 |
 Travel to Midway Islands — Unbiased reviews and great deals from TripAdvisorMidway IslandsStatus: Territory Total area: 2 sq mi (5 sq km) Population (July 2005 est.): no indigenous inhabitants; approx. 40 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff. Major sources and definitions |
The Midway Islands consist of a circular atoll, 6 mi in diameter, that encloses two islands. Lying about 1,150 mi west-northwest of Hawaii, the islands were first explored by Captain N. C. Brooks on July 5, 1859, in the name of the U.S. The atoll was declared a U.S. possession in 1867, and in 1903 Theodore Roosevelt made it a naval reservation. The island was renamed “Midway” by the U.S. Navy in recognition of its geographic location on the route between California and Japan. Air traffic across the Pacific increased the island's importance in the mid-1930s; the San Francisco–Manila mail route included a regular stop on Midway. Its military importance was soon recognized, and the navy began building an air and submarine base there in 1940. The Battle of Midway, which took place from June 3–6, 1942, was considered a turning point in World War II. After the war, the strategic importance of the island declined; the Midway stop for commercial air traffic was eliminated in 1950, and the air base closed in 1992. See also Encyclopedia: Midway.
Information Please® Database, © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. More on Midway Islands from Infoplease:
- Midway Islands - Map of Midway Islands & articles on flags, geography, history, statistics, disasters, and current events.
- Midway - Midway Midway, island group (2 sq mi/5.2 sq km), central Pacific, c.1,150 mi (1,850 km) NW of ...
- Territories, Colonies, and Dependencies - Territories, Colonies, and Dependencies Source: The World Factbook, 2005 The following is a list of ...
- Territories, Colonies, and Dependencies - Territories, Colonies, and Dependencies Source: The World Factbook, 2005 The following is a list of ...
- Franklin D. Roosevelt's War Message, Asking Congress to Declare War on Japan - Franklin D. Roosevelt's War Message, Asking Congress to Declare War on Japan Given on Monday, ...
|
|
