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The island was discovered by on August 21, 1821 by the British ship Eliza Francis, and named by her commander, one Captain Brown. The uninhabited island was annexed by the U.S. in 1858, but abandoned in 1879 after tons of guano had been removed. The UK annexed the island in 1889, but never carried out plans for further exploitation. The guano deposits were mined until the late 1800s. The U.S. occupied and reclaimed the island in 1935.

The Millersville Settlement on the western side of island was occasionally used as a weather station from 1935 until World War IIWorld War II was the most extensive and costly armed conflict in the history of the world, involving the great majority of the world's nations, being fought simultaneously in several major theatres, and costing tens of millions of lives. The war was fough, when it was abandoned; it was reoccupied in 1957Events January January 2 San Francisco and Los Angeles stock exchanges merge. January 3 Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric watch January 4 After 69 years the last issue of Colliers magazine is published January 5 Russell Endean becomes t during the International Geophysical YearThe International Geophysical Year or IGY was an international scientific effort that lasted from July 1, 1957 to December 1958. The IGY was chosen to occur during a solar maximum, to notice unusual effects of the sun on the Earth. There had been two prec by scientists but again abandoned in 1958Events January January 1 Treaty of Rome founding the EU is implemented January 4 Sputnik 1 falls to Earth from its orbit (launched on October 4 1957) January 8 14 year old Bobby Fischer wins the United States Chess Championship January 18 Armed Lumbee Nat.

Public entry to Jarvis Island requires a special-use permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is generally restricted to scientists and educators only. The island is visited annually by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the United States Coast GuardThe United States Coast Guard is the coast guard of the United States. One of the seven uniformed services of the United States, and the smallest armed service of the United States, it has a broad and important role in law enforcement, search-and-rescue,.

There are no ports or harbors, but there are offshore anchorage spots. There is one boat landing area in the middle of the west coast and another near the southwest corner of the islandAdriatic sea An island is any piece of land smaller than a continent and larger than a rock, that is completely surrounded by water. Very small islands are called islets . Although seldom adhered to, it is also proper to call an emergent land feature on a. A day beacon is near the middle of the west coast.

The climate is tropical, with scant rainfall, constant wind, and burning sun. Varying from sea level to 7 meters, the terrain is sandy, and the coralCorals are gastrovascular marine cnidarians (phylum Cnidaria; class Anthozoa) existing as small anemone-like polyps, typically forming colonies of many individuals. The group includes the important reef builders known as hermatypic corals, found in tropic island is surrounded by a narrow fringing reef. Its sparse bunch grass , prostrate vine s, and low-growing shrubs are primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife. The island has no natural fresh water.