2013 Edition
CIA World Factbook 2013 Archive (HTML)
Introduction
Background
The Kingdom of Hawaii claimed the atoll in 1862, and the US included it among the Hawaiian Islands when it annexed the archipelago in 1898. The Hawaii Statehood Act of 1959 did not include Palmyra Atoll, which is now part privately owned by the Nature Conservancy and part US Government-owned and administered as a nature preserve. The lagoons and surrounding waters within the 12-nautical-mile US territorial seas were transferred to the US Fish and Wildlife Service and were designated a National Wildlife Refuge in January 2001.
Geography
Area
- 11.9 sq km 11.9 sq km 0 sq km
- land
- 11.9 sq km
- total
- 11.9 sq km
- water
- 0 sq km
Area - comparative
about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Climate
equatorial, hot, and very rainy
Coastline
14.5 km
Elevation extremes
- Pacific Ocean 0 m unnamed location 2 m
- highest point
- unnamed location 2 m
- lowest point
- Pacific Ocean 0 m
Environment - current issues
NA
Geographic coordinates
5 52 N, 162 04 W
Geography - note
about 50 islets covered with dense vegetation, coconut trees, and balsa-like trees up to 30 meters tall
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
- 0% 0% 100% (forests and woodlands) (2011)
- arable land
- 0%
- other
- 100% (forests and woodlands) (2011)
- permanent crops
- 0%
Location
Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa
Map references
Oceania
Maritime claims
- 12 nm 200 nm
- exclusive economic zone
- 200 nm
- territorial sea
- 12 nm
Natural hazards
NA
Natural resources
terrestrial and aquatic wildlife
Terrain
very low
People and Society
Population
no indigenous inhabitants 4 to 20 Nature Conservancy staff, US Fish and Wildlife staff (July 2008 est.)
Government
Country name
- none Palmyra Atoll
- conventional long form
- none
- conventional short form
- Palmyra Atoll
Dependency status
incorporated territory of the US; privately owned, but administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior; the Office of Insular Affairs of the US Department of the Interior continues to administer nine excluded areas comprising certain tidal and submerged lands within the 12 nm territorial sea or within the lagoon
Flag description
the flag of the US is used
Legal system
the laws of the US, where applicable, apply
Transportation
Airports - with unpaved runways
- 1 (2013)
- 1,524 to 2,437 m
- 1 (2013)
- total
- 1
Ports and terminals
West Lagoon
Military and Security
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of the US
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
none