conventional long form:
Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
conventional short form:
none
note:
may change to Republic of Palau after independence; the native form of
Palau is Belau and is sometimes used incorrectly in English and other
languages
Digraph:
PS
Type:
UN trusteeship administered by the US
note:
constitutional government signed a Compact of Free Association with
the US on 10 January 1986, which was never approved in a series of
UN-observed plebiscites; until the UN trusteeship is terminated with
entry into force of the Compact, Palau remains under US administration
as the Palau District of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands;
administrative authority resides in the Department of the Interior and
is exercised by the Assistant Secretary for Territorial and
International Affairs through the Palau Office, Trust Territory of the
Pacific Islands, J. Victor HOBSON Jr., Director (since 16 December
1990)
Capital:
Koror
note:
a new capital is being built about 20 km northeast in eastern
Babelthuap
Administrative divisions:
there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US
Government, but there are 16 states: Aimeliik, Airai, Angaur,
Kayangel, Koror, Melekeok, Ngaraard, Ngardmau, Ngaremlengui, Ngatpang,
Ngchesar, Ngerchelong, Ngiwal, Peleliu, Sonsorol, Tobi
Independence:
the last polity remaining under the US-administered UN trusteeship
following the departure of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the
Federated States of Micronesia, and the Commonwealth of the Northern
Marianas from the trusteeship; administered by the Office of
Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of Interior
National holiday:
Constitution Day, 9 July (1979)
Constitution:
1 January 1981
Legal system:
based on Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal,
common, and customary laws
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government:
President Kuniwo NAKAMURA (since 1 January 1993), Vice-President Tommy
E. REMENGESAU Jr. (since 1 January 1993); election last held on 4
November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1996); results - Kuniwo
NAKAMURA 50.7%, Johnson TORIBIONG 49.3%
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament (Olbiil Era Kelulau or OEK)
Senate:
elections last held 4 November 1992 (next to be held NA November
1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (14 total);
number of seats by party NA
House of Delegates:
elections last held 4 November 1992 (next to be held NA November
1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (16 total);
number of seats by party NA
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court, National Court, Court of Common Pleas
Member of:
ESCAP (associate), SPC, SPF (observer)
Diplomatic representation in US:
trust territory of the UN administered by the US: Administrative
Officer Charles UONG, Palau Liaison Office, 444 North Capitol Street
NW, Suite 308, Washington, DC 20001
US diplomatic representation:
director:
US Liaison Officer Lloyd W. MOSS
liaison office:
US Liaison Office at Top Side, Neeriyas, Koror
mailing address:
P.O. Box 6028, Koror, PW 96940
telephone:
(680) 488-2920; (680) 488-2911
Flag:
light blue with a large yellow disk (representing the moon) shifted
slightly to the hoist side
@Pacific Islands (Palau), Trust Territory of the, Economy
Overview:
The economy consists primarily of subsistence agriculture and fishing.
Tourism provides some foreign exchange, although the remote location
of Palau and a shortage of suitable facilities has hindered
development. The government is the major employer of the work force,
relying heavily on financial assistance from the US.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $31.6 million (1986)
note:
GDP numbers reflect US spending
National product real growth rate:
NA%
National product per capita:
$2,260 (1986)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA%
Unemployment rate:
20% (1986)
Budget:
revenues:
$6 million
expenditures:
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (1986 est.)
