Wake Island Geography - 2023

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Location

Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to the Northern Mariana Islands

Geographic coordinates

19 17 N, 166 39 E

Map references

Oceania

Area

total: 7 sq km

land: 6.5 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

about 11 times the size of the National Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries

total: 0 km

Coastline

19.3 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate

tropical

Terrain

atoll of three low coral islands, Peale, Wake, and Wilkes, built up on an underwater volcano; central lagoon is former crater, islands are part of the rim

Elevation

highest point: unnamed location 8 m

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

Natural resources

none

Land use

agricultural land: 0% (2018 est.)

other: 100% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2022)

Natural hazards

subject to occasional typhoons

Geography - note

strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; emergency landing location for transpacific flights

NOTE: The information regarding Wake Island on this page is re-published from the 2023 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Wake Island 2023 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Wake Island 2023 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.