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Baker Island, once known as New Nantucket in the early 19th century,Rauzon, Mark J. (2016). Isles of Amnesia: The History, Geography, and Restoration of America's Forgotten Pacific Islands. University of Hawai'i Press, Latitude 20. Page 110. . is a small, uninhabited atoll located just north of the Equator in the central Pacific Ocean, approximately southwest of Honolulu. Positioned almost halfway between Hawaii and Australia, its closest neighbor is Howland Island, situated to the north-northwest. Both Baker and Howland Islands have been claimed as territories of the United States since 1857, though the United Kingdom regarded them as part of the British Empire between 1897 and 1936 but did not actually annex them. They were not being used when a U.S. colonization attempt was started in 1935, and the next year formal reassertion of U.S. sovereignty was issued. During World War II the Japanese Empire attacked the island, and it was evacuated and a small military base was established. The island was an important navigation beacon in the remote Pacific waters during and after World War II. In the 1970s it was made into a nature preserve and has remained so into the 21st century.
Covering an area of , with of coastline, Baker Island experiences an equatorial climate, characterized by average temperatures around , minimal rainfall, persistent winds, and strong sunlight. The terrain is flat and sandy, surrounded by a narrow fringing reef. Unlike many atolls, Baker Island lacks a central lagoon, with its highest point being above sea level.
Today, Baker Island is part of the Baker Island National Wildlife Refuge, an unincorporated and unorganized territory of the U.S. The island is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is visited annually for conservation purposes. Statistically, Baker Island is grouped with the United States Minor Outlying Islands and, along with Howland Island, is among the last places on Earth to experience the New Year, operating in the , just east of the International Date Line. It is one of the most remote U.S. possessions in the equatorial Pacific.Rauzon, Mark J. (2016). Isles of Amnesia: The History, Geography, and Restoration of America's Forgotten Pacific Islands. University of Hawai'i Press, Latitude 20. Pages 38 and 104. .
Baker Island's abandoned World War II runway, which measures in length, is now completely overgrown with vegetation and is unserviceable.
The United States asserts an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) extending and a territorial sea of around the Island.
During a colonization attempt from 1935 to 1942, Baker Island was likely operating on Hawaii time, which was then 10.5 hours behind UTC. Today, the island remains uninhabited, and its time zone is unspecified, though it falls within a nautical time zone 12 hours behind UTC (UTC−12:00).
The United States officially took possession of Baker Island in 1857 under the Guano Islands Act of 1856. The island's guano deposits were mined by the American Guano Company from 1859 until 1878. Workers from various parts of the Pacific, including Hawaii, were brought in for the mining operations. The Hawaiian laborers referred to Baker Island as "Puaka‘ilima", named after the Sida fallax. The scale of guano extraction can be illustrated by ship movements in late 1868, where several ships, including the British vessel Montebello and the American ship Eldorado, transported tons of guano to Liverpool, England.Baker's Island Report, H.L.R. Johnson, Pacific Commercial Advertiser, 19 Dec 1868
In February 1869, the British ship Shaftsbury, captained by John Davies, was Shipwreck on Baker's Island reef after a sudden wind shift and squall caused the ship to drag its .The loss of the British ship Shaftsbury, Pacific Commercial Advertiser, 12 Jun 1869 Later that year, the American ship Robin Hood was destroyed by fire while loading guano.Report from the guano islands, Pacific Commercial Advertiser, 25 Dec 1869
During the American Equatorial Islands Colonization Project, set up temporary camps on Baker Island. On December 7, 1886, the American Guano Company sold its rights to the British firm John T. Arundel and Company. The company then used Baker Island as its headquarters for guano operations in the Pacific from 1886 to 1891. Believing that the U.S. had abandoned its claim, Arundel applied to the Colonial Office in 1897 for a license to work the island. While the United Kingdom considered Baker Island a British territory, they never formally Annexation it. The U.S. reasserted its claim in the early 1920s, and after diplomatic discussions, they initiated the American Equatorial Islands Colonization Project in 1935. In May 1936, Executive order 7358 was issued to reaffirm U.S. sovereignty.
As part of the colonization effort, American settlers arrived on Baker Island aboard the USCGC Itasca, which also brought colonists to neighboring Howland Island, on April 3, 1935, establishing a settlement named Meyerton to mine the guano deposits. The settlers built a lighthouse and dwellings and attempted to cultivate plants. However, most of these efforts were unsuccessful due to the island's harsh conditions, including its dry climate and the impact of seabirds. Meyerton's population was recorded as three American civilians in the 1940 U.S. Census. The settlement was eventually evacuated in 1942 following Japanese attacks during World War II, and the U.S. military forces subsequently occupied the island. The town was named for Captain H. A. Meyer, United States Army, who assisted in establishing living quarters and cisterns for the colonists. It was located on the west side of the island, at an elevation of above sea level.
Baker Island has been recognized as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International due to its support for large breeding bird colony of seabirds, such as lesser frigatebirds, masked booby and . The island is home to over one million seabirds, including significant populations of albatrosses. Bird migration waders, including , bar-tailed godwits, , and Pacific golden plovers, visit the island seasonally. Additionally, endangered species like green turtles and hawksbill turtles, as well as gray reef sharks, , monk seals, and , can be found along the surrounding reef.
Environmental challenges facing the refuge include remnants of abandoned military debris from World War II and the threat of illegal fishing in offshore waters. Additionally, invasive species introduced by human activity, such as and coconut, have displaced native wildlife. Feral cats, which were first introduced to the island in 1937, were eradicated by 1965.
Public access to Baker Island is highly restricted and requires a special use permit issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Permits are typically granted only to scientists and educators. Although limited tour packages are available from early June to mid-August, unauthorized visits and activities such as swimming, fishing, and lighting fires are strictly prohibited. The atoll is only visited during daylight hours, and scuba diving is restricted to scientists affiliated with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Agency representatives visit the island approximately once every two years, often coordinating transportation with a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration vessel.
In the northeast section of the island, which appears to have been the main camp area during the military occupation, the remains of several buildings and heavy equipment are still visible. Five wooden antenna poles, each approximately tall, continue to stand. Additionally, debris from several crashed aircraft, along with large equipment such as , can be found both on the island and underwater.
Numerous bulldozer excavations containing remnants of metal, fuel, and water drums are scattered throughout the north-central portion and along the island's northern edge. The U.S. Navy reported the loss of 11 landing craft in the surf during the wartime operations, contributing to the debris found in the waters surrounding the island.
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