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Compare Svalbard (2005) - United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges (2007)

Compare Svalbard (2005) z United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges (2007)

 Svalbard (2005)United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges (2007)
 SvalbardUnited States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
Age structure 0-14 years: NA


15-64 years: NA


65 years and over: NA
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Airports 4 (2004 est.) Baker Island: one abandoned World War II runway of 1,665 m covered with vegetation and unusable


Howland Island: airstrip constructed in 1937 for scheduled refueling stop on the round-the-world flight of Amelia EARHART and Fred NOONAN; the aviators left Lae, New Guinea, for Howland Island but were never seen again; the airstrip is no longer serviceable


Johnston Atoll: one closed and not maintained


Kingman Reef: lagoon was used as a halfway station between Hawaii and American Samoa by Pan American Airways for flying boats in 1937 and 1938


Midway Islands: 3 - one operational (2,409 m paved); no fuel for sale except emergencies


Palmyra Atoll: 1 - 1,846 m unpaved runway; privately owned (2006)
Airports - with paved runways total: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
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Airports - with unpaved runways total: 2


under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)
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Area total: 62,049 sq km


land: 62,049 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island)
total - 6,959.41 sq km; emergent land - 22.41 sq km; submerged - 6,937 sq km


Baker Island: total - 129 sq km; emergent land - 2.1 sq km; submerged - 127 sq km


Howland Island: total - 139 sq km; emergent land - 2.6 sq km; submerged - 136 sq km


Jarvis Island: total - 152 sq km; emergent land - 5 sq km; submerged - 147 sq km


Johnston Atoll: total - 276.6 sq km; emergent land - 2.6 sq km; submerged - 274 sq km


Kingman Reef: total - 1,958.01 sq km; emergent land - 0.01 sq km; submerged - 1,958 sq km


Midway Islands: total - 2,355.2 sq km; emergent land - 6.2 sq km; submerged - 2,349 sq km


Palmyra Atoll: total - 1,949.9 sq km; emergent land - 3.9 sq km; submerged - 1,946 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than West Virginia Baker Island: about two and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC


Howland Island: about three times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC


Jarvis Island: about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC


Johnston Atoll: about four and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC


Kingman Reef: a little more than one and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC


Midway Islands: about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC


Palmyra Atoll: about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Background First discovered by the Norwegians in the 12th century, the islands served as an international whaling base during the 17th and 18th centuries. Norway's sovereignty was recognized in 1920; five years later it officially took over the territory. The following US Pacific island territories constitute the Pacific Remote Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex and as such are managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of Interior. These remote refuges are the most widespread collection of marine- and terrestrial-life protected areas on the planet under a single country's jurisdiction. They protect many endemic species including corals, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, seabirds, water birds, land birds, insects, and vegetation not found elsewhere.


Baker Island: The US took possession of the island in 1857, and its guano deposits were mined by US and British companies during the second half of the 19th century. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization began on this island but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974.


Howland Island: 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. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization began on this island, similar to the effort on nearby Baker Island, but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. The famed American aviatrix Amelia EARHART disappeared while seeking out Howland Island as a refueling stop during her 1937 round-the-world flight; Earhart Light, a day beacon near the middle of the west coast, was named in her memory. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974.


Jarvis Island: First discovered by the British in 1821, the uninhabited island was annexed by the US in 1858, but abandoned in 1879 after tons of guano had been removed. The UK annexed the island in 1889, but never carried out plans for further exploitation. The US occupied and reclaimed the island in 1935 until it was abandoned in 1942 during World War II. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974.


Johnston Atoll: 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. Johnston and Sand Islands were designated wildlife refuges in 1926. 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 was completed by May 2005. The Fish and Wildlife Service and the US Air Force are currently discussing future management options; in the interim, Johnston Atoll and the three-mile Naval Defensive Sea around it remain under the jurisdiction and administrative control of the US Air Force.


Kingman Reef: The US annexed the reef in 1922. Its sheltered lagoon served as a way station for flying boats on Hawaii-to-American Samoa flights during the late 1930s. There are no terrestrial plants on the reef, which is frequently awash, but it does support abundant and diverse marine fauna and flora. In 2001, the waters surrounding the reef out to 12 nm were designated a US National Wildlife Refuge.


