Located about 2,000 miles (3,200 km) west of Hawaii and 600 miles (approximately 1,000 km) north of the Japanese-held Marshall Islands, Wake Island impressed American naval planners as an ideal site for an advance defensive outpost.
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It was formally claimed by the United States in 1899 for the site of a cable station and was placed under naval jurisdiction in 1934. The following year a commercial seaplane base and hotel were built for overnight stops on transpacific flights to Guam and the Philippines.
Access to Wake Atoll is strictly regulated, and an unauthorized visit without proper permission is firmly prohibited. One may contact the atoll's administration directly by telephone at (808) 424-2222 or (808) 424-2101. Although located in Wake, these two numbers are in the Pearl Harbor (Honolulu, Hawaii) exchange.
Wake Island has two wonderful swimming areas surrounded by soft, sandy beaches for everyone to enjoy! They are a great place to relax, gather with friends and family and watch the AQUA PARK and other aquatic activities. The swimming beaches are not a timed activity, so feel free to use them until they close each day.
After the war, Wake Island once again retreated into solitude and isolation. It was used as a fueling stop by American forces during the Vietnam War, and in 2006, it was hit by a fierce typhoon that caused major damage to the surviving infrastructure on the island.
Today Wake Atoll serves as a refueling and emergency landing station for trans-pacific flights. Receiving only one civilian aircraft every two weeks, the station serves mostly military purposes.