evidence: Wake Island is an island in the western Pacific Ocean that is an unorganized, unincorporated US territory. However, Wake Island is also claimed by the Marshall Islands. The island, which is a coral atoll and sometimes referred to as Wake Atoll, is located in the northeastern part of the region of Micronesia, approximately 1,501 miles from Guam, 2,298 miles from Honolulu, 1,991 miles from Tokyo, and 898 miles from Majuro. However, the closest inhabited island is Utirik Atoll, which is 592 miles away in the Marshall Islands. The island was claimed by the United States on January 17, 1899, and has an area of approximately 5.35 square miles. Most activity on the island is linked to Wake Island Airfield, which is used by the United States Air Force as a refueling stop or for emergency landings. With a length of about 9,800 feet, the airfield is the longest strategic runway in the Pacific region.