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Palmyra Atoll

2020 Edition — territory

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Geography
Area [time series]
total: 12 sq km | land: 11.9 sq km | water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative [time series]
about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Climate [time series]
equatorial, hot, and very rainy
Coastline [time series]
14.5 km
Elevation [time series]
mean elevation: 2 m | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m | highest point: unnamed location on Sand Island 10 m
Environment - current issues [time series]
a few of the islets are designated Unexploded Ordnance Areas, a legacy of US Navy occupation (1934-59), and are closed to entry; invasive plants and insects compete with native biota
Geographic coordinates [time series]
5 52 N, 162 04 W
Geography - note [time series]
about 50 islets covered with dense vegetation, coconut trees, and balsa-like trees up to 30 meters tall
Land boundaries [time series]
0 km
Location [time series]
Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa
Map references [time series]
Oceania
Maritime claims [time series]
territorial sea: 12 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Natural hazards [time series]
an extensive surrounding reef is only penetrated by a single western channel
Natural resources [time series]
terrestrial and aquatic wildlife
Terrain [time series]
very lowlying atoll consists of an extensive reef, two shallow lagoons, and about 50 islets and bars covered with vegetation
Government
Country name [time series]
conventional long form: none | conventional short form: Palmyra Atoll | etymology: named for the USS Palmyra, which was shipwrecked on the reef in 1802
Dependency status [time series]
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 limit or within the lagoon
Flag (Flag description) [time series]
the flag of the US is used
Legal system [time series]
the laws of the US apply where applicable
Introduction
Background [time series]
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.
Military and Security
Military - note [time series]
defense is the responsibility of the US
People and Society
Population [time series]
no indigenous inhabitants (July 2014 est.) | note: variable temporary population of 4 to 20 staff and scientists of the Nature Conservancy and the US Fish and Wildlife Service
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international [time series]
none
Transportation
Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]
total: 1 (2013) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013)
Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]
West Lagoon