Wake Island
Wake Island
Wake Island (pronunciation: /weɪk ˈaɪlənd/) is a coral atoll in the western Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu to Guam. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Etymology
The island was named after British sea captain Samuel Wake, who discovered the atoll in 1796 while in command of the Prince William Henry. The name "Wake" is derived from the Old English word "wacu", which means "watch" or "vigil".
Related Terms
- Atoll: A ring-shaped coral reef, island, or series of islets. An atoll surrounds a body of water called a lagoon. Sometimes, atolls and lagoons can protect a central island.
- Pacific Ocean: The largest and deepest of the world's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south and is bounded by Asia and Australia in the west and the Americas in the east.
- Honolulu: The capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located on the island of Oahu.
- Guam: An unincorporated and organized territory of the United States in Micronesia in the western Pacific Ocean.
- United States: A country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, and five territories.
- Office of Insular Affairs: A unit of the United States Department of the Interior that oversees federal administration of several United States insular areas.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Wake Island
- Wikipedia's article - Wake Island
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