World Factbook
Navassa Island
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Flag
the flag of the US is used
Country name
etymology
the flat island was named "Navaza" by sailors with the Christopher COLUMBUS expedition in 1504; the name derives from the Spanish word nava , meaning "flat land or level ground"
conventional long form
none
conventional short form
Navassa Island
Legal system
the laws of the US apply
Dependency status
unorganized, unincorporated territory of the US; administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service, US Department of the Interior, from the Caribbean Islands National Wildlife Refuge in Boqueron, Puerto Rico; Haiti has claimed the island since the 19th century
Diplomatic representation from the US
embassy
none (territory of the US)