Largest Islands of United States

History

The first European to visit the archipelago was the Russian navigator Aleksei Chirikov in 1741, who sighted the coasts of Noyes and Baker Islands (both off the west coast of Prince of Wales Island), as well as Baranof, Chichagof, Kruzof, and Yakobi Islands. In 1774, Juan José Pérez Hernández sighted the south coast of Dall Island, while Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra entered Bucareli Bay off Prince of Wales Island the following year. In 1792, Jacinto Caamaño sighted Revillagigedo Island and the Gravina Islands, discovering Clarence Strait.

History

Kodiak is the ancestral land of the Sugpiaq, an Alutiiq nation of Native Americans. The original inhabitants subsisted by hunting marine mammals, fishing, and gathering. The European discoverer of Kodiak Island was the Russian fur trader Stepan Glotov (1793).

The first outsiders to settle on the island were Russian explorers under Grigory Shelikhov, a fur trader, who founded a Russian settlement on Kodiak Island at Three Saints Bay in 1784; the present-day village of Old Harbor developed near there. In 1792, the settlement was moved to the site of present-day Kodiak and became the center of Russian fur trading with the Alaska Natives.

Geology and geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 5,086 square miles (13,170 km2), of which 4,028 sq mi (10,430 km2) is land and 1,058 sq mi (2,740 km2) (20.8%) is water. The county's land area comprises 62.7 percent of the state's land area. It is the highest percentage by any county in the United States. Delaware's Sussex County comes in second at 48.0 percent, while Rhode Island's Providence County is third at 39.6 percent.

At its greatest dimension, the island is 93 miles (150 km) across. Measured from its sea floor base to its highest peak, Mauna Kea at 10,000 metres (33,000 ft) is the world's tallest mountain, taller than even Mount Everest, since the base of Mount Everest is above sea level.

History

Hawaiʻi is allegedly named after Hawaiʻiloa, a legendary Polynesian navigator who is said to have discovered the island. Other accounts attribute the name to the legendary realm of Hawaiki, a place from which some Polynesians are said to have originated, the place where they transition to in the afterlife, or the realm of the gods and goddesses. The indigenous Hawaiian name of the island was originally rendered and published as "Owyhee" or "Owhyhee".

It is uncertain when Hawaiʻi was first discovered by humans. Early archaeological studies suggested that Polynesian explorers from the Marquesas Islands or Society Islands may have arrived in the Hawaiian islands as early as the 3rd century AD, possibly with a second wave arriving from Tahiti around 1100.

Economy

Sugarcane was the backbone of the island economy for more than a century. In the mid-20th century, sugarcane plantations began to downsize, and in 1995 the island's last plantation closed.

Most of the island's economy depends on tourism, centered primarily in resort areas on the western coast of the island in the North Kona and South Kohala districts. Sustainable tourism is increasing.

Diversified agriculture is a growth sector. Major crops include macadamia nuts, papaya, flowers, tropical and temperate vegetables, aquaculture, and coffee beans. The island's orchid production is the state's largest. The island is home to one of the United States' largest cattle ranches: Parker Ranch, on 175,000 acres (708 km2) in Waimea.

Geography

Puerto Rico consists of the main island and various smaller islands, including Vieques, Culebra, Mona, Desecheo, and Caja de Muertos. Of these, only Culebra and Vieques are inhabited year-round. Mona, which has played a key role in maritime history, is uninhabited most of the year except for employees of the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources. There are many other islets, like Monito, located near Mona, and Isla de Cabras and La Isleta de San Juan, both located on the San Juan Bay. The latter is the only inhabited islet with communities like Old San Juan and Puerta de Tierra, which are connected to the main island by bridges.

The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico has an area of 3,515 square miles (9,100 km2), of which 3,459 sq mi (8,960 km2) is land and 56 sq mi (150 km2) is water.

History

The history of Puerto Rico began with the settlement of the Ortoiroid culture, an Archaic population characterized by a hunter-gatherer subsistence strategy and a pre-ceramic material culture. Archaeological evidence suggests that these early populations may have been present in Puerto Rico as early as c. 4000 years before present.

Around 500–200 BC, Saladoid populations originating from the Orinoco River basin migrated to Puerto Rico, introducing sedentary agriculture and ceramics. Genetic evidence suggests that this migration was associated with a major demographic transition in which Saladoid-related ancestry became predominant in later Ceramic Age populations that developed into the Taíno.

Demographics

The population of Puerto Rico reflects influences from initial Amerindian settlement, European colonization, slavery, economic migration, and the archipelago's status as unincorporated territory of the United States. Puerto Ricans are characterized by a high degree of ethnic and cultural diversity, as well as a long history of intermarriage and acculturation among different demographics; racial and ethnic identity is subsequently complex and often nebulous, shaped by the broader attitudes and policies of the Spanish colonial period, 20th century American racial politics, and modern trends in cultural and identity in the 21st century United States.

According to the most recent 2020 United States census, Puerto Rico had 3,285,874 residents, an 11.8% decrease since 2010.

Economy

Puerto Rico is classified as a high income economy by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. It is considered the most competitive economy in Latin America by the World Economic Forum and ranks highly on the Human Development Index. According to World Bank, gross national income per capita in Puerto Rico in 2020 was $21,740.

