List of Guano Island claims

The United States claimed a number of islands as insular areas under the Guano Islands Act of 1856. Only the eight administered as the US Minor Islands and one each annexed by American Samoa and Hawaii remain as possessions of the United States. Any other unresolved claims if they exist are dormant, and have not been contested by the United States in many years with the exception of Navassa.

Table

Island	Region	Alternate name	Coordinates	Current Status	Resolution of U.S. claim[1]
Alto Velo Island	Caribbean	Isla Alto Velo	17°28′42″N 71°38′05″W / 17.4782°N 71.6347°W	Dominican Republic	Dormant (see Alto Velo Claim)
Atafu	Oceania	Duke of York Group	8°33′06″S 172°30′03″W / 8.55167°S 172.50083°W	Tokelau	Treaty of Tokehega
Bajo Nuevo Bank	Caribbean	Petrel Islands	15°53′N 78°38′W / 15.883°N 78.633°W	Disputed	Remains in place as an unincorporated territory. Also claimed by Colombia, Jamaica, and Nicaragua.
Baker Island	Oceania	New Nantucket	0°11′41″N 176°28′46″W / 0.19472°N 176.47944°W	US Minor Islands	Unincorporated territory
Birnie Island	Oceania		03°35′S 171°33′W / 3.583°S 171.550°W	Kiribati	Treaty of Tarawa
Butaritari	Oceania	Makin Atoll, Touching Island	3°10′04″N 172°49′33″E / 3.16778°N 172.82583°E	Kiribati	Treaty of Tarawa
Caroline Island	Oceania	Millennium Island	9°56′13.13″S 150°12′41.40″W / 9.9369806°S 150.2115000°W	Kiribati	Treaty of Tarawa
Carondelet Reef	Oceania		05°34′S 173°51′W / 5.567°S 173.850°W	Kiribati	Treaty of Tarawa
Clipperton Island	Oceania	Passion Island	10°18′N 109°13′W / 10.300°N 109.217°W	France	Arbitrated by Victor Emmanuel III of Italy[2]
Ducie Island	Oceania		24°40′09″S 124°47′11″W / 24.66917°S 124.78639°W	British Territory	Dormant. Administered by Pitcairn Islands.
Enderbury Island	Oceania	Guano Island	3°08′S 171°05′W / 3.133°S 171.083°W	Kiribati	Treaty of Tarawa
Fakaofo	Oceania	Bowditch Island	9°21′55″S 171°12′54″W / 9.36528°S 171.21500°W	Tokelau	Treaty of Tokehega
Flint Island	Oceania		11°25′48″S 151°49′9″W / 11.43000°S 151.81917°W	Kiribati	Treaty of Tarawa
Fox Island	Atlantic Ocean		47°06′18″N 65°00′00″W / 47.105°N 65.0°W	Canada	Dormant
French Frigate Shoals	Oceania	Kānemiloha'i	23°44′56″N 166°8′46″W / 23.74889°N 166.14611°W	Hawaii	Assumed sole competing claim thru annexation of Hawaii (1898); included in State of Hawaii (1959).
Funafuti	Oceania		8°31′S 179°13′E / 8.517°S 179.217°E	Tuvalu	Tuvalu-US Treaty of 1983
Howland Island	Oceania	Worth Island	0°48′07″N 176°38′3″W / 0.80194°N 176.63417°W	US Minor Islands	Unincorporated territory
Iles du Connétable	Atlantic Ocean	Constable Islands	4°49′25″N 51°56′11″W / 4.82361°N 51.93639°W	France	Rescinded. Administered by French Guiana.
Jarvis Island	Oceania	Bunker Island	0°22′S 160°01′W / 0.367°S 160.017°W	US Minor Islands	Unincorporated territory
Johnston Atoll	Oceania		16°44′13″N 169°31′26″W / 16.737°N 169.524°W	US Minor Islands	Unincorporated territory
Kanton Island	Oceania	Canton Island	2°50′S 171°40′W / 2.833°S 171.667°W	Kiribati	Treaty of Tarawa
Kingman Reef	Oceania	Danger Rock	6°24′N 162°24′W / 6.400°N 162.400°W	US Minor Islands	Unincorporated territory
Kiritimati	Oceania	Christmas Island	1°52′N 157°24′W / 1.867°N 157.400°W	Kiribati	Treaty of Tarawa
Makin (islands)	Oceania	Little Makin	3°23′00″N 173°00′00″E / 3.38333°N 173.00000°E	Kiribati	Treaty of Tarawa
Malden Island	Oceania	Independence Island	4°1′S 154°56′W / 4.017°S 154.933°W	Kiribati	Treaty of Tarawa
Manihiki	Oceania	Island of Pearls	10°24′S 161°00′W / 10.400°S 161.000°W	Cook Islands	Cook Islands–United States Maritime Boundary Treaty
