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Jarvis Island
(territory of the US)
Geography
People
Government
Economy
Transportation
Military
Transnational Issues

### Jarvis Island

Geography

Location: Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to the Cook Islands

Geographic coordinates: 0 22 S, 160 03 W

Map references: Oceania

Area:
total: 4.5 sq km
land: 4.5 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area—comparative: about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 8 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun

Terrain: sandy, coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 23 m

Natural resources: guano (deposits worked until late 1800s)

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 100%

Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)

Natural hazards: the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard

Environment—current issues: no natural fresh water resources

Environment—international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA

Geography—note: sparse bunch grass, prostrate vines, and low-growing shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife; feral cats

People

Population: uninhabited
note: Millersville settlement on western side of island occasionally used as a weather station from 1935 until World War II, when it was abandoned; reoccupied in 1957 during the International Geophysical Year by scientists who left in 1958; public entry is by special-use permit only and generally restricted to scientists and educators

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Jarvis Island

Data code: DQ

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: NA

Flag description: the flag of the US is used

Economy

Economy—overview: no economic activity

Transportation

Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only; note—there is one boat landing area in the middle of the west coast and another near the southwest corner of the island

Transportation—note: there is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast

Military

Military—note: defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US Coast Guard

Transnational Issues

Disputes—international: none

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