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Jarvis Island
Jarvis Island is 1.7 sq mi (4.4 sq km), about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC, located in central Pacific, one of the Line Islands.
Jarvis Island is located a little more than 22 nautical miles south of the equator. It is 400 miles northwest of Starbuck, 373 miles northwest of Malden, 200 miles southwest of Christmas, 260 miles a little west of south from Fanning, 310 miles south and a little east of Washington, and 395 miles south-southeast of Palmyra.
First discovered by the British in 1821, the uninhabited island was annexed by the US in 1858, but abandoned in 1879 after tons of guano had been removed. and then was annexed by Great Britain in 1889, but never carried out plans for further exploitation.
American colonists were brought to Jarvis in 1935; the following year the island was placed under the U.S. Dept. of the Interior. Abandoned after World War II, the island is currently a National Wildlife Refuge administered by the US Department of the Interior.
A day beacon is situated near the middle of the west coast.Jarvis is now uninhabited, there are no natural fresh water resources and the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island poses a maritime hazard.
The usual sea birds are numerous, as well as hermit crabs, lizards, and small field mice. Highly coloured fishes and other marine life abound in pools on the reef.
Jarvis is said to have been discovered by Captain Brown of the English ship Eliza Francis, April 21, 1821. The island also has been called Bunker, Volunteer, Jervis, and Brook or Brock, and some of these names appear on charts or occur in lists of discoveries prior to 1821. Captain Michael Baker made landings from the ship Braganza in 1835 and 1836, and from the Desdamona in 1845. The U.S. Exploring Expedition's ships Peacock and Flying Fish surveyed the island in December, 1840.
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