Howland Island

/how"leuhnd/

an island in the central Pacific, near the equator: U.S. meteorological station and airfield. 1 sq. mi. (2.6 sq. km).

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Howland Island

Introduction Howland Island -
Background: Discovered by the US early in the 19th century, the island was officially claimed by the US in 1857. Both US and British companies mined for guano until about 1890. Earhart Light is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast that was partially destroyed during World War II, but has since been rebuilt; it is named in memory of the famed aviatrix Amelia EARHART. The island is administered by the US Department of the Interior as a National Wildlife Refuge. Geography Howland Island
Location: Oceania, island in the North Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and Australia
Geographic coordinates: 0 48 N, 176 38 W
Map references: Oceania
Area: total: 1.6 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 1.6 sq km
Area - comparative: about three times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 6.4 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun
Terrain: low-lying, nearly level, sandy, coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef; depressed central area
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 3 m
Natural resources: guano (deposits worked until late 1800s), 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: almost totally covered with grasses, prostrate vines, and low-growing shrubs; small area of trees in the center; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife People Howland Island -
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; visited annually by US Fish and Wildlife Service (July 2002 est.)
Population growth rate: NA Government Howland Island -
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Howland 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
Legal system: the laws of the US, where applicable, apply
Flag description: the flag of the US is used Economy Howland Island
Economy - overview: no economic activity Transportation Howland Island -
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only; note - there is one small boat landing area along the middle of the west coast
Airports: airstrip constructed in 1937 for scheduled refueling stop on the round-the-world flight of Amelia EARHART and Fred NOONAN - they left Lae, New Guinea, for Howland Island, but were never seen again; the airstrip is no longer serviceable
Transportation - note: Earhart Light is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast that was partially destroyed during World War II, but has since been rebuilt; named in memory of famed aviatrix Amelia EARHART Military Howland Island -
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US Coast Guard Transnational Issues Howland Island - Disputes - international: none

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▪ island, Pacific Ocean

formerly  Worth Island 

      coral atoll, unincorporated territory of the United States. It lies in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, about 1,650 miles (2,650 km) southwest of Honolulu. The atoll rises to 20 feet (6 metres), is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long by 0.5 mile (0.8 km) wide, and has a land area of less than 0.6 square mile (1.6 square km). Its central basin indicates the former existence of a lagoon.

      The first recorded sighting of the island (1822) was by George Worth, a Nantucket whaling-ship captain, who named it Worth Island. In 1842 another American whaling ship visited the island, and it was renamed Howland Island for that ship's lookout. The United States claimed Howland in 1857, along with nearby Baker Island, under the Guano Act of 1856. The atoll's guano deposits are now exhausted. It was colonized from Hawaii in 1935 and placed under the administration of the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1936, and it served as a stop for planes flying between Hawaii and Australia. On July 2, 1937, the noted American aviator Amelia Earhart (Earhart, Amelia) and her navigator, Frederick J. Noonan, were lost near Howland after having stopped at Lae, Papua New Guinea. There are no permanent inhabitants on the atoll, which is home to several species of migratory seabirds and shorebirds as well as threatened and endangered sea turtles. A U.S. National Wildlife Refuge, Howland Island was also designated part of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine national monument in 2009.

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