]! ^! The US annexed Wake Island in 1899 for a cable station. An important air and naval base was constructed in 1940-41. In December 1941, the island was captured by the Japanese and held until the end of World War II. In subsequent years, Wake was developed as a stopover and refueling site for military and commercial aircraft transiting the Pacific. Since 1974, the island's airstrip has been used by the US military and some commercial cargo planes, as well as for emergency landings. There are over 700 landings a year on the island. 
]" ^" Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to the Northern Mariana Islands ^# 19 17 N, 166 36 E ^$ Oceania ^% `! 6.5 sq km `" 6.5 sq km `# 0 sq km ^& about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC ^' 0 km ^( 19.3 km ^) `$ 12 nm `I 200 nm ^* tropical ^+ atoll of three coral islands built up on an underwater volcano; central lagoon is former crater, islands are part of the rim ^, `% Pacific Ocean 0 m `& unnamed location 6 m ^- none ^. `' 0% `( 0% `) 100% (2001) ^/ 0 sq km (1998 est.) ^0 occasional typhoons ^1 NA ^2 strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; emergency landing location for transpacific flights 
]# ^3 no indigenous inhabitants note: US military personnel have left the island, but contractor personnel remain; as of October 2001, 200 contractor personnel were present (July 2005 est.) 
]$ ^F `4 none `5 Wake Island ^G unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Department of the Interior; activities on the island are conducted by the US Air Force ^N the laws of the US, where applicable, apply ^X the flag of the US is used 
]% ^Y Economic activity is limited to providing services to contractors located on the island. All food and manufactured goods must be imported. _' NA 
]& _< `B satellite communications; 1 DSN circuit off the Overseas Telephone System (OTS) `C NA `D NA _= AM 0, FM NA, shortwave NA note: Armed Forces Radio/Television Service (AFRTS) radio service provided by satellite (1998) _> 0 (1997) 
]' _C none; two offshore anchorages for large ships _D 1 (2004 est.) _E `! 1 `G 1 (2004 est.) _h formerly an important commercial aviation base, now used by US military, some commercial cargo planes, and for emergency landings 
]( _G defense is the responsibility of the US; launch support facility is part of the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site (RTS) administered by US Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) 
]) _H claimed by Marshall Islands 