War and Paradise: The Territories Of The U.S.

Howland Island

This uninhabited Island can be found near the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Much like Baker Island, the U.S. acquired it as part of the Guano Islands act of 1856. Before then, it’s believed the island may have once been occupied by prehistoric settlers.

Since then, though, the Howland Island hasn’t exactly been the most hospitable place on the planet. Early U.S. visitors noted that the island was overrun by birds and rats. On top of that, the surrounding area was known for producing an abnormal amount of shipwrecks.

After the Guano miners were done with the island, the U.S. government tried to turn Howland into a midway military point between Australia and California. The bare-bones settlement formed around the airfield was decimated by Japanese attacks during WW II.

Since then, most of Howland Island has been converted into a wildlife sanctuary that is visited a couple times a year by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.