worldwidewandering - a travel atlas / Discuss

worldwidewandering says:

- from wikipedia

Capital: None
Languages: English
Ethnic Groups: American
Religions: Protestant, Roman Catholic



- from Perry-Castañeda Library

Midway Atoll (also known as Midway Island or Midway Islands, Hawaiian: Pihemanu) is a 6.2 square kilometer atoll located in the North Pacific Ocean (near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian archipelago) at 28°13′N 177°22′W, about one-third of the way between Honolulu and Tokyo. It is less than 140 nautical miles east of the International Date Line, about 2,800 nautical miles west of San Francisco and 2,200 nautical miles east of Tokyo. It consists of a ring-shaped barrier reef and several sand islets. The two significant pieces of land, Sand Island and Eastern Island, provide habitat for hundreds of thousands of seabirds.

The atoll, which has a tiny population (40 in 2004, but no indigenous inhabitants), is an unincorporated territory of the United States, designated an insular area under the authority of the U.S. Department of the Interior. It is a National Wildlife Refuge administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The visitor program closed in January 2002 and there are no facilities at the present time for receiving visitors. However, visitors who are able to provide their own transportation can contact the refuge manager for information on visiting the atoll. The economy is derived solely from governmental sources. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.

Midway, as its name suggests, lies nearly halfway between North America and Asia. It also lies almost halfway around the earth from Greenwich, England.

Midway is best known as the location of the Battle of Midway, fought in World War II on June 4, 1942. Nearby, the United States Navy defeated a Japanese attack against the Midway Islands, marking a turning point in the war in the Pacific theater.

For statistical purposes, Midway is grouped as one of the United States Minor Outlying Islands...more
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On flickr:
• Midway Islands
• Oceanea
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Other Forums:
• Lonely Planet Thorntree: Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea

Originally posted at 12:33PM, 2 October 2006 PDT (permalink)
worldwidewandering edited this topic 54 months ago.