Alaska officially came into the union on January 3, 1959, with Hawaii following shortly afterward on August 21st. Prior to 1959, the statehood movement in Alaska had a lot of genuinely progressive elements. Many Alaskans felt that the territory’s colonial status made it much more vulnerable to exploitation by Outside corporations. Elsewhere around the globe, many territories and possessions of the United States live with this same fear.

     The present and former colonies of the United States, located throughout the entire world, are what constitute the noncontiguous United States of America. The entire commonwealth of the United States includes U.S. citizens living on what are technically colonies, and not official U.S. soil. At the beginning of the 21st century, most Americans tend to forget that they live in a country with colonial possessions not unlike those of the 19th century. Today, of course, there is a lot of neo-colonialism going on, but there are only a handful of old school colonies left in the world.

     The U.S. colonialism began in the Pacific and the Caribbean with the Spanish American War of 1898. The biggest example is the Philippines, which were occupied by U.S. from 1898 to 1946. During this period, an estimated one million people were killed by U.S. occupation forces. Seizure of Hawaii and other islands began in 1898, as well the former Caribbean possessions of Spain: Puerto Rico and some of the Virgin Islands. Today, there are more than twice the number of U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico than in both Alaska and Hawaii.

     World War II only increased the strategic importance of the Pacific possessions of the United States. The Pacific island territories of the U.S. also played vital logistical roles in the Cold War conflicts of Korea and Vietnam. From the Marshall Islands to the Aleutians, the Pacific territories also took the burden of the U.S. military’s nuclear weapons tests (aboveground and below). On a happier note, American Samoa and the ocean south of Hawaii played host to the Apollo craft when they re-entered the atmosphere. When the first men to walk on the moon returned to Earth, they landed in the noncontiguous USA. The astronauts of Apollo 11 splashed down about 200 miles south of Johnston Island, one of the uninhabited U.S. islands in the Pacific.  Johnston Island, also called Johnston Atoll, is a low sand and coral island, 717 miles W.S.W. of Honolulu. It is 1,000 yards long, about 200 yards wide, and reaches a greatest height of 44 feet in "Summit Peak" near its eastern end.  But don’t be fooled by the island’s small size, a lot has happened there:

     During the two decades of the 1950s and the 1960s, the United States Air Force conducted a dozen nuclear-test launchings. Two of these missiles exploded directly over the runway on Johnston Island. Since then, the United States Government has spent four decades gathering the 60,000 cubic yards of radioactive contaminants that the aborted tests sprayed over Johnston Island.

     In 1971, the United States Army started to stockpile 6.6 per cent of its chemical weapons on Johnston Atoll, moving them from Okinawa under operation Red Hat. In 1985 the United States Congress ordered the disposal of all stockpiled chemical agents and munitions and construction began on the incineration plant. Destruction of the weapons began in 1990. In November 2000 the destruction operation was completed and involved more than 400,000 rockets, projectiles, bombs, mortars and mines. In April 2001 the United States Army Chemical Pacific closes and the clean-up of Johnston Island began.

     The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is scheduled to gain oversight of the island in 2004 as a wildlife refuge. It is not normal practice for a wildlife refuge to be established over a plutonium landfill and there is still considerable concern that the contaminants absorbed by fish could carry the threat elsewhere. There is also considerable concern that the radioactive rubble left behind has not been adequately contained with the estimated life of the sea wall being less than fifty years. 
From moon landings to nuclear missile tests to chemical weapons, poor little Johnston Island has shouldered a lot of U.S. history.

     What all of these “commonwealth”, or noncontiguous, areas of the United States’ sphere have in common is a large military presence. These possessions and outlying areas allow Washington great strategic maneuverability across both the Asia-Pacific and Caribbean-Latin America regions. In essence, the noncontiguous areas of the U.S. form the strategic buffer between the motherland and its empire. How else could the US maintain so many military bases in Korea, Japan, and the Philippines if it not also had bases located in its own possessions of Alaska, Hawaii, and Guam? Similarly, Puerto Rico is a point of departure for the rest of the Caribbean and Latin America.