Manra Island	Oceania	Sydney Island	4°27′S 171°16′W / 4.450°S 171.267°W	Kiribati	Treaty of Tarawa
McKean Island	Oceania	Wigram Island	3°35′S 174°02′W / 3.583°S 174.033°W	Kiribati	Treaty of Tarawa
Midway Atoll	Oceania	Middlebrook Islands	28°12′N 177°21′W / 28.200°N 177.350°W	US Minor Islands	Unincorporated territory
Minami Torishima	Oceania	Marcus Island	24°18′N 153°58′E / 24.300°N 153.967°E	Japan	Returned to Japan in 1968 after it had been given to US by Treaty of San Francisco
Navassa Island	Caribbean	Navaza	18°24′10″N 75°0′45″W / 18.40278°N 75.01250°W	US Minor Islands	Unincorporated territory. Also claimed by Haiti.
Nikumaroro	Oceania	Gardner Island	4°40′S 174°31′W / 4.667°S 174.517°W	Kiribati	Treaty of Tarawa
Niulakita	Oceania	Sophia Island	10°45′S 179°30′E / 10.750°S 179.500°E	Tuvalu	Tuvalu-US Treaty of 1983
Nukufetau	Oceania		8°00′S 178°30′E / 8.000°S 178.500°E	Tuvalu	Tuvalu-US Treaty of 1983
Nukulaelae	Oceania		9°22′52″S 179°51′08″E / 9.38111°S 179.85222°E	Tuvalu	Tuvalu-US Treaty of 1983
Nukunonu	Oceania	Bowditch Island	9°10′06″S 171°48′35″W / 9.16833°S 171.80972°W	Tokelau	Treaty of Tokehega
Orona	Oceania	Hull Island	4°30′S 172°10′W / 4.500°S 172.167°W	Kiribati	Treaty of Tarawa
Palmyra Atoll	Oceania		5°53′N 162°5′W / 5.883°N 162.083°W	US Minor Islands	Incorporated territory.[3] U.S. assumed sole competing claim through annexation of Hawaii (1898), but not included in State of Hawaii (1959).
Penrhyn Island	Oceania	Tongareva	9°00′20″S 157°58′10″W / 9.00556°S 157.96944°W	Cook Islands	Cook Islands–United States Maritime Boundary Treaty
Pukapuka	Oceania	San Bernardo Island	10°53′S 165°40′W / 10.883°S 165.667°W	Cook Islands	Cook Islands–United States Maritime Boundary Treaty
Quita Sueño Bank	Caribbean	Quitasueño	14°19′N 81°10′W / 14.317°N 81.167°W	Colombia	Vasquez-Saccio Treaty of 1981
Rakahanga	Oceania	Grand Duke Alexander Island	10°02′S 161°05′W / 10.033°S 161.083°W	Cook Islands	Cook Islands–United States Maritime Boundary Treaty
Rawaki Island	Oceania	Phoenix Island	3°42′40″S 170°42′43″W / 3.711°S 170.712°W	Kiribati	Treaty of Tarawa
Roncador Bank	Caribbean		13°34′N 80°05′W / 13.567°N 80.083°W	Colombia	Vasquez-Saccio Treaty of 1981
Rosalind Bank	Caribbean	Rosa Linda Bank	16°26′N 80°31′W / 16.433°N 80.517°W	Colombia	Colombia-US Treaty of 1981
Scorpion Reef	Gulf of Mexico	Arrecife Alacranes (Isla Pérez, Isla Chica, Isla Pajoras)	22°24′N 89°42′W / 22.400°N 89.700°W	Mexico	Abandoned claim in 1894[4]
Serrana Bank	Caribbean		14°20′N 80°20′W / 14.333°N 80.333°W	Colombia	Vasquez-Saccio Treaty of 1981
Serranilla Bank	Caribbean		15°50′N 79°50′W / 15.833°N 79.833°W	Disputed	May remain in place; Vasquez-Saccio Treaty of 1981 silent on the matter. Colombia and Jamaica agreed to a condominium; Nicaragua also lays claim.
Starbuck Island	Oceania	Volunteer Island	5°37′S 155°56′W / 5.617°S 155.933°W	Kiribati	Treaty of Tarawa
Swains Island[5]	Oceania		11°03′20″S 171°04′40″W / 11.05556°S 171.07778°W	American Samoa	Treaty of Tokehega
Swan Islands	Caribbean	Islas Santanilla	17°24′38″N 83°55′19″W / 17.41056°N 83.92194°W	Honduras	Honduras-US Treaty of 1972
Tabuaeran	Oceania	Fanning Island	3°51′36″N 159°21′52″W / 3.86000°N 159.36444°W	Kiribati	Treaty of Tarawa
Teraina	Oceania	Washington Island	4°41′00″N 160°22′40″W / 4.68333°N 160.37778°W	Kiribati	Treaty of Tarawa
Triángulo Oeste	Gulf of Mexico	West Triangle	20°57′N 92°14′W / 20.95°N 92.23°W	Mexico	Abandoned claim in 1895
Vostok Island	Oceania	Staver Island	10°06′S 152°23′W / 10.100°S 152.383°W	Kiribati	Treaty of Tarawa
Winslow Reef	Oceania		01°36′S 174°57′W / 1.600°S 174.950°W	Kiribati	Treaty of Tarawa