Geography

The United States Census Bureau defines St. Lawrence Island as Block Group 6, Census Tract 1 of Nome Census Area, Alaska. As of the 2000 census there were 1,292 people living on a land area of 1,791.56 sq mi (4,640.1 km2). The island is about 90 mi (140 km) long and 8–22 mi (13–35 km) wide. The island has no trees, and the only woody plants are Arctic willow, standing no more than a foot (30 cm) high.

The island's abundance of seabirds and marine mammals is due largely to the influence of the Anadyr Current, an ocean current which brings cold, nutrient-rich water from the deep waters of the Bering Sea shelf edge.

To the south of the island there was a persistent polynya in 1999, formed when the prevailing winds from the north and east blow the migrating ice away from the coast.

History

In St. Lawrence Island, earliest evidence of habitation dates from 2,000 to 2,500 years ago. Artifacts resemble the Okvik (oogfik) style. Archaeological sites on the Punuk Islands, off the eastern end of St. Lawrence Island, at Kukulik, near Savoonga and on hill slopes above Gambell, all indicate evidence of Okvik habitation. Okvik decorative style is zoomorphic and elaborate, sometimes incorporating crude engraving, with greater variation than the Old Bering Sea and Punuk styles.

Okvik habitation, influenced by Old Bering Sea habitation of 2000 to 700 years ago, is characterized by the simpler and more homogeneous Punuk style. Stone artifacts changed from chipped stone to ground slate; carved ivory harpoon heads are smaller and simpler in design.

Geography

It is the easternmost island in the Aleutians and, with an area of 1,571.41 square miles (4,069.93 square kilometers), the 9th largest island in the United States and the 134th largest island in the world. It is home to Mount Shishaldin, one of the ten most active volcanoes in the world. According to the United States Census Bureau, 64 people were living on Unimak as of the 2000 census, all of them in the city of False Pass at the eastern end of the island. Cape Lutke is a headland on the island. Cape Pankof is located at the extreme southwest of the island.

The Fisher Caldera is a volcanic crater in the west-central part of Unimak. Some characteristics include many volcanic cones and undrained lakes.

Natural history

When the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act was passed on 2 December 1980, 910,000 acres (370,000 ha) of the island was designated as wilderness. This area is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge.

As a faunal extension of the Alaska Peninsula, Unimak has a relatively diverse assemblage of terrestrial mammals, including Alaska Peninsula brown bears and barren-ground caribou. West of Unimak Island, the largest native mammal in the Aleutians is the red fox.

Geography

The westernmost end of Long Island contains the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn (Kings County) and Queens (Queens County). The central and eastern portions contain the suburban Nassau and Suffolk counties. However, colloquial usage of the term "Long Island" usually refers only to Nassau and Suffolk counties. For example, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York has a district named "Long Island (Nassau-Suffolk Metro Division)." At least as late as 1911, locations in Queens were still commonly referred to as being on Long Island. Some institutions in the New York City section of the island use the island's names, like Long Island University and Long Island Jewish Medical Center.

In 1985, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in United States v.

History

As the last Ice Age waned with Wisconsin glaciation, early Paleo-Indians ventured into the evolving landscapes of present-day Long Island, marking a significant environmental shift and laying the groundwork for the region's rich ecosystems. The nomadic hunter-gatherers, equipped with stone tools, navigated the newly emerging landscapes, hunting large game and gathering from the abundant natural resources.

After the Paleo-Indian period, the Archaic Period marked a broadening of subsistence strategies. The inhabitants of Long Island diversified their diet, exploiting the rich marine and terrestrial environments. The main source of protein came from the sea, consisting of fish and shellfish, with oysters being of particular importance.

Demographics

Long Island is the most populous island and one of the most densely populated regions in the United States. At the 2020 U.S. census, the total population of all four counties of Long Island was 8,063,232, comprising 40% of the population of the State of New York. As of 2020, the proportion of New York City residents (total 8,804,190) living on Long Island had risen to 58.4%, given the 5,141,538 residents living in Brooklyn and Queens.

Economy

Long Island has played a prominent role in scientific research and in engineering. It is the home of the Brookhaven National Laboratory in nuclear physics and Department of Energy research. Long Island is also home to the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, which was directed for 35 years by James D. Watson (who, along with Francis Crick and Rosalind Franklin, discovered the double helix structure of DNA). Companies such as Sperry Corporation, Computer Associates (headquartered in Islandia), Zebra Technologies (now occupying the former headquarters of Symbol Technologies, and a former Grumman plant in Holtsville), have made Long Island a center for the computer industry. Stony Brook University and New York Institute of Technology conduct advanced medical and technological research.

Geology and natural history

Nunivak Island is volcanic in origin; most of the island is dominated by volcanic plateau 500 ft (160 m) or more above sea level. The island is dotted with about 60 cinder cones and four maars. Much of its surface consists of widespread, thin flows of pahoehoe lava from small shield volcanoes, which spread over sedimentary rock of the Cretaceous period. Volcanic eruptions took place during 5 periods of activity beginning 6.1 million years ago. Most of the volcanic field was formed during the two most recent eruptive periods during the Pleistocene ending about 300,000 years ago. Because of the history of volcanic activity, it is considered part of the Bering Sea Volcanic Province. The Ibkilwit Lava Bed is located on Nunivak Island.