Exports:
$500,000 (f.o.b., 1986)
commodities:
trochus (type of shellfish), tuna, copra, handicrafts
partners:
US, Japan
Imports:
$27.2 million (c.i.f., 1986)
commodities:
NA
partners:
US
External debt:
about $100 million (1989)
Industrial production:
growth rate NA%
Electricity:
capacity:
16,000 kW
production:
22 million kWh
consumption per capita:
1,540 kWh (1990)
Industries:
tourism, craft items (shell, wood, pearl), some commercial fishing and
agriculture
Agriculture:
subsistence-level production of coconut, copra, cassava, sweet
potatoes
Economic aid:
recipient:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $2.56 billion; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $92
million
Currency:
1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
US currency is used
Fiscal year:
1 October - 30 September
@Pacific Islands (Palau), Trust Territory of the, Communications
Highways:
total:
61 km
paved:
36 km
unpaved:
gravel 25 km
Ports:
Koror
Airports:
total:
3
usable:
3
with permanent-surface runways:
1
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
0
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
3
Telecommunications:
broadcast stations - 1 AM, 1 FM, 2 TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth
station
@Pacific Islands (Palau), Trust Territory of the, Defense Forces
Note:
defense is the responsibility of the US and that will not change when
the UN trusteeship terminates if the Compact of Free Association with
the US goes into effect
@Pacific Ocean, Geography
Location:
body of water between the Western Hemisphere, Asia, and Australia
Map references:
Asia, North America, Oceania, South America, Standard Time Zones of
the World
Area:
total area:
165.384 million sq km
comparative area:
about 18 times the size of the US; the largest ocean (followed by the
Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Arctic Ocean); covers about
one-third of the global surface; larger than the total land area of
the world
note:
includes Bali Sea, Bellingshausen Sea, Bering Sea, Bering Strait,
Coral Sea, East China Sea, Gulf of Alaska, Gulf of Tonkin, Java Sea,
Philippine Sea, Ross Sea, Savu Sea, Sea of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk,
South China Sea, Tasman Sea, Timor Sea, and other tributary water
bodies
Coastline:
135,663 km
International disputes:
some maritime disputes (see littoral states)
Climate:
the western Pacific is monsoonal - a rainy season occurs during the
summer months, when moisture-laden winds blow from the ocean over the
land, and a dry season during the winter months, when dry winds blow
from the Asian land mass back to the ocean
Terrain:
surface currents in the northern Pacific are dominated by a clockwise,
warm-water gyre (broad circular system of currents) and in the
southern Pacific by a counterclockwise, cool-water gyre; in the
northern Pacific sea ice forms in the Bering Sea and Sea of Okhotsk in
winter; in the southern Pacific sea ice from Antarctica reaches its
northernmost extent in October; the ocean floor in the eastern Pacific
is dominated by the East Pacific Rise, while the western Pacific is
dissected by deep trenches, including the world's deepest, the 10,924
meter Marianas Trench
Natural resources:
oil and gas fields, polymetallic nodules, sand and gravel aggregates,
placer deposits, fish
Environment:
current issues:
endangered marine species include the dugong, sea lion, sea otter,
seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution in Philippine Sea and South
China Sea
natural hazards:
surrounded by a zone of violent volcanic and earthquake activity
sometimes referred to as the Pacific Ring of Fire; subject to tropical
cyclones (typhoons) in southeast and east Asia from May to December
(most frequent from July to October); tropical cyclones (hurricanes)
may form south of Mexico and strike Central America and Mexico from
June to October (most common in August and September); southern
shipping lanes subject to icebergs from Antarctica; occasional El Nino
phenomenon occurs off the coast of Peru when the trade winds slacken
and the warm Equatorial Countercurrent moves south, killing the
plankton that is the primary food source for anchovies; consequently,
the anchovies move to better feeding grounds, causing resident marine
birds to starve by the thousands because of their lost food source
international agreements:
NA
Note:
the major choke points are the Bering Strait, Panama Canal, Luzon
Strait, and the Singapore Strait; the Equator divides the Pacific
Ocean into the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean; ships
subject to superstructure icing in extreme north from October to May
and in extreme south from May to October; persistent fog in the
northern Pacific from June to December is a hazard to shipping; dotted
with low coral islands and rugged volcanic islands in the southwestern
Pacific Ocean
@Pacific Ocean, Government
Digraph:
ZN
@Pacific Ocean, Economy
Overview:
The Pacific Ocean is a major contributor to the world economy and
particularly to those nations its waters directly touch. It provides
low-cost sea transportation between East and West, extensive fishing
grounds, offshore oil and gas fields, minerals, and sand and gravel
for the construction industry. In 1985 over half (54%) of the world's
fish catch came from the Pacific Ocean, which is the only ocean where
the fish catch has increased every year since 1978. Exploitation of
offshore oil and gas reserves is playing an ever-increasing role in
the energy supplies of Australia, NZ, China, US, and Peru. The high
cost of recovering offshore oil and gas, combined with the wide swings
in world prices for oil since 1985, has slowed but not stopped new
drillings.
