The Midway Islands were taken into US possession in 1867. The Midway Islands were used as a refueling stop
for trans-Pacific flights and ships in-between 1935 and 1947. The Midway Islands are more commonly known for th US naval
victory over a Japanese fleet in 1942. Up until 1993 the islands served as a naval station, today the islands are
a national wildlife refuge of the United States of America. From 1996 to 2001 the Midway Islands was open to the public,
but today it is temporarily closed.
The Midway Islands are located in Oceania, it is a group of atolls in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-third of
the way from Honolulu to Tokyo. There is a total of 6.2 square kilometers of land (there is no surface water).
This land does iclude Eastern Island, Sand Island, and Spit Island. The Midway Islands are about nine times the size
of The Mall in Washington D.C.! There is a total of 15 miles of coastline.
The climate of the Midway Islands is subtropical, but the Midway Islands are moderated by prevailing easterly winds.
The terrain of the Midway Islands is low and nearly level to the ocean. The lowest point of the Midway Islands is at
the Pacific Ocean (zero meters), and the highest point is an unnamed location at thirteen meters above sea level. The
natural resources of the Midway Islands is mainly the wildlife (terrestrial and aquatic). 100% of the land on the Midway
Islands is used for other (a 1998 estimate). On a geography note the Midway Islands is a coral atoll managed as a national
wildlife refuge and open to the public for wildlife-related recreation in the form of wildlife observation and photography,
sport fishing, snorkeling, and scuba diving. The refuge is temporarily closed for reorganization of the islands at the
present time (in 2003).
There are no indigenous inhabitants on the Midway Islands, but approximately 40 people make up the staff of the US Fish
and Wildlife Service and their services cooperator living at the atoll (a July 2003 estimate). The conventional short
name of the Midway Islands is the Midway Islands. Today the Midway Islands is a territory of the US and maintained by
the US Fish and Wildlife service. The laws of the US, where applicable, apply. The flag of the US is used for
the Midway Islands' flag.
All food and manufactured goods must be inported to the islands. The local economy is based on the national wildlife
refuge. There is 7.8 kilometers of pipeline on the Midway Islands. The only port and harbor is on Sand Island.
There are two airports with paved runways. Defense is the responsibility of the US. There are
no international disputes involving the Midway Islands.