     Globalization takes on a strange new meaning in the noncontiguous USA. For example, Chinese laborers are brought to sweatshops in the Northern Marianas, but to make products with a “Made in USA” label affixed to it. All in all, the Noncontiguous USA is quite a strategic place for anti-imperialist and anti-war activism to be located.
For this article, we will not discuss the District of Columbia, for it is contiguous with two states, though deserving of statehood. Nor will we include Israel, Iraq, or Afghanistan, three of our most valuable “neo-colonies”. Also not included are U.S. activities in Antarctica or outer space. What follows is a quick tour across the noncontiguous USA.

     Enough is widely known about Alaska and Hawaii, so the descriptions below will focus on the territories and outlying areas. Most of the text below has been ‘liberated’ from the BBC website and the CIA World Factbook online. Links to travel information for each “non-state” are provided, since it is important for Alaskans to reach out to those in a common situation. I plan on someday traveling to all of the noncontiguous USA. Maybe coordinated anti-imperialist activism in the noncontiguous USA could help save the world, who knows?

Population distribution in the Noncontiguous USA

Pacific region
(including Alaska and Hawaii):      2,379,000   37%

Caribbean region:                         4,026,000   63%

Total:                                            6,405,000


U.S. Territories and Outlying Areas

Outside the Pacific Basin:

Puerto Rico
http://www.meetpuertorico.com
http://www.gotopuertorico.com/index.php

Location: east of the Dominican Republic in the northeastern Caribbean
Population: 3,917,000

From the BBC website:
     The US invaded and occupied Puerto Rico during the Spanish-American War of 1898, ending centuries of rule from Spain. The US, which saw the island as a strategic asset, ran it as a colonial protectorate. Under American administration Puerto Rico enjoyed growth and saw improvements to its infrastructure. But nationalist sentiment sometimes spilled over into violence, notably in the 1930s and 1940s, and nationalists staged an armed attack in the US Congress in 1954. Puerto Rican voters, who can elect a governor for the island, continue to favour parties which support the union with the US. Puerto Ricans do not pay US income tax, and the island receives federal funds. There is an established cycle of migration between Puerto Rico and the US; hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans have lived and worked in New York and other cities.
The once-substantial US military presence has been scaled down with the closures of a major naval base and a bombing range. Rancor over the latter had intensified after a civilian employee was killed by a stray bomb. Explorer Christopher Columbus claimed Puerto Rico for Spain in 1493, heralding an influx of Spanish settlers. The newcomers, and the European diseases they brought with them, decimated the territory's Taino Indian population. The main settlement, San Juan, became an important Spanish outpost. Slaves were brought to the island in the 16th and 17th centuries.

     Puerto Rico's landscape is varied, and includes rainforests in the northeast. The territory is prone to hurricanes. Tourism is an important part of the economy; the island receives up to two million visitors each year and is a stopping-off point for cruise liners.
Puerto Ricans living on the island are not counted among the Hispanics residing in the U.S.; in fact, they are not included in the U.S. population count at all, although all Puerto Ricans are U.S. Citizens. Puerto Rico also is not included in the Current Population Surveys that the Census Bureau conducts to update its decennial census.

U.S. Virgin Islands
http://www.usvitourism.vi

Location: in the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, about 50 miles east of Puerto Rico
Population: 109,000

From the CIA World Factbook:

     During the 17th century, the archipelago was divided into two territorial units, one English and the other Danish. Sugarcane, produced by slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish portion, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848.

     Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for 80% of GDP and employment. The islands normally host 2 million visitors a year. The manufacturing sector consists of petroleum refining, textiles, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and watch assembly. The agricultural sector is small, with most food being imported. International business and financial services are a small but growing component of the economy. One of the world's largest petroleum refineries is at Saint Croix. The islands are subject to substantial damage from storms. The government is working to improve fiscal discipline, to support construction projects in the private sector, to expand tourist facilities, to reduce crime, and to protect the environment.

Pacific Basin:

Alaska

Population: 655,000

Purchased in 1867 from Russian Czar Alexander II

Hawaii

Population: 1,250,000

1898, formerly independent kingdom

Guam
http://ns.gov.gu/index1.html

Location: about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines
Population: 168,000

From the BBC website:
     Guam is an important staging post, allowing rapid access to potential flashpoints in the Koreas and in the Taiwan Strait. The largest military installation, Andersen Air Force Base, was used by B-52 bombers during the Vietnam War in the early 1970s. Nuclear attack submarines are based on the island. Visitors from Japan are the mainstay of the tourist industry. Away from the resorts and shopping malls, coral reefs and waterfalls are among the natural attractions. But Guam's bird life has been decimated by the brown tree snake, accidentally introduced in the 1940s.

