Editing Kingman Reef (section)

==Political status==
Kingman Reef has the status of an [[unincorporated territory]] of the United States, administered from Washington, D.C., by the [[United States Department of the Interior|U.S. Department of Interior]]. The atoll is closed to the public.<ref>[https://swap.stanford.edu/20170316210937/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/kq.html CIA World Factbook]. Kingman Reef. Retrieved September 5, 2019.</ref> For statistical purposes, Kingman Reef is grouped as part of the [[United States Minor Outlying Islands]]. In January 2009, Kingman Reef was designated a marine national monument.

The pre-20th century names Danger Rock, Caldew Reef, Maria Shoal, and Crane Shoal refer to this atoll, which was entirely submerged at high tide. [[Thomas Hale Streets]] described its state in the 1870s, when it had:
<blockquote>... hardly, as yet, assumed the distinctive features of an island. It is entirely under water at high tide, and but a few coral heads project here and there above the surface at low water. In the course of time, however, it will undoubtedly be added to the [northern Line Islands].<ref>{{Aut|Streets, Thomas H.}} (1877): [https://www.jstor.org/stable/2448050 "Some Account of the Natural History of the Fanning Group of Islands"]. ''[[American Naturalist]]'' '''11'''(2): 65–72. p.65.</ref></blockquote>

Kingman Reef is considered to be a county-equivalent by the [[U.S. Census Bureau]].<ref>[https://www.census.gov/library/reference/code-lists/ansi/ansi-codes-for-states.html Census Bureau Code Lists]. American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Codes for States. Retrieved September 5, 2019.</ref> With only 0.01 square miles (0.03 square kilometers) of land,<ref name="Britannica_Kingman">[https://www.britannica.com/place/Kingman-Reef Britannica.com. Kingman Reef]. Retrieved September 5, 2019.</ref> Kingman Reef is the [[County statistics of the United States|smallest]] county or county-equivalent by land area in the United States.