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Clipperton Island

2017 Edition — territory

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Economy
Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]
Although 115 species of fish have been identified in the territorial waters of Clipperton Island, the only economic activity is tuna fishing.
Geography
Area [time series]
total: 6 sq km | land: 6 sq km | water: 0 sq km | country comparison to the world: 248
Area - comparative [time series]
about 12 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Climate [time series]
tropical; humid, average temperature 20-32 degrees Celsius, wet season (May to October)
Coastline [time series]
11.1 km
Elevation [time series]
mean elevation: NA | elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m | highest point: Rocher Clipperton 29 m
Environment - current issues [time series]
no natural resources, guano deposits depleted; the ring-shaped atoll encloses a stagnant fresh-water lagoon
Geographic coordinates [time series]
10 17 N, 109 13 W
Geography - note [time series]
the atoll reef is approximately 12 km (7.5 mi) in circumference; an attempt to colonize the atoll in the early 20th century ended in disaster and was abandoned in 1917
Land boundaries [time series]
0 km
Land use [time series]
agricultural land: 0% | arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 0% | forest: 0% | other: 100% (all coral) (2011 est.)
Location [time series]
Middle America, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, 1,120 km southwest of Mexico
Map references [time series]
Political Map of the World
Maritime claims [time series]
territorial sea: 12 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Natural hazards [time series]
subject to tropical storms and hurricanes from May to October
Natural resources [time series]
fish
Terrain [time series]
coral atoll
Government
Country name [time series]
conventional long form: none | conventional short form: Clipperton Island | local long form: none | local short form: Ile Clipperton | former: sometimes referred to as Ile de la Passion or Atoll Clipperton | etymology: named after an 18th-century English pirate who supposedly used the island as a base
Dependency status [time series]
possession of France; administered directly by the Minister of Overseas France
Flag (Flag description) [time series]
the flag of France is used
Legal system [time series]
the laws of France apply
Introduction
Background [time series]
This isolated atoll was named for John CLIPPERTON, an English pirate who was rumored to have made it his hideout early in the 18th century. Annexed by France in 1855 and claimed by the US, it was seized by Mexico in 1897. Arbitration eventually awarded the island to France in 1931, which took possession in 1935.
Military and Security
Military - note [time series]
defense is the responsibility of France
People and Society
Population [time series]
uninhabited
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international [time series]
none
Transportation
Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]
none; offshore anchorage only