Demographics

Nunivak Island first reported on the 1880 U.S. Census as an unincorporated island, with 400 Yupik residents. In 1890, the villages on the island reported separately. It next reported in 1910 for the entire island through to 1940. Since 1950, any settlements on the island have reported separately again, though all residents now reside in Mekoryuk as of 2000 and 2010.

History

Polynesians from Tahiti were Maui's original inhabitants. They introduced the kapu system, a strict social order that affected all aspects of life and became the core of Hawaiian culture. Modern Hawaiian history began in the mid-18th century. Kamehameha I, king Hawaiʻi island, invaded Maui in 1790 and fought the inconclusive Battle of Kepaniwai. He returned to Hawaiʻi to battle a rival, subduing Maui a few years later.

On November 26, 1778, explorer James Cook became the first European to see Maui. Cook never set foot on the island, because he was unable to find a suitable landing. The first European to come ashore was French admiral Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse, who landed on the shores of what became La Perouse Bay on May 29, 1786.

Geology

Like all other Hawaiian Islands, Maui was formed from the volcanism associated with the Hawaii hotspot.

The islands' volcanic cones are formed from basalt, a dark, iron-rich/silica-poor rock, which poured out of thousands of vents as fluid lava over millions of years. Some of its volcanoes were close enough to each other that lava flows on their flanks overlapped, merging into a single island. Maui is one such "volcanic doublet," formed from two shield volcanoes that overlapped to form Maui.

The older, western volcano has eroded considerably, forming the peaks of the West Maui Mountains (in Hawaiian, Mauna Kahalawai). Puʻu Kukui is the highest, at 5,788 ft (1,764 m).

Climate

The climate is characterized by a two-season year, tropical and uniform temperatures at any given elevation, geographic differences in rainfall, high relative humidity, extensive cloud formations (except on the leeward coasts and at the highest elevations), and dominant trade wind flow (especially at lower elevations).

Half of the land is within 5 mi (8 km) of the coast, creating a strong marine influence.

Macro weather patterns are typically determined by elevation and orientation towards the trade winds (the prevailing air flow from the northeast).

Maui's rugged, irregular topography drives variations in conditions. Air swept inland on the trade winds is redirected by the mountains, valleys, and vast open slopes.

Economy

Tourism is Maui's major industry. Other large sectors include development, retail, business services, health care, and government. Maui has a growing presence in agriculture and information technology.

Unemployment tends to be well below the US average, e.g., 1.7% in December 2006, rising to only 9% in March 2009 before falling to 2.1% in January, 2018. The 2023 fires upended that norm, raising unemployment above the Hawaii and US figures.

Maui's primary agriculture products are corn and other seeds, fruits, cattle, wine, and vegetables. Maui has a history of producing pineapples and sugar cane.

Geography and climate

Like all other Hawaiian Islands, Oʻahu was formed from the volcanism associated with the Hawaii hotspot; it started to grow from the sea floor 4 million years ago. Today, the island is composed of the remnants of two extinct and extensively eroded shield volcanoes: the Waiʻanae and Koʻolau Ranges, with a broad valley or saddle between them. The highest point is Kaʻala in the Waiʻanae Range, rising to 4,003 feet (1,220 m) above sea level.

Oʻahu is known for having the longest rain shower in recorded history. Kāneʻohe Ranch reported 247 straight days of rain from August 27, 1993, to April 30, 1994. The average temperature in Oʻahu is around 70–85 °F (21–29 °C). The island is the warmest from June through October.

History

It is uncertain when Oʻahu was first settled by humans. Early archaeological studies suggested that Polynesian explorers from the Marquesas may have arrived as early as the 3rd century A.D., possibly with a second wave arriving from Tahiti around 1100 A.D. However, more modern analyses indicate that the first settlers probably arrived around 900–1200 A.D.

The first great king of Oʻahu was Maʻilikūkahi, the lawmaker, who initiated a 304-year dynasty of monarchs. Kualiʻi was the first of the warlike kings and was succeeded by his sons. In 1773, the throne fell upon Kahahana, the son of Elani of Ewa.

On January 19, 1778, Oʻahu was the first of the Hawaiian Islands to be sighted by Captain James Cook during his third voyage of discovery.

Tourism

Oʻahu, along with the rest of the State of Hawaii, relies on tourism as a driving force of the local economy. Popular tourists attractions include beaches such as Ala Moana Beach, Hanauma Bay, Kāneʻohe Bay, Ko Olina Beach Park, Waikīkī Beach, among others. Other tourist attractions include Ala Moana Center, Bishop Museum, the Honolulu Museum of Art, ʻIolani Palace, Diamond Head, and Kualoa Ranch.

Geography

The five-million-year-old island, the oldest of the main islands (Niʻihau is older), was formed volcanically as the Pacific Plate passed over the Hawaiʻi hotspot. It consists of an eroded shield volcano with a 9.3–12.4-mile-diameter-summit (15.0–20.0 km) caldera and two flanking calderas. Rejuvenation of the volcano 0.6–1.40 million years ago left lava flows and cones over the eastern two-thirds of the island.

Kauaʻi's highest peak is Kawaikini, at 5,243 ft (1,598 m). The second-highest is Mount Waiʻaleʻale, near the center of the island, 5,148 ft (1,569 m) above sea level. One of the wettest spots on earth, with an annual average rainfall of 460 in (38.3 ft; 11.7 m), is on the east side of Mount Waiʻaleʻale.

