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Australia - Oceania :: Kingman Reef Print
Page last updated on December 06, 2019
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KINGMAN REEF
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  • Introduction :: Kingman Reef
  • Background field listing
    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.
  • Geography :: Kingman Reef
  • Location field listing
    Oceania, reef in the North Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa
    Geographic coordinates field listing
    6 24 N, 162 22 W
    Map references field listing
    Oceania
    Area field listing
    total: 1 sq km
    land: 1 sq km
    water: 0 sq km
    country comparison to the world: 257
    Area - comparative field listing
    about 1.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
    Land boundaries field listing
    0 km
    Coastline field listing
    3 km
    Maritime claims field listing
    territorial sea: 12 nm
    exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
    Climate field listing
    tropical; moderated by prevailing winds
    Terrain field listing
    low and nearly level
    Natural resources field listing
    terrestrial and aquatic wildlife
    Natural hazards field listing
    wet or awash most of the time, maximum elevation of about 1 meter makes Kingman Reef a maritime hazard
    Environment - current issues field listing
    illegal foreign fishing; marine debris washing up on reef can entangle and kill wildlife
    Geography - note field listing
    barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; closed to the public
  • People and Society :: Kingman Reef
  • Population field listing
    uninhabited
  • Government :: Kingman Reef
  • Country name field listing
    conventional long form: none
    conventional short form: Kingman Reef
    etymology: although discovered in 1798, the reef is named after Captain W. E. KINGMAN who described it in 1853
    Dependency status field listing
    unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the US Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior

    note: on 1 September 2000, the Department of the Interior accepted restoration of its administrative jurisdiction over Kingman Reef from the Department of the Navy; Executive Order 3223 signed 18 January 2001 established Kingman Reef National Wildlife Refuge to be administered by the Director, US Fish and Wildlife Service; this refuge is managed to protect the terrestrial and aquatic wildlife of Kingman Reef out to the 12 nm territorial sea limit

    Flag description field listing
    the flag of the US is used
  • Military and Security :: Kingman Reef
  • Military - note field listing
    defense is the responsibility of the US
  • Transportation :: Kingman Reef
  • Roadways field listing
    Ports and terminals field listing
    none; offshore anchorage only
  • Transnational Issues :: Kingman Reef
  • Disputes - international field listing

    none