Swains Island
| Disputed island Olohega | |
|---|---|
Swains Island as seen from space | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 11°03′20″S 171°04′40″W / 11.05556°S 171.07778°W |
| Archipelago | Tokelau |
| Area | 2.43 km2 (0.94 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
| Territory | American Samoa |
| Claimed by | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 (2020) |
Swains Island (/ˈsweɪnz/; Tokelauan: Olohega Tokelauan pronunciation: [oloˈhɛŋa] ⓘ; Samoan: Olosega Samoan pronunciation: [oloˈsɛŋa] ⓘ) is a remote coral atoll in the Tokelau volcanic island group in the South Pacific Ocean. Administered as part of American Samoa since 1925, the island is subject to an ongoing territorial dispute between Tokelau and the United States.
Privately owned by the family of Eli Hutchinson Jennings since 1856, Swains Island was used as a copra plantation until 1967. It has not been permanently inhabited since 2008, but continues to be visited by members of the Jennings family, scientific researchers, and amateur radio operators.
The island is located 180 km (97 nmi; 112 mi) south of Fakaofo (Tokelau) and 300 km (162 nmi; 186 mi) north of Savai‘i (Samoa). The land area is 2.43 km2 (0.94 sq mi), and the total area including the lagoon is 3.5 km2 (1.4 sq mi).