     Guam has a diverse population, which includes Japanese, Chinese, and incomers from other Pacific islands. The indigenous Chamorro are a people of mixed Micronesian, Spanish and Filipino descent. The island was first settled in the second century BC. A Spanish expedition led by Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan arrived in 1521; under Spanish rule the native population was decimated by disease and by the suppression of rebellions. Guam was ceded to the US in 1898 after the Spanish-American War. The island was occupied by Japan during World War II. Many Guamanians died under the occupation before the territory was wrested from Japanese control in 1944.

Northern Mariana Islands
http://www.cnmi-guide.com

Location: about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines, 200 km north of Guam.
Population: 80,000

From CIA World Factbook:
     Under US administration as part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific, the people of the Northern Mariana Islands decided in the 1970s not to seek independence but instead to forge closer links with the US. Negotiations for territorial status began in 1972. A covenant to establish a commonwealth in political union with the US was approved in 1975. A new government and constitution went into effect in 1978.

     The economy benefits substantially from financial assistance from the US. The rate of funding has declined as locally generated government revenues have grown. The key tourist industry employs about 50% of the work force and accounts for roughly one-fourth of GDP. Japanese tourists predominate. Annual tourist entries have exceeded one-half million in recent years, but financial difficulties in Japan have caused a temporary slowdown. The agricultural sector is made up of cattle ranches and small farms producing coconuts, breadfruit, tomatoes, and melons. Garment production is by far the most important industry with employment of 17,500 mostly Chinese workers and sizable shipments to the US under duty and quota exemptions.

Marshall Islands
http://www.visitmarshallislands.com/main.htm

Location: in the western Pacific Ocean, located north of Nauru and Kiribati, east of the Federated States of Micronesia and south of the U.S. territory of Wake Island
Population: 57,000

From the BBC website:
     The islands were occupied by the US for several decades after World War II. They are now a sovereign nation under a Compact of Free Association with the US.The compact came into force in 1986 and was renegotiated in 2003. The US controls the security and defense of the islands, which receive millions of dollars in aid every year. Under the compact, the US pays an annual rent to use the Kwajalein atoll as a base and missile test range. The legacy of the postwar US occupation is seen particularly starkly on Bikini and Enewetak, which were both used for nuclear weapons testing between 1946 and 1958. The US paid 150 million dollars in a compensation package for the test victims in the 1980s. But whilst Enewetak has been partly decontaminated, Bikini is still uninhabitable. The Marshall Islands has petitioned for additional compensation. A major problem for the islands is how to attain some measure of financial independence from the US. Imports dwarf exports, the government is the largest employer and many islanders live by subsistence farming.  Tourism is one option. The islands also sell fishing rights to other countries, and offer ship registrations under the Marshall Islands flag.

Federated States of Micronesia
http://www.visit-fsm.org

Location: in the Pacific Ocean, northeast of Papua New Guinea
Population: 111,000

From the BBC website:
     Though formally independent, in 1986 Micronesia signed a "Compact of Free Association" with the US. Under this, Washington assumed responsibility for defense, including the right to establish military bases and deny other nations access to Micronesia. In return, Micronesia received financial assistance averaging $100m per year, and the right of Micronesians to live and work in the US. Micronesia also takes its cue from Washington on foreign policy. A renegotiated 20-year compact, worth $3.5 billion to Micronesia and the Marshall Islands, was signed by US President George W Bush in December 2003. Some of the money is being diverted into trust funds, intended to provide a financial resource for Micronesia when the compact expires.

     Despite its small population and the large amount of incoming aid from the US, Japan and elsewhere, Micronesia has relatively high unemployment, a matter compounded by increasing numbers of Filipino migrant workers. Many Micronesians live without electricity or running water, which is in short supply and occasionally has to be rationed, and the gap between rich and poor is increasing as businessmen and officials benefit disproportionately from US aid donations. Micronesia's biggest challenge is to find a way of lessening its dependence on foreign aid. Given the islands' splendid beaches and scuba diving opportunities, tourism offers one possibility, but this is constrained by the lack of adequate infrastructure and the islands' remoteness.

