Palmyra Atoll

Palmyra Atoll
Incorporated territory of the United States United States Minor Outlying Island
Territory of Palmyra Island
Palmyra Atoll visitor access map
Location of Palmyra Atoll in the Pacific Ocean
Sovereign state	United States
Annexed by the United States	June 14, 1900
Named for	U.S. trading ship Palmyra
Government	National Wildlife Refuge
• Administered by	United States Fish and Wildlife Service
• Superintendent	Laura Beauregard, Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument
Area
• Land	11.9 km2 (4.6 sq mi)
• Water	0 km2 (0 sq mi)
Dimensions
• Length	4.7 km (2.9 mi)
• Width	6.8 km (4.2 mi)
Elevation	2.1 m (7 ft)
Highest elevation (Sand Island)	10 m (30 ft)
Lowest elevation (Pacific Ocean)	0 m (0 ft)
Population
• 2019 estimate	4–20 staff and scientists
Currency	United States dollar (US$) (USD)
Time zone	UTC−11:00 (SST)
ISO 3166 code	US-UM UM-95
Internet TLD	.us
IUCN category Ia (strict nature reserve)
Designated	2001
Ramsar Wetland
Official name	Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge
Designated	April 1, 2011
Reference no.	1971[1]

Palmyra Atoll (/pælˈmaɪrə/), also referred to as Palmyra Island, is one of the Northern Line Islands (southeast of Kingman Reef and north of Kiribati). It is located almost due south of the Hawaiian Islands, roughly one-third of the way between Hawaii and American Samoa. North America is about 3,300 miles (5,300 kilometers) northeast and New Zealand the same distance southwest, placing the atoll at the approximate center of the Pacific Ocean. The land area is 4.6 sq mi (12 km²), with about 9 miles (14 km) of sea-facing coastline and reef. There is one boat anchorage, known as West Lagoon, accessible from the sea by a narrow artificial channel and an old airstrip; during WW2, it was turned into a Naval Air Station for several years and used for training and refueling. It was shelled by a submarine in December 1941 but was not the site of a major battle.

It is the second-northernmost of the Line Islands and one of three American islands in the archipelago, along with Jarvis Island and Kingman Reef. Palmyra Atoll is part of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, the world's largest marine protected area. The atoll comprises submerged sand flats along with dry land and reefs. It comprises three lagoons separated by coral reefs. The western reef terrace is one of the biggest shelf-reefs, with dimensions of 2 by 3 miles (3.2 by 4.8 km). Over 150 species of coral inhabit Palmyra Atoll, double the number recorded in Hawaii.^[2]

Palmyra Atoll has no permanent population. It is administered as an incorporated unorganized territory, presently the only one of its kind, by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service of the United States Department of the Interior. The territory hosts a variable transient population of 4–25 staff and scientists employed by various departments of the U.S. government and by The Nature Conservancy,^[3] as well as a rotating mix of Palmyra Atoll Research Consortium^[4] scholars. Submerged portions of the atoll are administered by the Department of the Interior's Office of Insular Affairs.^[5]

Palmyra Atoll is the most expensive island in the world. In 2000, most of the land on the atoll, excluding only the Home and possibly Sand islets, was bought by The Nature Conservancy for USD 30 million (GBP 21 million) from the Fullard-Leo family.^[6]