United States Minor Outlying Islands holidays 2028
Country · UM
The United States Minor Outlying Islands are a group of nine isolated, mostly uninhabited territories scattered across the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, including Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Atoll, Palmyra Atoll, and Wake Island, as well as Navassa Island in the Caribbean. These islands have no permanent civilian population and are administered by various agencies of the U.S. government, including the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The history of these islands is closely tied to U.S. expansionism in the 19th century, primarily through the Guano Islands Act of 1856, which allowed American citizens to take possession of unclaimed islands rich in guano, a valuable fertilizer. Over time, some of the islands, such as Midway and Wake, gained strategic military importance during World War II and the Cold War. Today, most of the islands are designated as national wildlife refuges, playing a critical role in the preservation of unique ecosystems and endangered species. Their administrative status and lack of indigenous inhabitants make them some of the United States’ most remote and mysterious territories.