Palau
http://www.visit-palau.com
Location: about 500 km east of the Philippines
Population: 20,000

From the BCC Website:
     Palau became independent in 1994, after being part of a United Nations trust territory administered by the US for 47 years. The country relies on considerable financial aid from the US, provided under a Compact of Free Association which gives the US responsibility for Palau's defense and the right to maintain military bases there. The tourist industry, though low-key, is growing in economic importance. Many visitors come from Taiwan, with whom Palau maintains diplomatic ties. The government is Palau's largest employer.

     Monoliths and other relics are reminders of an ancient culture that thrived on the islands, but Palau's recent history has been dominated by outside influences - from Spain, Britain, Germany, Japan and the US. Palau witnessed some of the region's bloodiest fighting in World War II. Though embracing some Western trappings, many Palauans strongly identify with their traditional culture and its codes and rites.
Politics in Palau has sometimes been lively - the nation's first president was assassinated in 1985.

American Samoa
http://www.amsamoa.com/tourism/index1.html

Location: group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about two thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Population: 58,000

From the CIA World Factbook:
     Settled as early as 1000 B.C., Samoa was "discovered" by European explorers in the 18th century. International rivalries in the latter half of the 19th century were settled by an 1899 treaty in which Germany and the US divided the Samoan archipelago. The US formally occupied its portion - a smaller group of eastern islands with the excellent harbor of Pago Pago - the following year.

     This is a traditional Polynesian economy in which more than 90% of the land is communally owned. Economic activity is strongly linked to the US, with which American Samoa conducts most of its foreign trade. Tuna fishing and tuna processing plants are the backbone of the private sector, with canned tuna the primary export. Transfers from the US Government add substantially to American Samoa's economic well-being. Attempts by the government to develop a larger and broader economy are restrained by Samoa's remote location, its limited transportation, and its devastating hurricanes. Tourism is a promising developing sector.

Pacific U.S. territories with no permanent residents:

Midway Islands
http://www.fws.gov/pacific/pacificislands/wnwr/midwaynwrindex.html

Location: about one-third of the way between Honolulu and Tokyo.
Also called Midway Atoll
National Wildlife Refuge, former military base

Wake Island
http://www.airnav.com/airport/PWAK

Location: about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu (2,300 statute miles or 3,700 km west) to Guam (1,510 miles or 2,430 km east)

Battle of Wake Island during World War II, occupied by Japan
Former military base, still has airstrip used by civilian and military aircraft.
Mostly an emergency landing site
200 contractors on the island, but no permanent residents
claimed by the Marshall Islands

Johnston Island (also called Johnston Atoll)
http://www.fws.gov/pacific/pacificislands/wnwr/pjohnsnwr.html

Location: about one-third of the way from Hawai'i to the Marshall Islands.

National Wildlife Refuge
Former military base

Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands
http://www.fws.gov/pacific/pacificislands/wnwr/pbakernwr.html

Location:
Baker Island is about 3,100 km (1,675 nautical miles) southwest of Honolulu
Howland Island is also about 3,100 km (1,675 nautical miles) southwest of Honolulu, about 40 miles from Baker Island, Amelia Earhart dissapeared trying to reach this island.
Jarvis Island is in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to the Cook Islands.

National Wildlife Refuge (separate refuge for each island)
Each of the three islands is visited “annually” by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Kingman Reef
http://www.fws.gov/pacific/pacificislands/wnwr/kingmannwr.html

Location: roughly half way between Hawaiian Islands and American Samoa

There are no terrestrial plants on the reef, which is frequently awash, but it does support abundant and diverse marine fauna and flora. In 2001, the waters surrounding the reef out to 12 nautical miles were designated a US National Wildlife Refuge.

Palmyra Atoll
http://nature.org/wherewework/asiapacific/palmyra/

Location: located almost due south of the Hawaiian Islands, roughly halfway between Hawai‘i and American Samoa
National Wildlife Refuge
Managed by the Nature Conservancy