Country name:
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
Midway Islands
etymology:
originally named the Middlebrook Islands after the US captain who discovered them in 1859; the name became Midway later in the 19th century and reflects the islands' position in the North Pacific Ocean roughly equidistant between North America and Asia
Dependency status:
unincorporated unorganized territory of the US; formerly administered from Washington, DC, by the US Navy; on 31 October 1996, through a presidential executive order, the jurisdiction and control of the atoll was transferred to the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System
Legal system:
the laws of the US apply where applicable
Citizenship:
see United States
Flag description:
the flag of the US is used