History

I never saw [indigenous people] so astonished at entering a ship. Their eyes were continually flying from object to object, the wildness of their looks and actions fully expressed their surprise and astonishment.

Later, while investigating a location for the ships to anchor, a shore party was mobbed by a crowd, a shot was fired, and one Kauaian was killed. The next day, January 20, 1778, the two ships anchored in Waimea Bay on the southwest coast, where the expedition spent days obtaining fresh water and trading for fresh food. The local people especially valued iron: even small amounts, such as a single nail, could be traded for plentiful food supplies. Within two weeks, Cook left the vicinity of the Hawaiian Islands to continue his original mission.

Economy

Tourism is Kauaʻi's largest industry. In 2007, 1,271,000 people visited. The two largest groups were from the continental United States (84% of all visitors) and Japan (3%). As of 2003, approximately 27,000 jobs existed on Kauaʻi. The largest sector was accommodation/food services (26%, 6,800 jobs), followed by government (15%) and retail (14.5%), with agriculture accounting for 2.9% (780 jobs) and educational services providing 0.7% (183 jobs). The visitors' industry accounted for one third of Kauaʻi's income. Employment is dominated by small businesses, with 87% of all non-farm businesses having fewer than 20 employees. As of 2003, Kauaʻi's poverty rate was 10.5%, compared to the mainland at 10.7%.

Land in Kauaʻi is very fertile; farmers raise many varieties of fruit and other crops.

History

Adak Island has been the home to Aleut peoples since antiquity. Russian explorers in the 18th century also visited the island but made no permanent settlements. During World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army took control of two of the westernmost Aleutian Islands, Attu and Kiska, in the incorporated territory of Alaska, the first foreign enemy to occupy American soil since the War of 1812. The Japanese also attacked the American base at Dutch Harbor by air. The Japanese campaign coincided with the more well-known Battle of Midway. In response, the United States military began a campaign to oust the Japanese.

Climate

Adak has a subpolar oceanic climate (Koppen Cfc), characterized by persistently overcast skies, moderated temperatures, high winds, significant precipitation and frequent cyclonic storms.

At Adak, overcast conditions average nearly 75 percent of the time during June and July, dropping back to approximately 50 percent of the time from October through February. Adak averages 173 days per year with fog. The foggiest months are July and August, when an average of 26 of the 31 days have fog. This number drops dramatically toward the winter season, where the months of December through March have, on average, fewer than ten days with fog during any one month.

Gales occur in all months of the year at Adak, with the greatest chances being from December through March.

Economy

A land exchange between Alaska Native Regional Corporations, the U.S. Navy, and the Department of the Interior has transferred most of the naval facilities to the Aleut Corp. A portion of the Island will remain within the National Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, managed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife. Adak currently provides a fueling port and crew transfer facility for foreign fishing fleets—an airport, docks, housing facilities and food services are available. A grocery and ship supply store and restaurant opened in February 1999. Aleut Corporation maintains the facilities. Contractors are performing an environmental clean-up. Alaskan-owned Norquest-Adak Seafood Co. processes Pacific cod, pollock, mackerel, halibut, albacore and brown king crab.

History

Despite being about 200 miles north of the closest Aleutian island, oral traditions of the Aleut people indicate that the islands were known but sparingly visited and not permanently inhabited, as "no ethnohistoric or archaeological evidence points to the use or occupation of the Pribilof Islands... by any native people before the Russian period in Alaska."

The first European account of the islands is attributed to an employee of the Lebedev-Lastochkin Company, Gavriil Pribylov, who located St. George Island in 1786 while searching for the breeding grounds of northern fur seals. St. Paul Island was reached the following year. Seals swam north through the Aleutian Islands and returned in the autumn with newly born pups.

Geography

Molokaʻi developed from two distinct shield volcanoes known as East Molokaʻi and the much smaller West Molokaʻi. The highest point is Kamakou on East Molokaʻi, at 4,970 ft (1,510 m). Today, East Molokaʻi volcano, like the Koʻolau Range on Oʻahu, is what remains of the southern half of the original mountain. The northern half suffered a catastrophic collapse about 1.5 million years ago and now lies as a debris field scattered northward across the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. What remains of the volcano on the island include the highest sea cliffs in the world. The south shore of Molokaʻi boasts the longest fringing reef in the U.S. and its holdings—nearly 25 mi (40 km) long.

History

It used to be thought that Molokaʻi was first settled around AD 650 by indigenous peoples most likely from the Marquesas Islands. However, a 2010 study using revised, high-precision radiocarbon dating based on more reliable samples has established that the period of eastern Polynesian colonization of the Marquesas Islands took place much later, in a shorter time frame of two waves: the "earliest in the Society Islands c. 1025–1120, four centuries later than previously assumed; then after 70 to 265 years, dispersal continued in one major pulse to all remaining islands c. 1190–1290." Later migrants likely came from Tahiti and other south Pacific islands.

Ecology

Molokaʻi is split into two main geographical areas. The low western half is very dry and the soil is heavily denuded due to poor land management practices, which allowed over-grazing by deer and goats. It lacks significant ground cover and virtually the entire section is covered in non-native kiawe (Prosopis pallida) trees. One of the few natural areas remaining almost intact are the coastal dunes of Moʻomomi, which are part of a Nature Conservancy preserve.

