What is wake island in California?
Wake Island is home to North America’s largest floating Aqua Park, a massive inflatable obstacle course set on a clean, refreshing lake. Featuring slides, runways, trampolines, swings, jumping pillows, wiggle bridges, ramps, and more, it offers endless excitement for all ages. While there are no permanent residents, approximately 300 people are on the island at any given time, primarily military personnel and contractors. The natural areas of Wake are a mix of tropical trees, scrub, and grasses that have adapted to the limited rainfall.Population: In August 2006, a typhoon caused severe damage to structures on the land. The few inhabitants on the island had to evacuate to Hawaii. Wake Island has never been known to have a set population. It has been occupied by the military dating back to World War II.In 2009 Wake Island was designated part of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. There is no permanent population except several hundred air force personnel and civilian contractors.Wake Island is a small, uninhabited territory of the United States in the Pacific Ocean. If you are planning a trip there, you should bring a few important things with you. You will need a valid passport to enter the island.Wake Atoll is located approximately 2,138 nautical miles west of Honolulu, Hawaii and is a U. S. Territory under administrative control of the Department of the Air Force, and under installation command authority of the Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center, part of 11th Air Force headquartered at Joint Base .
Do people still live on Wake Island?
While there are no permanent residents, approximately 300 people are on the island at any given time, primarily military personnel and contractors. The natural areas of Wake are a mix of tropical trees, scrub, and grasses that have adapted to the limited rainfall. The island is unintegrated and set apart from other islands in the Pacific by a distance of 592 miles from its nearest neighbor, the Utirik Atoll, which is part of the Marshall Islands. Wake Island is actually composed of three islets. Namely, these are Wake, Wilkes, and Peale.
Can tourists visit Wake Island?
Access to Wake Atoll is strictly regulated, and an unauthorized visit without proper permission is firmly prohibited. With limited freshwater resources, no harbor, and no plans for development, Wake Island remained a remote uninhabited Pacific island in the early 20th century.
What happened at Wake Island?
The Japanese Navy sacrificed two destroyers, one submarine, 21 aircraft, and 900 to 1,000 lives to conquer Wake Island. Much to the enemy’s consternation, fewer than 100 Americans died during the 16-day siege—including just 46 Marines and three sailors. After Wake fell, most of the men on the island were sent to camps in China or Japan, under horrific conditions. Hundreds died in captivity or escape attempts. Many survived until the end of the war as Prisoners of War.Of the 449 Marines (1st Defense Battalion and VMF-211 detachments) who manned Wake’s defenses, 49 were killed, 32 were wounded, and the remainder became prisoners of war. Of the 68 Navy officers and men, three were killed, five wounded, and the rest taken prisoner.