Oceania >> Johnston Atoll

Johnston Atoll is in Polynesia, 717 NM (1328 km) southwest of Hawaii, about one-third of the way to the Marshall Islands.

Culture and History

Both the US and the Kingdom of Hawaii annexed Johnston Atoll in 1858, but it was the US that mined the guano deposits until the late 1880s. Johnston and Sand Islands were designated wildlife refuges in 1926. The US Navy took over the atoll in 1934, and subsequently the US Air Force assumed control in 1948. The site was used for high-altitude nuclear tests in the 1950s and 1960s, and until late in 2000 the atoll was maintained as a storage and disposal site for chemical weapons. Munitions destruction is now complete. Cleanup and closure of the facility was completed by May 2005. The Fish and Wildlife Service and the US Air Force are currently discussing future management options, in the interim Johnston Atoll and the three-mile Naval Defensive Sea around it remain under the jurisdiction and administrative control of the US Air Force.

Climate

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

Landscape

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; egg-shaped reef is 34 km in circumference; closed to the public; former US nuclear weapons test site; site of Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System (JACADS); some lowgrowing vegetation. Highest point: Summit Peak, at 5 meters

Travel to Johnston Atoll - Visa Requirements

Flights and airtickets to Johnston Atoll

There is an abandoned airstrip on Johnston Island.

By boat

Johnston Atoll souvenirs and shopping

There is currently no economic activity on Johnston Atoll.

Johnston Atoll cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels and lodging

There are no public accommodations on Johnston Atoll.

This page was last edited by Ian Sergeant. Based on work by Todd VerBeek and Wikitravel user(s) CIAWorldFactbook2002. - Content on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0 license

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