The eastern half of the island is a high plateau rising up to an elevation of 4,900 ft (1,500 m) on Kamakou peak and includes the 2,774-acre (11.23 km2; 4.334 mi2) Molokai Forest Reserve. The eastern half is covered with lush wet forests that get more than 300 in (7,600 mm) of rain per year.

Economy

Over the years Molokai Ranch has also acted as a developer, establishing hotels and related amenities for resort tourists on their property. The local indigenous community fought for many decades to inhibit the development by Molokai Ranch in order to preserve their community and unique way of life. In some cases, protests have become violent, such as fence cutting, poisoning of the Ranch's exotic African Safari animals in 1994, an arson attack in Kaupoa in 1995, and the destruction of 5 mi (8 km) of Ranch water pipes in 1996.

In 2007, community residents organized the "Save Laʻau Point" movement to oppose Molokai Ranch's attempt to expand its resort operation.

Geology and climate

The climatic conditions in the entire Bering Sea Area, according to National Climatic Data Center (1986), is reported as maritime with "considerable wind and cool, humid and cloudy conditions" with mean annual temperature of 37.8 °F (3.2 °C) and annual precipitation of 15.3 in (390 mm) on St. Matthew Island. The geological formation recorded on St. Matthew Island consists of calc-alkaline volcanic rocks of Late Cretaceous and earliest tertiary age with Pergelic Cryaquolls and Pergelic Cryoborolls soil types.

Geography

Niʻihau is located about 18 miles (29 km) west of Kauaʻi, and the tiny, uninhabited island of Lehua lies 0.7 miles (0.61 nmi; 1.1 km) north of Niʻihau. Niʻihau's dimensions are 6.2 miles by 18.6 miles (10km × 30km). The maximum elevation, Pānīʻau, is 1,280 feet (390 m). The island is about 6 million years old, making it geologically older than the 5.8-million-year-old neighboring island of Kauaʻi to the northeast. Niʻihau is the remnant of the southwestern slope of what was once a much larger volcano. The entire summit and other slopes collapsed into the ocean in a giant prehistoric landslide.

The island is relatively arid because it lies in the rain shadow of Kauaʻi and lacks the elevation needed to catch significant amounts of trade wind rainfall.

History

Prior to the unification of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi under Kamehameha I, Niʻihau was ruled by the aliʻi. Kahelelani was the first of the Niʻihau aliʻi. His name is now used to refer to the Niʻihau kahelelani, the puka shell of the wart turbans (Leptothyra verruca), used to make exquisite Niʻihau shell jewelry. Kāʻeokūlani was a ruler of northern Niʻihau who unified the island after defeating his rival, a chief named Kawaihoa. A stone wall (Pāpōhaku) across a quarter of the island's southern end marked the boundaries of the two chiefs: Kāʻeo's land was identified by black stones and Kawaihoa's by white stones. Eventually, a great battle took place, known as Pali Kamakaui.

Economy

Approximately 80% of Niʻihau's income comes from a small Navy installation atop 1,300-foot-high cliffs. Remote-controlled tracking devices are used for testing and training with Kaua'i's Pacific Missile Range Facility. Modern missile defense tests are conducted at the site for the U.S. and its allies. The installation brings in millions of dollars a year, and provides the island with a stable economic base without the complexity of tourism or industrial development.

The sale of shells and shell jewelry is an additional source of income. Its beaches are known for their pūpū, tiny shells that wash onto shore during winter months. Species used for shell leis includes momi (Euplica varians), laiki or rice shells (Mitrella margarita) and kahelelani (Leptothyra verruca).

Geography

Saipan is the largest island in the Northern Mariana Islands. It is about 120 mi (190 km) north of Guam and 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) northeast of Tinian, from which it is separated by the Saipan Channel. Saipan is about 12 mi (19 km) long and 5.6 mi (9.0 km) wide, with a land area of 115.38 km2 (44.55 sq mi).

The western side of the island is lined with sandy beaches and an offshore coral reef creates a large lagoon. The eastern shore is composed primarily of rugged rocky cliffs and a reef. A narrow underwater bank of Marpi Reef lies 28 mi (45 km) north of Saipan, and CK Reef lies in the west of the island.

The highest elevation on Saipan is a limestone-covered mountain called Mount Tapochau at 1,560 ft (480 m).

History

Traces of human settlements on Saipan have been found by archaeologists ranging over 4,000 years, including petroglyphs, ancient Latte Stones, and other artifacts pointing to cultural affinities with Melanesia and with similar stone monuments in Micronesia and Palau.

Saipan, together with Tinian, was possibly first sighted by Europeans during the Spanish expedition of Ferdinand Magellan, when it made a landing in the southern Marianas on March 6, 1521. It is likely Saipan was sighted by Gonzalo Gómez de Espinosa in 1522 on board the Spanish ship Trinidad, which he commanded after the death of Ferdinand Magellan in the Battle of Mactan in Cebu, Philippines. This is likely to have occurred after the sighting of the Maug Islands between the end of August and the end of September 1522.

