Kingman Reef

The Kingman Reef is a one-square-kilometer barren tropical reef in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to American Samoa, at 6°24'N, 162°24'W. It is an unincorporated territory of the United States administered from Washington, DC by the US Navy, and closed to the public.

At times, its coastline can reach three kilometers in circumference, but the highest point on the reef is about one meter of sealevel. It is wet or awash most of the time, making Kingman Reef a maritime hazard. It has no natural resources, is uninhabited, and supports no economic activity.

The reef encloses a deep interior lagoon that was used as a halfway station between Hawaii and American Samoa by Pan American Airways for flying boats in 1937 and 1938.\n