Johnston Atoll Geography Profile 2006

Location

Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 717 nm (1328 km) southwest of Honolulu, Hawaii, about one-third of the way from Hawaii to the Marshall Islands

Geographic coordinates

16 45 N, 169 31 W

Map references

Oceania

Area

total: 2.63 sq km
land: 2.63 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

about 4.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries

0 km

Coastline

34 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate

tropical, but generally dry; consistent northeast trade winds with little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain

mostly flat

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Summit Peak 5 m

Natural resources

guano deposits worked until depletion about 1890, terrestrial and aquatic wildlife

Land use

arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)

Irrigated land

0 sq km

Natural hazards

NA

Environment - current issues

no natural fresh water resources

Geography - note

strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; Johnston Island and Sand Island are natural islands, which have been expanded by coral dredging; North Island (Akau) and East Island (Hikina) are manmade islands formed from coral dredging; the egg-shaped reef is 34 km in circumference; closed to the public; a former US nuclear weapons test site; site of now-closed Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System (JACADS); most facilities dismantled and cleanup complete in 2004; some low-growing vegetation