Industries:
fishing, oil and gas production
@Pacific Ocean, Communications
Ports:
Bangkok (Thailand), Hong Kong, Los Angeles (US), Manila (Philippines),
Pusan (South Korea), San Francisco (US), Seattle (US), Shanghai
(China), Singapore, Sydney (Australia), Vladivostok (Russia),
Wellington (NZ), Yokohama (Japan)
Telecommunications:
several submarine cables with network nodal points on Guam and Hawaii
@Pakistan, Geography
Location:
Southern Asia, along the Arabian Sea, between India and Afghanistan
Map references:
Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
803,940 sq km
land area:
778,720 sq km
comparative area:
slightly less than twice the size of California
Land boundaries:
total 6,774 km, Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km, India 2,912 km,
Iran 909 km
Coastline:
1,046 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
24 nm
continental shelf:
200 nm or the edge of continental margin
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
status of Kashmir with India; border question with Afghanistan (Durand
Line); water-sharing problems (Wular Barrage) over the Indus with
upstream riparian India
Climate:
mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north
Terrain:
flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest;
Balochistan plateau in west
Natural resources:
land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum, poor quality
coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone
Land use:
arable land:
26%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
6%
forest and woodland:
4%
other:
64%
Irrigated land:
162,200 sq km (1989)
Environment:
current issues:
water pollution from untreated sewage, industrial wastes, and
agricultural runoff; water scarcity; a majority of the population does
not have access to safe drinking water; deforestation; soil erosion;
desertification
natural hazards:
frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and
west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August)
international agreements:
party to - Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Nuclear
Test Ban, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation
Note:
controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion routes
between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent
@Pakistan, People
Population:
128,855,965 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.86% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
42.22 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
12.38 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
-1.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
101.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
57.41 years
male:
56.79 years
female:
58.06 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.43 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Pakistani(s)
adjective:
Pakistani
Ethnic divisions:
Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants from
India and their descendents)
Religions:
Muslim 97% (Sunni 77%, Shi'a 20%), Christian, Hindu, and other 3%
Languages:
Urdu (official), English (official; lingua franca of Pakistani elite
and most government ministries), Punjabi 64%, Sindhi 12%, Pashtu 8%,
Urdu 7%, Balochi and other 9%
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
35%
male:
47%
female:
21%
Labor force:
28.9 million
by occupation:
agriculture 54%, mining and manufacturing 13%, services 33%, extensive
export of labor (1987 est.)
@Pakistan, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Islamic Republic of Pakistan
conventional short form:
Pakistan
former:
West Pakistan
Digraph:
PK
Type:
republic
Capital:
Islamabad
Administrative divisions:
4 provinces, 1 territory*, and 1 capital territory**; Balochistan,
Federally Administered Tribal Areas*, Islamabad Capital Territory**,
North-West Frontier, Punjab, Sindh
note:
the Pakistani-administered portion of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir
region includes Azad Kashmir and the Northern Areas
Independence:
14 August 1947 (from UK)
National holiday:
Pakistan Day, 23 March (1956) (proclamation of the republic)
Constitution:
10 April 1973, suspended 5 July 1977 restored with amendments, 30
December 1985
Legal system:
based on English common law with provisions to accommodate Pakistan's
stature as an Islamic state; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations
Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal; separate electorates and reserved
parliamentary seats for non-Muslims
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Sardar Farooq LEGHARI election last held on 13 November 1993
(next to be held no later than 14 October 1998); results - LEGHARI was
elected by Parliament and the four provincial assemblies
head of government:
Prime Minister Benazir BHUTTO
cabinet:
Cabinet
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament (Majlis-e-Shoora)
Senate:
elections last held NA March 1994 (next to be held NA March 1997);
results - seats (87 total) Pakistan People's Party (PPP) 22, Pakistan
Muslim League, Nawaz Sharif faction (PML/N) 17; Tribal Area
Representatives (nonparty) 8, Awami National Party (ANP) 6, Pakistan
Muslim League, Junejo faction (PML/J) 5, Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) 5,
Mohajir Quami Movement, Altaf faction (MQM/A) 5, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam,
Fazlur Rehman group (JUI/F) 2, Pakhtun Khwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP)
2, Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) 2, National People's Party (NPP) 2,
