The U.S. Minor Outlying Islands is a statistical designation for nine unincorporated US insular areas — eight Pacific atolls (Baker, Howland, Jarvis, Johnston, Kingman Reef, Midway, Palmyra, Wake) and one Caribbean island (Navassa). Most are uninhabited national wildlife refuges; Wake and Johnston have transient military personnel.
Baker Island is an uninhabited equatorial atoll in the central Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and Australia. Claimed by the United States in 1856 under the Guano Islands Act for its phosphate deposits, it is now a National Wildlife Refuge with abundant seabird colonies and pristine coral reefs.
Howland Island is an uninhabited coral island just north of the equator in the central Pacific Ocean. Annexed by the US in 1857 under the Guano Islands Act, it became famous as the intended destination of Amelia Earhart's ill-fated 1937 round-the-world flight. Today it is a National Wildlife Refuge.
Jarvis Island is an uninhabited coral island in the Line Islands chain of the South Pacific, claimed by the US under the Guano Islands Act of 1856. Once mined for phosphate, it is now an unspoiled National Wildlife Refuge known for its frigatebird and tropic bird colonies.
Johnston Atoll is a remote coral atoll about 1,400 km southwest of Hawaii. Used from the 1950s as a US military base for nuclear weapons testing and chemical-weapon storage, it has since been decommissioned and is now a National Wildlife Refuge closed to public access.
Kingman Reef is a triangular shoal-and-coral reef in the North Pacific, claimed by the United States in 1860. Most of the reef is submerged at high tide, with two tiny shingle islets exposed at low tide. The lagoon and reef are protected as a National Wildlife Refuge.
Midway Atoll is a coral atoll near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian Ridge, 2,100 km northwest of Honolulu. Site of the decisive 1942 Battle of Midway and a former US Navy air station, it is now a National Wildlife Refuge home to nearly three million seabirds — the world's largest albatross colony.
Navassa Island is an uninhabited limestone island in the Caribbean Sea between Jamaica and Haiti. Claimed by the United States in 1857 under the Guano Islands Act, its sovereignty is disputed by Haiti. Today it is a National Wildlife Refuge with strictly limited access for scientific research.
Palmyra Atoll is a remote atoll in the Northern Line Islands. The only incorporated US territory and the only Minor Outlying Island still subject to the full US Constitution. Privately owned by The Nature Conservancy and the US Fish and Wildlife Service since 2000, it serves as a research station for marine and terrestrial ecology.