Baker Island - Baker Island

Baker Island is an uninhabited unincorporated territory of the United States—one of the smallest U.S. Minor Outlying Islands. It is in the Polynesian region of the Pacific Ocean, north of Kiribati, roughly halfway between Hawaii and Australia.

Understand

Or maybe not In the early 2000s, a writer of "alternate histories" put up a web site which presented itself as the official site of the government of the "Republic of Baker Howland and Jarvis", portraying a bustling tourism destination, including a fake CIA World Factbook article providing statistics for the island nation. The web site is no longer online, but puzzled more than a few armchair travelers.

History

The US took possession of the island in 1857, and its guano deposits were mined by US and British companies during the second half of the 19th century. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization was begun on this island—as well as on nearby Howland Island—but it was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. The island is now a National Wildlife Refuge run by the US Department of the Interior; there is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast.

Landscape

Low, nearly level coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef. Treeless, sparse and scattered vegetation consisting of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife.

Flora and fauna

Climate

Equatorial: scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun.

Get in

By plane

There is an abandoned World War II runway of 1,665 m (5,463 ft), completely covered with vegetation and unusable.

By boat

There is one small boat landing area along the middle of the west coast.

Fees and permits

Public entry is by special-use permit from US Fish and Wildlife Service and generally restricted to scientists and educators.

See

There are a cemetery and remnants of structures from early settlement near the middle of the west coast.

Do

Buy

There is no economic activity on Baker Island.

Sleep

There is no accommodation on Baker Island.

Stay healthy

There are no natural sources of fresh water on Baker Island—come with some distilled water and purification tablets.

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