Baker & Howland Islands US
Baker and Howland Islands US
Two small chunks of real estate in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I would image the shipwrecked sailor would be ecstatic to land on either of them. That would be for a short while. Once that sailor determined that neither island has any water, their joy would turn to desperation. As I teach my students, the absolute first prerequisite people require to sustain life is water. Sure, you can drink filtered urine. You can even drink unfilter urine. But that is a temporary measure. This is a part of the Pacific that doesn't generate much moisture laden clouds. No rain, no water.
The islands are great for seabirds, they can discover water where you and I wouldn't. Consequently, these islands are for the birds, literally. They are both classified as a National Wildlife Refuge maintained by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Both Howland Island and Baker Island have great Wikipedia entries. They require special permission to visit. About the only people traveling to the islands today, besides the shipwrecked sailor, are ornithologists, radio amateurs and Amelia Earhard researchers.