Midway Islands: The US took formal possession of the islands in 1867. The laying of the trans-Pacific cable, which passed through the islands, brought the first residents in 1903. Between 1935 and 1947, Midway was used as a refueling stop for trans-Pacific flights. The US naval victory over a Japanese fleet off Midway in 1942 was one of the turning points of World War II. The islands continued to serve as a naval station until closed in 1993. Today the islands are a National Wildlife Refuge and are the site of the world's largest Laysan albatross colony.


Palmyra Atoll: The Kingdom of Hawaii claimed the atoll in 1862, and the US included it among the Hawaiian Islands when it annexed the archipelago in 1898. The Hawaii Statehood Act of 1959 did not include Palmyra Atoll, which is now partly privately owned by the Nature Conservancy with the rest owned by the Federal government and managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. These organizations are managing the atoll as a wildlife refuge. The lagoons and surrounding waters within the 12 nm US territorial seas were transferred to the US Fish and Wildlife Service and designated as a National Wildlife Refuge in January 2001.
Birth rate NA births/1,000 population -
Budget revenues: $11.5 million


expenditures: $11.5 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1998 est.)
-
Capital Longyearbyen -
Climate arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current; cool summers, cold winters; North Atlantic Current flows along west and north coasts of Spitsbergen, keeping water open and navigable most of the year Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun


Johnston Atoll and Kingman Reef: tropical, but generally dry; consistent northeast trade winds with little seasonal temperature variation


Midway Islands: subtropical with cool, moist winters (December to February) and warm, dry summers (May to October); moderated by prevailing easterly winds; most of the 1,067 mm (42 in) of annual rainfall occurs during the winter


Palmyra Atoll: equatorial, hot; located within the low pressure area of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) where the northeast and southeast trade winds meet, it is extremely wet with between 4,000-5,000 mm (160-200 in) of rainfall each year
Coastline 3,587 km Baker Island: 4.8 km


Howland Island: 6.4 km


Jarvis Island: 8 km


Johnston Atoll: 34 km


Kingman Reef: 3 km


Midway Islands: 15 km


Palmyra Atoll: 14.5 km
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Svalbard (sometimes referred to as Spitzbergen)
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Baker Island; Howland Island; Jarvis Island; Johnston Atoll; Kingman Reef; Midway Islands; Palmyra Atoll
Death rate NA deaths/1,000 population -
Dependency status territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice, through a governor (sysselmann) residing in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty (9 February 1920) sovereignty was awarded to Norway unincorporated territories 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


note on Palmyra Atoll: incorporated Territory of the US; partly privately owned and partly federally owned; administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior; the Office of Insular Affairs of the US Department of the Interior continues to administer nine excluded areas comprising certain tidal and submerged lands within the 12 nm territorial sea or within the lagoon
Diplomatic representation from the US - none (territories of the US)
Disputes - international despite recent discussions, Russia and Norway dispute their maritime limits in the Barents Sea and Russia's fishing rights beyond Svalbard's territorial limits within the Svalbard Treaty zone none
Economic aid - recipient $8.2 million from Norway (1998) -
Economy - overview Coal mining is the major economic activity on Svalbard. The treaty of 9 February 1920 gives the 41 signatories equal rights to exploit mineral deposits, subject to Norwegian regulation. Although US, UK, Dutch, and Swedish coal companies have mined in the past, the only companies still mining are Norwegian and Russian. The settlements on Svalbard are essentially company towns. The Norwegian state-owned coal company employs nearly 60% of the Norwegian population on the island, runs many of the local services, and provides most of the local infrastructure. There is also some hunting of seal, reindeer, and fox. no economic activity
Elevation extremes lowest point: Arctic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Newtontoppen 1,717 m
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: Baker Island, unnamed location - 8 m; Howland Island, unnamed location - 3 m; Jarvis Island, unnamed location - 7 m; Johnston Atoll, Sand Island - 10 m; Kingman Reef, unnamed location - less than 1 m; Midway Islands, unnamed location - 13 m; Palmyra Atoll, unnamed location - 2 m
Environment - current issues NA Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands, and Johnston Atoll: no natural fresh water resources


Kingman Reef: none


Midway Islands and Palmyra Atoll: NA
Ethnic groups Norwegian 55.4%, Russian and Ukrainian 44.3%, other 0.3% (1998) -
Exchange rates Norwegian kroner per US dollar - 6.7408 (2004), 7.0802 (2003), 7.9838 (2002), 8.9917 (2001), 8.8018 (2000) -
Executive branch chief of state: King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991)


head of government: Governor Odd Olsen INGERO (since 8 June 2001) and Assistant Governor Rune Baard HANSEN (since NA)