Images

• 

  Guano tramway on Jarvis Island

• 

  Hermit crabs on Baker Island

• 

  Navassa Island Lighthouse

See also

• Guano
• Insular area
• Territories of the United States
• Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument

References

1. "Formerly Disputed Islands". Office of Insular Affairs. 2007-01-11. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
2. Original treaty between Mexico and France, French Foreign Ministry Archives, https://pastel.diplomatie.gouv.fr/choiseul/ressource/pdf/D19090019.pdf
3. "History: Under the American Flag". Office of Insular Affairs. 2006-01-30. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
4. Magoon, Charles E. (1900). Report on the Legal Status of the Territory and Inhabitants of the Islands Acquired by the United States During the War with Spain. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 16.
5. Page 213, in Jimmy M. Skaggs (1994), The Great Guano Rush: Entrepreneurs and American Overseas Expansion. ISBN 978-0-312-10316-3.

Further reading

• United States. Division of Insular Affairs; Magoon, C.E. (1900). Report on the Legal Status of the Territory and Inhabitants of the Islands Acquired by the United States During the War with Spain: Considered with Reference to the Territorial Boundaries, the Constitution, and Laws of the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 16. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
• Moore, J.B.; Wharton, F.; United States. President; United States. Dept. of State; United States. Dept. of Justice (1906). A Digest of International Law: As Embodied in Diplomatic Discussions, Treaties and Other International Agreements, International Awards, the Decisions of Municipal Courts, and the Writings of Jurists ... U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 574. Retrieved 2015-11-09.