The following was taken from the CIA World Factbook:
Discovered by the U.S. early in the 19th centry, the island was officially claimed by the U.S. in 1857. Both U.S. and British companies mined for guano until about 1890. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization began on this island, similar to the effort on nearby Baker Island, but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. The famed Amerian aviatrix Amelia Earhart disappeared while seeking out Howland Island as a refueling stop during her 1937 round-the-world flight; Earhart Light, a day beacon near the middle of the West coast, was named in her memory. The island was established as a Natural Wildlife Refuge in 1974.
Photograph taken from space of Howland Island. Courtesy of NASA.
A simple map of Howland Island. Courtesy of the CIA.