Midway Islands (U.S. Minor Outlying Islands)

Last modified: 2002-11-09 by sam lockton
Keywords: united states | albatross | outlying minor islands | midway | oceania | pacific | us |
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by John Niggley

by Pascal Gross

• Explanation of the Flag
• About Midway Islands

• U.S. Minor Outlying Islands
• United States

Unofficial Flag of Midway Island

The top blue is sky blue, the thin stripe is white for the beach and the turquoise (greenish blue) bottom stripe is for the color of thesurrounding ocean. The bird, a Laysan Albatross, is white and black. The flag will first be displayed this coming May 29th.  It was designed for the Memorial Day 2000 event being held at the USS Arizona. The flag was designed by the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge staff with assistance of a National Park Service employee. As a number of people have pointed out there is no official documentation of sources and I believe this flag has no official status, other than that it will be used to represent Midway Island in a Memorial Day ceremony. To me the flag has the same status as a small US city's flag - it is accepted as the flag by the inhabitants even though the federal government hasn't given the flag official status. The flag used on the 29th will be 3:5 ratio.
John Niggley, 20 and 25 April 2000

About Midway Islands

According to the CIA World Factbook:

Midway Islands - 5.2 sq. km., 450 inhabitants - US military personnel; airfield and cable-station; Unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US Navy, under Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific Division; this facility has been operationally closed since 10 September 1993 and is currently being transferred from Pacific Fleet to Naval Facilities Engineering Command via a Memorandum of Understanding.

According to one internet site, there are some permanent inhabitants in Midway Islands. I have picked the following text from the same site: "Current permanent island population totals approximately 150. Guests visiting the Islands are limited to 100 at a time."
Helge Jacobsen, 20 April 2000

I don't know whether this can be classified as a permanent population. When the US Navy closed its facilities at Midway Island, the island was transferred to the Department of the Interior. Because of the cost of maintaining a protected area so far from the shores, it leased to a private company the right to operate a hotel facility which allows people to view the wildlife in the area as well as the historic sites on the island. Under the contract, the hotel employees and Interior Department employees cannot exceed 150 in number, and the total number of tourists 100. If I recall correctly, the accommodations are former military housing units.
Phil Nelson, 20 April 2000

Claimed by the US in 1867 under the Guano Act.  A U.S. Navy installation until recent years.  Administered by: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of Interior.
Phil Nelson, 25 April 2000