List of Guano Island claims


The United States claimed a number of islands as insular areas under the Guano Islands Act of 1856. Only the eight administered as the US Minor Islands and one each annexed by American Samoa and Hawaii remain as possessions of the United States. Any other unresolved claims if they exist are dormant, and have not been contested by the United States in many years with the exception of Navassa.

Table

IslandRegionAlternate nameCoordinatesCurrent StatusResolution of U.S. claim
Alto Velo IslandCaribbeanIsla Alto VeloDominican RepublicDormant
AtafuOceaniaDuke of York GroupTokelauTreaty of Tokehega
Bajo Nuevo BankCaribbeanPetrel IslandsDisputedRemains in place as an unincorporated territory.
De facto administered by Colombia, and also claimed by Jamaica and Nicaragua.
Baker IslandOceaniaNew NantucketUS Minor IslandsUnincorporated territory
Birnie IslandOceaniaKiribatiTreaty of Tarawa
ButaritariOceaniaMakin Atoll, Touching IslandKiribatiTreaty of Tarawa
Caroline IslandOceaniaMillennium IslandKiribatiTreaty of Tarawa
Carondelet ReefOceaniaKiribatiTreaty of Tarawa
Clipperton IslandPacific OceanPassion IslandFranceOriginal treaty between Mexico and France, Also claimed by Mexico.
Ducie IslandOceaniaBritish TerritoryDormant. Administered by Pitcairn Islands.
Enderbury IslandOceaniaGuano IslandKiribatiTreaty of Tarawa
FakaofoOceaniaBowditch IslandTokelauTreaty of Tokehega
Flint IslandOceaniaKiribatiTreaty of Tarawa
French Frigate ShoalsOceaniaKānemilohaʻiHawaiiAssumed sole competing claim through annexation of Hawaii
; included in State of Hawaii.
FunafutiOceaniaTuvaluTuvalu-US Treaty of 1983
Howland IslandOceaniaWorth IslandUS Minor IslandsUnincorporated territory
Isla AvesCaribbeanIsla de AvesVenezuelaUnited States–Venezuela Maritime Boundary Treaty
Iles du ConnétableAtlantic OceanConstable IslandsFranceRescinded. Administered by French Guiana.
Jarvis IslandOceaniaBunker IslandUS Minor IslandsUnincorporated territory
Johnston AtollOceaniaUS Minor IslandsUnincorporated territory
Kanton IslandOceaniaCanton IslandKiribatiTreaty of Tarawa
Kingman ReefOceaniaDanger RockUS Minor IslandsUnincorporated territory
KiritimatiOceaniaChristmas IslandKiribatiTreaty of Tarawa
Lacepede IslandsOceaniaLacapade IslandsAustraliaClaim made on 26 June 1876; repudiated by US government in 1877.
Makin OceaniaLittle MakinKiribatiTreaty of Tarawa
Malden IslandOceaniaIndependence IslandKiribatiTreaty of Tarawa
ManihikiOceaniaIsland of PearlsCook IslandsCook Islands–United States Maritime Boundary Treaty
Manra IslandOceaniaSydney IslandKiribatiTreaty of Tarawa
McKean IslandOceaniaWigram IslandKiribatiTreaty of Tarawa
Midway AtollOceaniaMiddlebrook IslandsUS Minor IslandsUnincorporated territory
Minami TorishimaOceaniaMarcus IslandJapanReturned to Japan in 1968 after it had been given to US by Treaty of San Francisco
Navassa IslandCaribbeanNavazaUS Minor IslandsUnincorporated territory. Also claimed by Haiti.
NikumaroroOceaniaGardner IslandKiribatiTreaty of Tarawa
NiulakitaOceaniaSophia IslandTuvaluTuvalu-US Treaty of 1983
NukufetauOceaniaTuvaluTuvalu-US Treaty of 1983
NukulaelaeOceaniaTuvaluTuvalu-US Treaty of 1983
NukunonuOceaniaDuke of Clarence IslandTokelauTreaty of Tokehega
OronaOceaniaHull IslandKiribatiTreaty of Tarawa
Palmyra AtollOceaniaUS Minor IslandsIncorporated territory. U.S. assumed sole competing claim through annexation of Hawaii, but not included in State of Hawaii.
Penrhyn IslandOceaniaTongarevaCook IslandsCook Islands–United States Maritime Boundary Treaty
PukapukaOceaniaSan Bernardo IslandCook IslandsCook Islands–United States Maritime Boundary Treaty
Quita Sueño BankCaribbeanQuitasueñoColombiaVasquez-Saccio Treaty of 1981
RakahangaOceaniaGrand Duke Alexander IslandCook IslandsCook Islands–United States Maritime Boundary Treaty
Rawaki IslandOceaniaPhoenix IslandKiribatiTreaty of Tarawa
Roncador BankCaribbeanColombiaVasquez-Saccio Treaty of 1981
Rosalind BankCaribbeanRosa Linda BankDisputedMultiple nations claim this submerged bank as a part of their EEZs.
The Colombia-US Vasquez-Saccio Treaty of 1981 is silent on the matter.
Administed by Colombia, and claimed by Nicaragua, Honduras, the United States, and Jamaica.
Scorpion ReefGulf of MexicoArrecife Alacranes MexicoAbandoned claim in 1894
Serrana BankCaribbeanColombiaVasquez-Saccio Treaty of 1981
Serranilla BankCaribbeanDisputedRemains in place as an unincorporated territory. Colombia and Jamaica agreed to a condominium of Serranilla's exclusive economic zone; Nicaragua also lays claim.
Starbuck IslandOceaniaVolunteer IslandKiribatiTreaty of Tarawa
Swains IslandOceaniaOlohega, Olosega, Quirós, Isla de la Gente Hermosa, Jennings IslandAmerican SamoaTreaty of Tokehega
Swan IslandsCaribbeanIslas SantanillaHondurasHonduras-US Treaty of 1972
TabuaeranOceaniaFanning IslandKiribatiTreaty of Tarawa
TerainaOceaniaWashington IslandKiribatiTreaty of Tarawa
Triángulo OesteGulf of MexicoWest TriangleMexicoAbandoned claim in 1895
Vostok IslandOceaniaStaver IslandKiribatiTreaty of Tarawa
Winslow ReefOceaniaKiribatiTreaty of Tarawa

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