Editing Kingman Reef (section)

== Geography ==
[[File:Kingman Reef - 2014-02-18 - Landsat 8 - 15m.png|thumb|left|[[NASA]] [[Landsat 8]] true-color photo of Kingman Reef]]
[[File:Orthographic projection over Kingman Reef.png|thumb|Orthographic projection over Kingman Reef]]
[[File:Kingman Reef NOAA chart.jpg|thumb|[[NOAA]] nautical chart of Kingman Reef]]
It is the northernmost of the Northern [[Line Islands]] and lies {{convert|36|nmi|km}} northwest of the next closest island ([[Palmyra Atoll]]), and {{convert|930|nmi|km}} south of [[Honolulu]].<ref name=CIA/>

The reef encloses a lagoon up to {{convert|53|fathom|ft m}} deep in its eastern part near the northeastern spit of land.<ref name=chart>{{citation |author=NOAA |title=Kingman Reef nautical chart |url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/Kingman_Reef_NOAA_chart.jpg}}</ref> The total area within the outer rim of the reef is {{convert|20|nmi2|km2|abbr=on|-1}}.<ref>Because the reef is a [[Triangle#Computing the area of a triangle|triangle]], its area is {{nowrap|{{sfrac|1|2}}(base)(height) {{=}}}} {{nowrap|{{sfrac|1|2}}(9.0 nmi)(4.5 nmi) ≈ 20 nmi{{sup|2}}}}.</ref> There are two small strips (spits) of dry land composed of coral rubble and giant clamshells on the eastern rim with areas of {{convert|2|and|1|acre|ha|1}}<ref name=NWR>{{cite web |url=http://www.fws.gov/kingmanreef/ |title=Kingman Reef National Wildlife Refuge |publisher=U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service |access-date=August 14, 2017 |date=March 28, 2016 |archive-date=July 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130725053054/http://www.fws.gov/kingmanreef/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=CIA/> having a coastline of {{convert|2|mi|km|sigfig=1}}, a short spit on the northeast side of the lagoon and a spit twice as long but thinner on its south side.<ref name=chart/>

The highest point on the reef is less than {{convert|5|ft|m}} above sea level,<ref name=NWR/> which is wet or awash most of the time, making Kingman Reef a maritime hazard. It has no natural resources and supports no economic activity.<ref name=CIA>[https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/united-states-pacific-island-wildlife-refuges/ United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges – CIA World Factbook] Last updated April 7, 2010.</ref> In the 1930s, it was used as a stopover along with Palu Palu for flying boats crossing the Pacific for commercial airline routes.