Kingman Reef National Wildlife Refuge
Kingman Reef is a largely submerged, uninhabited, triangle-shaped reef, geologically an atoll, 9.0 nmi (20 km) east-west and 4.5 nmi (8 km) north-south, in the North Pacific Ocean, roughly halfway between the Hawaiian Islands and American Samoa. It has an area of 3 hectares and is an unincorporated territory of the United States in Oceania. The reef is administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as the Kingman Reef National Wildlife Refuge. It was claimed by the United States in 1859 and later used briefly as a stopover for commercial Pacific flying boat routes in the 1930s going to New Zealand; however, the route was changed with a different stopover. It was administered by the Navy from 1934 to 2000 and thereafter by the Fish and Wildlife Service. It has since become a marine protected area. In the 19th century, it was noted as a maritime hazard, earning the name Hazard Rocks, and is known to have been hit once in 1876. In the 21st century, it has been noted for its marine biodiversity and remote nature. Hundreds of fish and coral species are on and around the reef.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
| Designation | National Wildlife Refuge, marine |
| Managed by | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Territory | U.S. Minor Outlying Islands |
| Boundary extent | 485,630 acres inside the boundary, most of it water |
| FWS region | Region 1 |
| Center point | 6.40° N, 162.37° W |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Kingman Reef National Wildlife Refuge?
485,630 acres inside the boundary, most of it water.
Source: How acreage is computed
Who manages Kingman Reef National Wildlife Refuge?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Where is Kingman Reef National Wildlife Refuge?
The U.S. Minor Outlying Islands.
Source: How states are assigned
How do I get to Kingman Reef National Wildlife Refuge?
A point inside the boundary is at 6.402° N, 162.366° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Sources
- Boundary, name: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundary layer.
- States and territories: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons and coarse outlines of the territories and outlying islands. A place is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area. A boundary that touches no outline is listed under the nearest one.
- Acreage: geodesic area of the published polygon. The agency’s official acreage can differ where the boundary includes water, easements or inholdings. This unit is mostly water, so the figure is the area inside the boundary rather than land.
- Description: Kingman Reef on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
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