Demographics

According to the 2010 United States census, Saipan's population was 48,220, a drop of 22.7% from the 2000 US Census; the population decrease is largely attributed to working immigrants and their families either returning to their home countries after the collapse of the garment industry or moving to other locations with economic opportunities such as Guam and the United States mainland. The population of Saipan corresponds to approximately 90% of the population of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Large numbers of Filipino, Chinese, Bangladeshi, Nepalese and smaller numbers of Sri Lankan and Burmese unskilled workers and professionals migrated to the Northern Mariana Islands including Saipan during the late 1900s, mostly during the 1980s and 1990s.

Economy

Tourism had traditionally been a vital source of the island's revenue and economic activities. But in the 1980s, garment manufacturing became one of the main economic driving forces in Saipan when the U.S. government agreed that the CNMI would be exempted from certain federal minimum wage and immigration laws.

Geography

Tutuila lies in the Pacific Ocean, roughly 4,000 km (2,500 mi) northeast of Brisbane, Australia. The village of Fagatogo is situated 1,238 km (769 mi) northeast of Suva, Fiji. The island lies roughly 530 km (330 mi) north of Niue and roughly 580 km (360 mi) south of Tokelau and roughly 100 km (62 mi) southeast of the Samoan island of Upolu.

Tutuila is a fairly small and narrow island, measuring roughly 33 km (21 mi) across and little more than 3 mi (4.8 km) from north to south at its widest point. The area of this volcanic island of early Pliocene age is 142.3 km2 (54.9 sq mi) with a shore line of 101.3 km (62.9 mi). The hill range which runs from west to east is rugged and winding with the northern coast line having steep cliffs and unusual coast line.

History

The Polynesians first reached Samoa around 1000 BC. By 600 BC, they had established a settlement on Tutuila at Tula. Over the centuries, the Samoans on Tutuila kept in contact with the inhabitants of the neighboring islands of Western Polynesia, Tonga, and Fiji.

Tutuila served as a place of exile for warriors and chiefs who had been defeated in the wars that ravaged much of Upolu for centuries. It was also used as a place to which Upolu rulers banished political opponents.

Around 1200 A.D., during the reign of Momo, the tenth Tuʻi Tonga, the Tongans invaded and occupied Tutuila and other Samoan Islands. Their rule lasted for nearly two centuries under five successive kings.

Geography

Rota is 12.3 miles (19.8 km) long and 4.2 mi (6.8 km) wide. Its coastline is about 38 mi (61 km) long. The highest point on Rota is Mt. Sabana which is 495.56 meters (1,625.9 ft). Rota is 47 nmi (87 km) north of Guam, 63 nmi (117 km) south of Tinian and 73 nmi (135 km) south of Saipan.

Rota has diverse flora and fauna including the endemic and endangered Rota white-eye, Mariana crow, and Mariana fruit bat. Much of the island, especially where there are remnants of native forest, have been recognised as forming an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International. Four wildlife conservations areas have been designated on Rota: Mariana Crow Conservation Area, Sabana Protected Area, I'Chenchon Park Wildlife Conservation Area, and Liyo Conservation Area.

History

In 1521, the first European to see Rota was the lookout on Ferdinand Magellan's ship Victoria, Lope Navarro. However, Magellan's armada of three ships did not stop until they reached Guam, so the first European to arrive in Rota (in 1524), was the Spanish navigator Juan Sebastián Elcano, who annexed it together with the rest of the Mariana Islands on behalf of the Spanish Empire.

As with the other islands of the northern Marianas, Rota was sold to the German Empire under the German–Spanish Treaty of 1899. In World War I, the islands were occupied by the Empire of Japan. In 1919, the League of Nations formally recognized Japanese control under the South Seas Mandate.

History

Baker Island was first discovered in 1818 by Captain Elisha Folger of the Nantucket whaling ship Equator, who named the island "New Nantucket". In August 1825, it was sighted again by Captain Obed Starbuck aboard the Loper, another Nantucket whaler. The island later took its name from Captain Michael Baker, who visited it in 1834. Some accounts suggest that Baker visited the island earlier, in 1832, and returned on August 14, 1839, aboard the whaler Gideon Howland, where he reportedly buried an American seaman. Captain Baker formerly claimed the island in 1855 and subsequently sold his interest to a group that later established the American Guano Company.

The United States officially took possession of Baker Island in 1857 under the Guano Islands Act of 1856.

Description

A cemetery and remnants from previous settlements are located near the middle of Baker Island's west coast, where the boat landing area is situated. There are no ports or harbors on the island, and offshore anchorage is prohibited. The narrow fringing reef surrounding Baker Island presents a significant maritime hazard, making access to the shore difficult. To aid in navigation, a day beacon is positioned near the site of the former village.

Baker Island's abandoned World War II runway, which measures 5,463 ft (1,665 m) in length, is now completely overgrown with vegetation and is unserviceable.

The United States asserts an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) extending 200 nautical miles (370 km) and a territorial sea of 12 nmi (22 km) around the Island.

Geography

Johnston Atoll is a 1,300-hectare (3,200-acre) atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, located about 750 nautical miles (1,390 km; 860 mi) southwest of the island of Hawaiʻi, and is grouped as one of the United States Minor Outlying Islands. The atoll, which is located on a coral reef platform, has four islands. Johnston Island and Sand Island are both enlarged natural features, while Akau (North) and Hikina (East) are two artificial islands formed by coral dredging. By 1964, dredge and fill operations had increased the size of Johnston Island to 596 acres (241 ha) from its original 46 acres (19 ha), increased the size of Sand Island from 10 to 22 acres (4.0 to 8.9 ha), and added the two new islands, North and East, of 25 and 18 acres (10.1 and 7.3 ha) respectively.