Balochistan National Movement, Hayee Group (BNM/H) 1, Balochistan
National Movement, Mengal Group (BNM/M) 1, Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan,
Niazi faction (JUP/NI) 1, Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, Noorani faction
(JUP/NO) 1, Jamiat-al-Hadith (JAH) 1, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam,
Sami-ul-Haq faction (JUI/S) 1, Pakistan Muslim League, Functional
Group (PML/F) 1, Pakistan National Party (PNP) 1, independents 2,
vacant 1
National Assembly:
elections last held 6 October 1993 (next to be held by October 1998);
results - seats (217 total); Pakistan People's Party (PPP) 92;
Pakistan Muslim League, Nawaz Sharif faction (PML/N) 75; Pakistan
Muslim League, Junejo faction (PML/J) 6; Islami-Jamhoori-Mahaz
(IJM-Islamic Democratic Front) 4; Awami National Party (ANP) 3;
Pakhtun Khwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) 4; Pakistan Islamic Front (PIF)
3; Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) 2; Mutaheda Deeni Mahaz (MDM) 2;
Balochistan National Movement, Hayee Group (BNM/H) 1; Balochistan
National Movement, Mengal Group (BNM/M) 1; National Democratic
Alliance (NDA) 1; National People's Party (NPP) 1; Pakhtun Quami Party
(PKQP) 1; Religious minorities 10 reserved seats; independents, 9;
results pending, 2
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court, Federal Islamic (Shari'at) Court
Political parties and leaders:
government:
Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Benazir BHUTTO; Pakistan Muslim League,
Junejo faction (PML/J), Hamid Nasir CHATTHA; National People's Party
(NPP), Ghulam Mustapha JATOI; Pakhtun Khwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP),
Mahmood Khan ACHAKZAI; Balochistan National Movement, Hayee Group
(BNM/H), Dr. HAYEE Baluch; National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Maulana
Kausar NIAZI; Pakhtun Quami Party (PKQP), Mohammed AFZAL Khan;
Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP), Akbar Khan BUGTI
opposition:
Pakistan Muslim League, Nawaz Sharif faction (PML/N), Nawaz SHARIF;
Awami National Party (ANP), Khan Abdul WALI KHAN; Pakistan Islamic
Front (PIF), Qazi Hussain AHMED; Balochistan National Movement, Mengal
Group (BNM/M), Sardar Akhtar MENGAL; Mohajir Quami Movement, Altaf
faction (MQM/A); Jamaat-i-Islami (JI); Jamiat-al-Hadith (JAH)
frequently shifting:
Mutaheda Deeni Mahaz (MDM), Maulana Sami-ul-HAQ, the MDM includes
Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, Niazi faction (JUP/NI) and Anjuman
Sepah-i-Sahaba Pakistan (ASSP); Islami-Jamhoori-Mahaz (IJM-Islamic
Democratic Party), the IJM includes Jamiat Ulema-i-Islami, Fazlur
Rehman group (JUI/F); Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, Noorani faction
(JUP/NO); Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Sami-ul-Haq faction (JUI/S); Pakistan
Muslim League, Functional Group (PML/F); Pakistan National Party (PNP)
note:
most Pakistani political groups are motivated primarily by opportunism
and political alliances can shift frequently
Other political or pressure groups:
military remains important political force; ulema (clergy),
landowners, industrialists, and small merchants also influential
Member of:
AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, NAM, OAS
(observer), OIC, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM,
UNOSOM, UNTAC, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Maleeha LODHI
chancery:
2315 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
(202) 939-6205
FAX:
(202) 387-0484
consulate(s) general:
Los Angeles and New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador John MONJO
embassy:
Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, Islamabad
mailing address:
P. O. Box 1048, PSC 1212, Box 2000, Unit 6220,Islamabad or APO AE
09812-2000
telephone:
[92] (51) 826161 through 79
FAX:
[92] (51) 214222
consulate(s) general:
Karachi, Lahore
consulate(s):
Peshawar
Flag:
green with a vertical white band (symbolizing the role of religious
minorities) on the hoist side; a large white crescent and star are
centered in the green field; the crescent, star, and color green are
traditional symbols of Islam
@Pakistan, Economy
Overview:
Pakistan is a poor Third World country faced with the usual problems
of rapidly increasing population, sizable government deficits, and
heavy dependence on foreign aid. In addition, the economy must support
a large military establishment. Rapid economic growth, averaging 5%-6%
over the past decade has helped Pakistan cope with these problems.
However, growth slumped to 3% in FY93 because of severe flooding,
which damaged the key export crop, cotton. Almost all agriculture and
small-scale industry is in private hands. In 1990, Pakistan embarked
on a sweeping economic liberalization program to boost foreign and
domestic private investment and lower foreign aid dependence. The
SHARIF government denationalized several state-owned firms and
attracted some foreign investment. Pakistan likely will have
difficulty raising living standards because of its rapidly expanding
population. At the current rate of growth, population would double in
25 years.
National product:
GNP - purchasing power equivalent - $239 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
3% (FY93 est.)
National product per capita:
$1,900 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
12.7% (FY91)
Unemployment rate:
10% (FY91 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
$9.4 billion
expenditures:
$10.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.1 billion (1993
est.)
