Overview
The United States Minor Outlying Islands is a statistical designation that applies to nine small U.S. insular areas and territories. Eight of these islands and atolls are located in the Pacific Ocean: Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Atoll, Palmyra Atoll, and Wake Island. One island, Navassa Island, is located in the Caribbean Sea. These territories are defined by the International Organization for Standardization's ISO 3166-1 code, with the entry code ISO 3166-2:UM.
Currently, none of the islands have any known permanent residents. However, military personnel, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel, and temporarily stationed scientific and research staff are posted to some of the islands. The islands are grouped for statistical convenience rather than shared administration or cultural history, and they remain outside the customs territory of the United States.
Geographical Significance and History
While scattered across Polynesia and Micronesia, these islands are strategically important and rich in history and nature. Howland Island is renowned as the destination where American pilot Amelia Earhart intended to land before she vanished during her round-the-world flight in 1937. Wake Island was the site of a significant World War II battle in 1941 and served as an essential stopover for aircraft transiting the Pacific during the mid-20th century. Midway Atoll was the center of a major WWII battle that helped turn the tide of the Pacific War.
In 1936, a colonization program began to settle Americans on Baker, Howland, and Jarvis islands. All settlements were evacuated in 1942 due to World War II. The International Organization for Standardization introduced the term "United States Minor Outlying Islands" in 1986, consolidating various earlier designations under a single classification.
Island Characteristics
Each island has distinct characteristics. Howland Island is nearly barren, while Wake Island is home to an extinct flightless bird. Midway Atoll is home to many corals and birds. Palmyra Atoll is rich in unique biodiversity and was the site of a World War II base. Johnston Atoll was a famous Cold War military base and was expanded and used to destroy chemical weapon stockpiles; it was also the site of a nuclear accident.
Except for Palmyra Atoll, all of these islands are unincorporated unorganized territories of the United States. Palmyra Atoll is an incorporated territory, separated in 1959 from the rest of the former incorporated Territory of Hawaii when Hawaii became a state.
Access and Protection
Most of the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands are closed to the public. Visitors to islands such as Jarvis Island require a permit. Palmyra Atoll is open to the public, but there is no easy way to reach it. Except for Midway Atoll, the Pacific islands are surrounded by large exclusive economic zones and are within the bounds of the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument.
Transportation Infrastructure
Airports
Several islands maintain airports that provide critical emergency landing points across the Pacific Ocean and allow for important military presence. The following islands have airports with ICAO codes:
- Palmyra Atoll: Cooper Airport (PLPA)
- Midway Atoll: Henderson Field (PMDY/MDY)
- Wake Island: Wake Island Airfield (PWAK/AWK)
Johnston Atoll had an airport built during World War II that saw significant commercial traffic during the second half of the 20th century, but it was abandoned in 2003. Howland Island had an airfield (Kamakaiwi Field) from 1937 to about 1945. Kingman Reef's lagoon was used as a halfway station by Pan American Airways for flying boats in 1937 and 1938.
Seaports
Three of the islands are listed with ports in the World Port Index:
- Johnston Atoll
- Midway Atoll
- Wake Island
Baker Island, Howland Island, and Jarvis Island each have small boat landing places. Kingman Reef and Navassa Island have only offshore anchorages. Palmyra Atoll has West Lagoon but is not officially listed in the World Port Index.