History

The first Western record of the atoll was on September 2, 1796, when the Boston-based American brig Sally accidentally grounded on a shoal near the islands. The ship's captain, Joseph Pierpont, published his experience in several American newspapers the following year, accurately portraying Johnston and Sand Island along with part of the reef. Still, he did not name or lay claim to the area. The islands were not named until after they were sighted on December 14, 1807, from HMS Cornwallis of the Royal Navy, commanded by Captain Charles James Johnston. The ship's journal recorded: "on the 14th [December] made a new discovery, viz. two very low islands, in lat. 16° 52′ N. long. 190° 26′ E., having a dangerous reef to the east of them, and the whole not exceeding four miles in extent".

Climate

The climate is tropical but generally dry. Northeast trade winds are consistent. There is little seasonal temperature variation. With elevation ranging from sea level to 5 m (16 ft) at Summit Peak, the islands contain some low-growing vegetation and palm trees on mostly flat terrain, and no natural freshwater resources.

Johnston Atoll has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSh; Trewartha: BSha). It is a dry atoll with just over 26 inches (660 mm) of annual rainfall.

Demographics

Johnston Atoll has never had any indigenous inhabitants. However, during the late part of the 20th century, averages of about 300 American military personnel and 1,000 civilian contractors were present at any given time. Today, it is uninhabited except for a handful of workers with the Crazy Ant Strike Team project, who live on the island for six months at a time with little outside contact.

The primary means of transportation to this island was the airport, which had a paved military runway, or by ship via a pier and ship channel through the atoll's coral reef system.

Geography

Anatahan is roughly elliptical in shape, with a length of 9 kilometers (5.6 mi) and a width of 4 km (2.5 mi) and an area of 33.9 km2 (13.1 sq mi). The island is the summit of a stratovolcano which reaches an altitude of 790 m (2,592 ft) above sea level at its highest peak.

The volcano is topped by a caldera, 2.3 km (1.4 mi) wide, which is divided into an eastern and western portion, with the eastern portion around 250 m (820 ft) lower than the western. Sparseness of vegetation in the most recent lava flows on Anatahan indicated that they were of Holocene age. In April 1990, the inhabitants of the western coast of the island were evacuated after earthquake swarms and active fumaroles indicated that an eruption might be imminent, but no eruption occurred at that time.

History

The island was first charted by Europeans in late October 1543 by Spanish explorer Bernardo de la Torre on board of the carrack San Juan de Letrán when trying to return from Sarangani to New Spain. At the time, the island was settled by the Chamorros. In 1695, the natives were forcibly removed to Saipan and, three years later, to Guam. Under Spanish rule, coconut plantations were developed for the production of copra. In 1884, an estimated 125 tons were exported.

Following the sale of the Northern Marianas by Spain to the German Empire in 1899, Anatahan was administered as part of German New Guinea. However, by May 1901 the island was reported as uninhabited.

Demographics

In 1980, the population of Anatahan was one family. The people resided on Anatahan when school was not in session.

The island was evacuated in 1990 after an earthquake, and 2010 and 2020 census data both showed its population as 0.

Geography and geology

Midway Atoll is part of a chain of volcanic islands, atolls, and seamounts extending from near the Island of Hawaii up to the area of the Aleutian Islands and known as the Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain, between Pearl and Hermes Atoll and Kure Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It consists of a ring-shaped barrier reef nearly 5 mi (8.0 km) in diameter and several sand islets. The two significant pieces of land, Sand Island and Eastern Island, provide a habitat for millions of seabirds. The island sizes are shown in the table above.

Midway was formed roughly 28 million years ago when the seabed underneath it was over the same hotspot from which the Island of Hawaii is now being formed. Midway was once a shield volcano, perhaps as large as the island of Lanai.

History

Midway has no indigenous inhabitants and was uninhabited until the 19th century.

The atoll was sighted on July 5, 1859, by Captain N.C. Brooks, of the sealing ship Gambia. The islands were named the "Middlebrook Islands". Brooks claimed Midway for the United States under the Guano Islands Act of 1856, which authorized Americans to occupy uninhabited islands temporarily to obtain guano. There is no record of any attempt to mine guano on the island. On August 28, 1867, Captain William Reynolds of USS Lackawanna formally took possession of the atoll for the United States; the name changed to "Midway" some time after this. The atoll was the first Pacific island annexed by the United States as the Unincorporated Territory of Midway Island and was administered by the United States Navy.

Climate

Despite being located at 28°12′ N, which is north of the Tropic of Cancer, Midway Atoll has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen As) bordering a subtropical climate (Cfa) and a tropical rainforest climate (Af), with very pleasant year-round temperatures. Rainfall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, with only one month (June) having an average annual precipitation of less than 60 mm (2.4 in).

