CIA World Fact Book, 2004/Palmyra Atoll


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!| 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 were designated a National Wildlife Refuge in January 2001.
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!| Location: !| Geographic coordinates: !| Map references: !| Area: water: 0 sq km land: 11.9 sq km !| Area - comparative: !| Land boundaries: !| Coastline: !| Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm !| Climate: !| Terrain: !| Elevation extremes: highest point: unnamed location 2 m !| Natural resources: !| Land use: permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (forests and woodlands) (2001) !| Irrigated land: !| Natural hazards: !| Environment - current issues: !| Geography - note:
 * Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa
 * 5 52 N, 162 06 W
 * Oceania
 * total: 11.9 sq km
 * about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
 * 0 km
 * 14.5 km
 * territorial sea: 12 nm
 * equatorial, hot, and very rainy
 * very low
 * lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
 * terrestrial and aquatic wildlife
 * arable land: 0%
 * 0 sq km (1998 est.)
 * NA
 * NA
 * about 50 islets covered with dense vegetation, coconut trees, and balsa-like trees up to 30 meters tall
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!| Population:
 * no indigenous inhabitants; 4 to 20 Nature Conservancy staff, US Fish and Wildlife staff (July 2004 est.)
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!| Country name: conventional short form: Palmyra Atoll !| Dependency status: !| Legal system: !| Flag description:
 * conventional long form: none
 * 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
 * the laws of the US, where applicable, apply
 * the flag of the US is used
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!| Economy - overview:
 * no economic activity
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!| Highways: !| Ports and harbors: !| Airports: !| Airports - with unpaved runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)
 * most of the roads and many causeways built during World War II are unserviceable and overgrown (2001)
 * West Lagoon
 * 1 (2003 est.)
 * total: 1
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!| Military - note:
 * defense is the responsibility of the US
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