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor and assistant governor responsible to the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice
-
Exports $NA -
Flag description the flag of Norway is used the flag of the US is used
GDP - real growth rate NA% -
Geographic coordinates 78 00 N, 20 00 E Baker Island: 0 13 N, 176 28 W


Howland Island: 0 48 N, 176 38 W


Jarvis Island: 0 23 S, 160 01 W


Johnston Atoll: 16 45 N, 169 31 W


Kingman Reef: 6 23 N, 162 25 W


Midway Islands: 28 12 N, 177 22 W


Palmyra Atoll: 5 53 N, 162 05 W
Geography - note northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: scattered vegetation consisting of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife


Johnston Atoll: 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; the egg-shaped reef is 34 km in circumference


Kingman Reef: barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; closed to the public


Midway Islands: 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


Palmyra Atoll: the high rainfall and resulting lush vegetation make the environment of this atoll unique among the US Pacific Island territories; it supports one of the largest remaining undisturbed stands of Pisonia beach forest in the Pacific
Highways total: NA km


paved: NA km


unpaved: NA km
-
Imports $NA -
Independence none (territory of Norway) -
Infant mortality rate total: NA


male: NA


female: NA
-
International organization participation none -
Irrigated land NA sq km -
Labor force NA -
Land boundaries 0 km none
Land use arable land: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (no trees, and the only bushes are crowberry and cloudberry) (2001)
arable land: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (2005)
Languages Norwegian, Russian -
Legal system NA the laws of the US, where applicable, apply
Life expectancy at birth total population: NA years


male: NA years


female: NA years
-
Literacy NA -
Location Northern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway Oceania


Baker Island: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1,830 nm (3,389 km) southwest of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and Australia


Howland Island: island in the North Pacific Ocean 1,815 nm (3,361 km) southwest of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and Australia


Jarvis Island: island in the South Pacific Ocean 1,305 nm (2,417 km) south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and the Cook Islands


Johnston Atoll: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 717 nm (1,328 km) southwest of Honolulu, about one-third of the way from Hawaii to the Marshall Islands


Kingman Reef: reef in the North Pacific Ocean 930 nm (1,722 km) south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa


Midway Islands: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1,260 nm (2,334 km) northwest of Honolulu near the end of the Hawaiian Archipelago, about one-third of the way from Honolulu to Tokyo


Palmyra Atoll: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 960 nm (1,778 km) south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa
Map references Arctic Region Oceania
Maritime claims territorial sea: 4 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm unilaterally claimed by Norway but not recognized by Russia
territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Military - note demilitarized by treaty on 9 February 1920 defense is the responsibility of the US
National holiday NA -
Natural hazards ice floes often block the entrance to Bellsund (a transit point for coal export) on the west coast and occasionally make parts of the northeastern coast inaccessible to maritime traffic Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard


Kingman Reef: wet or awash most of the time, maximum elevation of less than 1 m makes Kingman Reef a maritime hazard


Midway Islands, Johnston, and Palmyra Atolls: NA
Natural resources coal, iron ore, copper, zinc, phosphate, wildlife, fish terrestrial and aquatic wildlife
Net migration rate NA migrant(s)/1,000 population -
Population 2,701 (July 2005 est.) no indigenous inhabitants


note: 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


Johnston Atoll: in previous years, an average of 1,100 US military and civilian contractor personnel were present; as of May 2005 all US government personnel had left the island


Midway Islands: approximately 40 people make up the staff of US Fish and Wildlife Service and their services contractor living at the atoll


Palmyra Atoll: four to 20 Nature Conservancy and US Fish and Wildlife staff
Population growth rate -0.02% (2005 est.) -
Ports and harbors Barentsburg, Longyearbyen, Ny-Alesund, Pyramiden -
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 1 (plus 2 repeaters), shortwave 0 (1998) -
Sex ratio NA% -
Telephone system general assessment: probably adequate


domestic: local telephone service


international: country code - 47-790; satellite earth station - 1 of unknown type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only)
-
Telephones - main lines in use NA -
Telephones - mobile cellular NA -
Television broadcast stations NA -
Terrain wild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; west coast clear of ice about one-half of the year; fjords along west and north coasts low and nearly level sandy coral islands with narrow fringing reefs that have developed at the top of submerged volcanic mountains, which in most cases rise steeply from the ocean floor
Total fertility rate NA children born/woman -
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