Location: Oceania, atolls in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia.
Geography: 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.
Population: Unpopulated. 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 2001 est.)
Background: These Pacific islands were claimed by the United States under the Guano Act of 1856 on May 13, 1936. Guano, composed of phosphates, was used as fertilizer in the 19th century, and its collection was a highly lucrative business. Through the Guano Act the U.S. gained a total of 79 tiny territories around the world; it still controls eight of them. Baker Island is a saucer-shaped atoll with an area of approximately one square mile about 1,650 miles from Hawaii. Howland Island, 36 miles to the northwest, is 1 mile long and half a mile wide. Howland Island is related to the disappearance of Amelia Earhart and Fred J. Noonan during their round-the-world flight in 1937 — Howland Island was the destination they were headed for when they disappeared. Jarvis Island is several hundred miles to the east. It's total area is 4.5 squarekilometers.