19°18′N 166°38′E / 19.300°N 166.633°E / 19.300; 166.633
Total islands3
Area2.85 sq mi (7.4 km2)
Coastline12.0 mi (19.3 km)[1]
Highest elevation20 ft (6 m)
Highest pointDucks Point
Administration
 United States
Wake Island is under the administration of the United States Air Force
Demographics
Population0 permanent, 100 temporary[2]
Aerial overview of the atoll

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.

Geography

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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.

Population

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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]

Reference

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  1. Coastline for Wake Islet: 12.0 mi (19.3 km); Coastline for Wake Atoll: 21.0 mi (33.8 km)
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Top 10 Facts about Living Conditions on Wake Island". November 2, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2020.

Other websites

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