World Factbook
Wake Island
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Flag
the US flag is used
Citizenship
see United States
Country name
etymology
the name comes from one of two explorers who sighted the islands in the late 1700s; British Captain William WAKE visited in 1792, as did his relative, British Captain Samuel WAKE, in 1796, and sources disagree on which captain claimed the honor of naming the island
conventional long form
none
conventional short form
Wake Island
Independence
none (territory of the US)
Legal system
US common law
Dependency status
unincorporated, unorganized territory of the US; administered by the Department of the Interior; the 11th US Air Force currently conducts activities on the atoll, and it is managed from Pacific Air Force Support Center