The Palmyra Atoll was part of the Kingdom of Hawaii, which claimed the atoll in 1862. The US included it among
the Hawaiian Islands when it annexed the archipelago in 1898. When Hawaii became a state, it didn't include the Palmyra
Atoll. So today the Palmyra Atoll is owned privately by the US Nature Conservancy. This organization manages the
atoll as a nature preserve. The lagoons and surrounding waters within 12 nautical miles of US territorial seas were
transfered to the US Fish and Wildlife Service. And were soon designated a Wildlife Refuge in January of 2001.
The Palmyra Atoll is located in Oceania. It is a group of atolls in the North Pacific Ocean about half way between
Hawaii and American Samoa. There is 11.9 square kilometers of land total in the Palmyra Atoll. There is no permanent
surface water though. The Palmyra Atoll is about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington D.C.! There
is 14.5 kilometers of coastline on the Palmyra Atoll(s).
The climate of thePalmyra Atoll(s) is equatorial, hot, and very rainy. The terrain of the islands is very low and smooth.
The lowest point is at the Pacific Ocean at zero meters, and the highest point is an unnamed location at two meters tall!
The natural resources of the Palmyra Atoll(s) are terrestrial and aquatic wildlife. 100% of the island is used for other
purposes, mainly it is forests and woodlands (1998 estimate). On a geography note, the Palmyra Atoll(s) are consisting
of about 50 islets covered with dense vegetation, coconute trees, and balsa-like trees up to thirty meters tall.
There are no indigenous inhabitants of the Palmyra Atoll, but there is 4 to 20 Nature Conservancy staff and US Fish and
Wildlife staff (a July 2003 estimate).
The conventional short name of Palmyra Atoll is Palmyra Atoll. The Palmyra Atoll(s) is an incorporated territory
of the US. It is privately owned, but administered from Washington D.C. 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 land with the twelve nautical miles of territorial sea, or within the lagoon.
The laws of the US, where applicable, apply. The US flag is used as the flag for Palmyra Atoll.
There is no economic activity on the Palmyra Atoll(s). Most of the roads and many of the causeways built during
World War II are unserviceable and overgrown as of 2001. There is one port on the Palmyra Atoll, it is West Lagoon.
There is one airport with an unpaved runway. Defense of the of the Palmyra Atoll is responsibility of the US.
There are no international disputes involving the Palmyra Atoll(s).