Location

As its name suggests, Midway is roughly equidistant between North America and Asia and lies almost halfway around the world longitudinally from Greenwich, England. It is near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian archipelago, 1,310 miles (2,110 km) northwest of Honolulu, Hawaii, and about one-third of the way from Honolulu to Tokyo, Japan. Unlike the rest of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Midway is not part of the State of Hawaii due to the Hawaiian Organic Act of 1900 that formally annexed Hawaii to the United States as a territory, which defined Hawaii as "the islands acquired by the United States of America under an Act of Congress entitled 'Joint resolution to provide for annexing the Hawaiian Islands to the United States,'" referring to the Newlands Resolution of 1898.

Geology and geography

Nīhoa is part of the Hawaiian – Emperor seamount chain of volcanic islands, atolls, and seamounts starting from the island of Hawaiʻi in the southeast to the Aleutian Islands in the northwest. It is the youngest of ten islands in the uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI), having formed 7.2 million years ago; the oldest, Kure Atoll, formed 30 million years ago. Over the millennia, Nīhoa has experienced significant erosion; along with Necker, French Frigate Shoals, and Gardner Pinnacles, Nīhoa is one of only four islands in the NWHI that still has an exposed basalt rock substrate. Six valleys slant down from north to south, meeting at the south side of the island: West Valley, West Palm Valley, Miller Valley, Middle Valley, East Palm Valley, and East Valley.

Ancient history

Nīhoa was well known to the early Hawaiians. Archaeological expeditions found extensive prehistoric agricultural terraces and house sites. At least one site has been dated to around the 1st millennium AD, sometime between 867 and 1037. There is some doubt as to the number of people that lived on Nīhoa, because while the large terraces suggest a considerable number, there is scant fresh water to be found. Archaeologists Kenneth Emory and Paul Cleghorn estimate that water could support as many as 100 people, although if the island were previously forested, this would have increased fresh water supplies relative to its current state.

Ecology

Nīhoa's inaccessibility and lack of major guano deposits made the island unattractive to humans, helping to preserve its endemic species from extinction. Because of Nīhoa's small size, most of its endemic organisms are endangered, as one single disaster, such as an island-wide fire or an introduction of invasive species, could wipe out the whole population. One such invasive species is the gray bird grasshopper, Schistocerca nitens; from the period between 1999 and 2003, grasshoppers devastated much of the vegetation on the island and posed a real threat to the continued health of plants on Nīhoa. The following year, the numbers decreased and the vegetation became lush again. The grasshoppers probably came to Nīhoa by way of wind from Kauaʻi.

History

The Gardner Pinnacles were first discovered on June 2, 1820, by the American whaler Maro, commanded by Captain Joseph Allen.

In 1859, the position of the Gardner Pinnacles was determined by the survey schooner USS Fenimore Cooper.

The Gardner Pinnacles are home to the giant opihi (Cellana talcosa), a limpet known in Hawaiian as the 'opihi ko'ele, which is not found anywhere else in the world outside the Hawaiian Islands. Numerous insects live on the island.

In 1903 the Gardner Pinnacles became a part of the Hawaiian Islands Bird Reservation. In 1940 it became a part of the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge. In the 21st century it is part of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument wildlife refuge.

Geology

The island is made up of basalt rock, which comes from lava erupted between 14 and 12 million years ago. The rock is dark grey and dense, and has a high forsterite content implying the magma source was at 1,703 ± 56 °C (3,097 ± 101 °F).

According to a 2020 report in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Pūhāhonu contains approximately 150,000 cubic kilometres (36,000 cu mi) of rock, based on a 2014 sonar survey. This would make it Earth's largest single volcano. Only about one-third of that volume is exposed above the sea floor while the rest is buried beneath a ring of debris, broken coral, and other material that has eroded from the peak.

Ecology

The island has one plant known to grow on it, the succulent sea purslane. However, there are over a dozen species of bird observed here, many nesting. There is also a variety of insect species on the island.

In the surrounding waters there is a variety of sealife, which is noted as habitat for a limpet, the giant ophi which lives in tidal areas of the rocky island. There are many species of fish and coral life in the nearby waters.

The large numbers of birds have coated many surfaces of the island in guano, giving it a whitish appearance.

Some of the fish species in the nearby waters include red lip parrotfish, doublebar goatfish, and reef triggerfish.

History

Lisianski Island is named after Yuri Lisyansky, a Russian Imperial explorer and an officer in the Imperial Russian Navy. Lisyansky was the commanding officer of the Russian-American Company's merchant sloop Neva, which was on an exploration mission as part of the first Russian circumnavigation of the world when she ran aground on the island in 1805. Lisyansky reported the island to be of little interest, except insofar as its surrounding reefs and shoals posed a threat to passing vessels.

King Kamehameha IV claimed the island for the Kingdom of Hawaii on 10 May 1857. In 1890, the North Pacific Phosphate and Fertilizer Company acquired a twenty-year lease on the island from the Kingdom of Hawaii.

Geology and topography

Lisianski Island is made of limestone that caps the submerged summit of an extinct shield volcano that was active about 20 million years ago. Lisianski Island is undergoing the slow process of erosion, and features a depression between two tall sand dunes, that is thought to once have been a lagoon like the one on Laysan, its nearest neighbor. For this reason, the island's selected Hawaiian name, Papa‘āpoho, means "island with a depression". Over three-quarters of the Bonin petrels that nest in Hawaii nest here. Recent discovery of subfossils on the island indicate that Laysan duck populations once occurred on the island, possibly inhabiting the former lagoon.