Howland Island Travel Guide

Howland Island is a kidney shaped relatively nondescript and uninhabited atoll in the pacific. The island receives very little rainfall and with no natural freshwater resources is not suitable for human inhabitation. An attempt was made to colonize the island, but plans were interrupted by WWII. A few remnants remain, including a rudimentary aircraft landing area that was built in anticipation of being used as stopover location for trans-Pacific flights. Howland Island was formed primarily from sand and guano and even today it is a major rookery – home to thousands of boobies and frigates. Perhaps most famously known as the destination Amelia Earhart never reached during her historical attempt to fly around the world by plane, a day beacon serves as a reminder of that trip. It serves as a navigational landmark that was destroyed in WWII, but was rebuilt. Today, in an attempt to preserve the island, everything is done to prevent the arrival of new foreign parts or species.