Kure Island, an atoll at the extreme western end of the Hawaiian Islands, lies approximately 60 miles (97 kilometers) west of the Midway Islands in the north-central Pacific Ocean. The atoll, with a diameter of approximately 7 miles (10 kilometers), is a ring of coral reefs encircling a shallow lagoon. Uninhabited by humans, the atoll serves as a bird sanctuary. Green Island is the larger island toward the southeast.