Palmyra Atoll 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 privately owned by the Nature
Conservancy. This organization is managing the atoll 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 designated a National Wildlife Refuge in
January 2001.

Palmyra Atoll Geography

Location: Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-half
of the way from Hawaii to American Samoa

Geographic coordinates: 5 52 N, 162 06 W

Map references: Oceania

Area: total: 11.9 sq km

land: 11.9 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative: about 20 times the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 14.5 km

Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: equatorial, hot, and very rainy

Terrain: very low

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

highest point: unnamed location 2 m

Natural resources: terrestrial and aquatic wildlife

Land use: arable land: 0%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 0%

forests and woodland: 100%

other: 0%

Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)

Natural hazards: NA

Environment - current issues: NA

Geography - note: about 50 islets covered with dense vegetation,
coconut trees, and balsa-like trees up to 30 meters tall

Palmyra Atoll People

Population: no indigenous inhabitants; 4 to 20 Nature Conservancy
staff, US Fish and Wildlife staff (July 2001 est.)

Palmyra Atoll Government

Country name: 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

Legal system: the laws of the US, where applicable, apply

Flag description: the flag of the US is used

Palmyra Atoll Economy

Economy - overview: no economic activity

Palmyra Atoll Transportation

Highways: much of the road and many causeways built during World War
II are unserviceable and overgrown (2001)

Waterways: none

Ports and harbors: West Lagoon

Airports: 1 (2000 es