Baker Island (Yellowstone: 1936)

Baker Island is an uninhabited island located in the South Pacific Ocean. The island is located beside Howland Island, of which both are halfway between Australia and the U.S. Territory of Hawaii. It is currently under the administration of the American Pacific-Asiatic Zone.

History
Like its neighbor Howland Island, Baker Island became a U.S. possession in 1857 under the Guano Islands Act of 1856. The guano deposits were mined by the American Guano Company from 1859 to 1878; it was also subsequently mined by both Americans and British personnel. In 1935, an attempt in colonization was done. The colonists arrived on the USCG Itasca - the same vessel that brought American citizens to Howland Island. They built a lighthouse, dwellings, and attempted to grow various species of plants. However, the Yellowstone Eruption of 1936 cut off these settlers from the mainland United States. They were able to thrive for a while before evacuating to Australia along with the settlers from Howland Island. The two uninhabited islands became administered by the American Pacific-Asiatic Zone upon rediscovery. Baker Island, along with Howland Island, were ignored by the Japanese during the Pacific War.