   #copyright

Jarvis Island

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

   Map of Jarvis Island
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   Map of Jarvis Island
   Orthographic projection over Jarvis Island
   Enlarge
   Orthographic projection over Jarvis Island

   Jarvis Island is an uninhabited 4.5 square kilometer island located at
   0°22′S 160°03′W in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way
   from Hawaii to the Cook Islands. It is one of the Line Islands, in the
   central part of the group. It is an unincorporated territory of the
   United States, part of the United States Minor Outlying Islands,
   administered from Washington, D.C. by the United States Fish and
   Wildlife Service of the United States Department of the Interior as
   part of the National Wildlife Refuge system.

   There are no ports or harbors, but there are offshore anchorage spots.
   There is one boat landing area in the middle of the west coast and
   another near the southwest corner of the island. A day beacon is near
   the middle of the west coast.

   The climate is tropical, with scant rainfall, constant wind, and strong
   sun. Varying from sea level to 7 meters, the terrain is sandy, and the
   coral island is surrounded by a narrow fringing reef. Its sparse bunch
   grass, prostrate vines, and low-growing shrubs are primarily a nesting,
   roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine
   wildlife. The island has no natural fresh water.

History

   The island was discovered on August 21, 1821 by the British ship Eliza
   Francis, (or Eliza Frances, owned by Edward, Thomas, and William
   Jarvis; see an 1833 legal proceeding) and named by her commander, one
   Captain Brown. The uninhabited island was claimed for the U.S.A. in
   March 1857 and formally annexed by the U.S. on 27 February 1858, but
   abandoned in 1879 after tons of guano had been removed.

   The UK annexed the island on 3 June 1889, but never carried out plans
   for further exploitation. The guano deposits were mined until the late
   1800s.

   The U.S. occupied and reclaimed the island in 1935 as an unincorporated
   territory, which was administered by U.S. Department of the Interior 13
   May 1936 - 27 June 1974. It was colonized by the U.S. 26 March 1935 - 7
   February 1942 under authority of the two consecutive Heads of the
   Baker, Howland and Jarvis Colonization Scheme (see Baker Island).

   The Millersville settlement on the western side of the island was
   occasionally used as a weather station from 1935 until World War II,
   when it was abandoned; it was reoccupied in 1957 during the
   International Geophysical Year by scientists, and shortly had its only
   proper local authority, Station Chief for IGY Homung (d. 1958) 1957 -
   Nov 1958, but was again abandoned in 1958.

   Since 27 June 1974 Jarvis Island has been administered by the U.S. Fish
   and Wildlife Service as Jarvis Island National Wildlife Refuge. Public
   entry to Jarvis Island requires a special-use permit and is generally
   restricted to scientists and educators only. The island is visited
   annually by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the United States
   Coast Guard.
   Jarvis Island Coast
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   Jarvis Island Coast
   US Fish and Wildlife posted No Trespassing Sign
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   US Fish and Wildlife posted No Trespassing Sign

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jarvis_Island"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