Exports:
$6.8 billion (f.o.b., FY92)
commodities:
cotton, textiles, clothing, rice, leather, carpets
partners:
US, Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, UK
Imports:
$9.1 billion (f.o.b., FY92)
commodities:
petroleum, petroleum products, machinery, transportation equipment,
vegetable oils, animal fats, chemicals
partners:
Japan, US, Germany, UK, Saudi Arabia
External debt:
$24 billion (1993 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 7.3% (FY92); accounts for 23% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
10,000,000 kW
production:
43 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
350 kWh (1992)
Industries:
textiles, food processing, beverages, construction materials,
clothing, paper products, shrimp
Agriculture:
22% of GDP, over 50% of labor force; world's largest contiguous
irrigation system; major crops - cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane,
fruits, vegetables; livestock products - milk, beef, mutton, eggs;
self-sufficient in food grain
Illicit drugs:
major illicit producer of opium and hashish for the international drug
trade; despite some success in reducing cultivation, remains world's
fourth largest opium producer (140 metric tons in 1993)
Economic aid:
recipient:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $4.5 billion; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $91
billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $2.3 billion; Communist
countries (1970-89), $3.2 billion
note:
including Bangladesh prior to 1972
Currency:
1 Pakistani rupee (PRe) = 100 paisa
Exchange rates:
Pakistani rupees (PRs) per US$1 - 30.214 (January 1994), 28.107
(1993), 25.083 (1992), 23.801 (1991), 21.707 (1990), 20.541 (1989)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
@Pakistan, Communications
Railroads:
8,773 km total; 7,718 km broad gauge, 445 km 1-meter gauge, and 610 km
less than 1-meter gauge; 1,037 km broad-gauge double track; 286 km
electrified; all government owned (1985)
Highways:
total:
110,677 km
paved:
58,677 km
unpaved:
gravel 23,000 km; improved earth 29,000 km (1988)
Pipelines:
crude oil 250 km; petroleum products 885 km; natural gas 4,044 km
(1987)
Ports:
Gwadar, Karachi, Port Muhammad bin Qasim
Merchant marine:
30 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 352,189 GRT/532,782 DWT, bulk 1,
cargo 25, oil tanker 1, passenger-cargo 3
Airports:
total:
110
usable:
104
with permanent-surface runways:
75
with runways over 3,659 m:
1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
30
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
43
Telecommunications:
the domestic telephone system is poor, adequate only for government
and business use; about 7 telephones per 1,000 persons; the system for
international traffic is better and employs both microwave radio relay
and satellites; satellite ground stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
and 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT; broadcast stations - 19 AM, 8 FM, 29 TV
@Pakistan, Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Civil Armed Forces, National Guard,
paramilitary/security forces
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 29,548,746; fit for military service 18,134,013; reach
military age (17) annually 1,391,258 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $3.0 billion, 5.7% of GNP (FY93/94)
@Palmyra Atoll
Header
Affiliation:
(territory of the US)
@Palmyra Atoll, Geography
Location:
Oceania, Polynesia, in the North Pacific Ocean, 1,600 km
south-southwest of Honolulu, almost halfway between Hawaii and
American Samoa
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total area:
11.9 sq km
land area:
11.9 sq km
comparative area:
about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
14.5 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
12 nm
continental shelf:
200-m depth or to depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
none
Climate:
equatorial, hot, and very rainy
Terrain:
low, with maximum elevations of about 2 meters
Natural resources:
none
Land use:
arable land:
0%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
0%
forest and woodland:
100%
other:
0%
Irrigated land:
0 sq km
Environment:
current issues:
NA
natural hazards:
NA
international agreements:
NA
Note:
about 50 islets covered with dense vegetation, coconut trees, and
balsa-like trees up to 30 meters tall
@Palmyra Atoll, People
Population:
uninhabited
@Palmyra Atoll, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
Palmyra Atoll
Digraph:
LQ
Type:
incorporated territory of the US; privately owned, but administered by
the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of
the Interior
Capital:
none; administered from Washington, DC
@Palmyra Atoll, Economy
Overview:
no economic activity
@Palmyra Atoll, Communications
Ports:
the main harbor is West Lagoon, which is entered by a channel on the
southwest side of the atoll; both the channel and harbor will
accommodate vessels drawing 6 meters of water; much of the road and
many causeways built during the war are unserviceable and overgrown
Airports:
total:
1
usable:
1
with permanent-surface runways:
1
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
0
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
1
@Palmyra Atoll, Defense Forces
Note:
defense is the responsibility of the US
@Panama, Geography