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Baker Island

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Geography of Oceania
(Australasia)

   Orthographic projection over Baker Island
   Enlarge
   Orthographic projection over Baker Island

   Baker Island is an uninhabited atoll located just north of the equator
   in the central Pacific Ocean at 0°13′N 176°31′W, about 3,100 km (1,675
   nautical miles) southwest of Honolulu. Sometimes grouped together as
   part of the United States Minor Outlying Islands, it is about one-half
   of the way from Hawaii to Australia.

   Baker Island National Wildlife Refuge consists of the 405 acre (1.64
   km²) island and a surrounding 30,504 acres (123.45 km²) of submerged
   land. The island is now a National Wildlife Refuge managed by the U.S.
   Fish and Wildlife Service as an insular area under the U.S. Department
   of the Interior. Baker Island is an unincorporated and unorganized
   territory of the U.S..

   Its defense is the responsibility of the United States; though
   uninhabited, it is visited annually by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
   Service.

History

   The United States took possession of the island in 1857, claimed under
   the Guano Islands Act of 1856. It became a British Overseas Territory
   from 1886 to 1934. Its guano deposits were mined by U.S. and British
   companies during the second half of the 19th century. In 1935, a
   short-lived attempt at colonization was begun, as well as on nearby
   Howland Island. The settlement Meyerton had a population of four
   American civilians evacuated in 1942 after Japanese air and naval
   attacks. During World War II it was occupied by the U.S. military.

   Since the war, Baker has been uninhabited. Feral cats were eradicated
   from the island in 1964. Public entry is by special-use permit from
   U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service only and generally restricted to
   scientists and educators.

Geography

   U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Aerial View of Baker Island

   Located in the North Pacific Ocean at 0°13′N 176°31′W, the island is
   tiny at just 1.64 km² (405 acres) and 4.8 km of coastline. The climate
   is equatorial, with little rainfall, constant wind, and a strong
   sunshine. The terrain is low-lying and sandy: a coral island surrounded
   by a narrow fringing reef with a depressed central area. The highest
   point is 8 meters above sea level.

   There are no natural fresh water resources. The island is treeless,
   with sparse vegetation consisting of grasses, prostrate vines, low
   growing shrubs, and some scattered ruins. A cemetery and remnants of
   structures from early settlement are located near the middle of the
   west coast. The island is primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging
   habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife.

   The U.S. claims an exclusive economic zone of 200 nautical miles (370
   km) and territorial sea of 12 nautical miles (22 km).

   The island's Time zone: UTC-12

Transportation

   There are no ports or harbors, with anchorage available only offshore.
   There is one boat landing area along the middle of the west coast.
   There is an abandoned World War II runway, 1,665 meters long, which is
   completely covered with vegetation and unusable.

   Natural hazards: The narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be
   a maritime hazard and there is a day beacon near the middle of the west
   coast.

Similarly Named Islands

     * Baker's Island, Mass.
     * Baker Island - Acadia Nat. Park, Maine

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baker_Island"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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