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Compare United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges (2006) - Palau (2008)

Compare United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges (2006) z Palau (2008)

 United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges (2006)Palau (2008)
 United States Pacific Island Wildlife RefugesPalau
Administrative divisions - 16 states; Aimeliik, Airai, Angaur, Hatohobei, Kayangel, Koror, Melekeok, Ngaraard, Ngarchelong, Ngardmau, Ngatpang, Ngchesar, Ngeremlengui, Ngiwal, Peleliu, Sonsorol
Age structure - 0-14 years: 26% (male 2,796/female 2,633)


15-64 years: 69.2% (male 7,767/female 6,665)


65 years and over: 4.7% (male 465/female 516) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products - coconuts, copra, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; fish
Airports Baker Island: one abandoned World War II runway of 1,665 m covered with vegetation and unusable


Howland Island: airstrip constructed in 1937 for scheduled refueling stop on the round-the-world flight of Amelia EARHART and Fred NOONAN; the aviators left Lae, New Guinea, for Howland Island but were never seen again; the airstrip is no longer serviceable


Johnston Atoll: 1 - closed and not maintained


Kingman Reef: lagoon was used as a halfway station between Hawaii and American Samoa by Pan American Airways for flying boats in 1937 and 1938


Midway Islands: 3 - one operational (2,409 m paved); no fuel for sale except emergencies


Palmyra Atoll: 1 - 1,846 m unpaved runway; privately owned (2006)
3 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways - total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2007)
Area total - 6,959.41 sq km; emergent land - 22.41 sq km; submerged - 6,937 sq km


Baker Island: total - 129 sq km; emergent land - 2.1 sq km; submerged - 127 sq km


Howland Island: total - 139 sq km; emergent land - 2.6 sq km; submerged - 136 sq km


Jarvis Island: total - 152 sq km; emergent land - 5 sq km; submerged - 147 sq km


Johnston Atoll: total - 276.6 sq km; emergent land - 2.6 sq km; submerged - 274 sq km


Kingman Reef: total - 1,958.01 sq km; emergent land - 0.01 sq km; submerged - 1,958 sq km


Midway Islands: total - 2,355.2 sq km; emergent land - 6.2 sq km; submerged - 2,349 sq km


Palmyra Atoll: total - 1,949.9 sq km; emergent land - 3.9 sq km; submerged - 1,946 sq km
total: 458 sq km


land: 458 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative Baker Island: about two and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC


Howland Island: about three times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC


Jarvis Island: about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC


Johnston Atoll: about four and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC


Kingman Reef: a little more than one and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC


Midway Islands: about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC


Palmyra Atoll: about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Background The following US Pacific island territories constitute the Pacific Remote Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex and as such are managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of Interior. These remote refuges are the most widespread collection of marine- and terrestrial-life protected areas on the planet under a single country's jurisdiction. They protect many endemic species including corals, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, seabirds, water birds, land birds, insects, and vegetation not found elsewhere.


Baker Island: The US took possession of the island in 1857, and its guano deposits were mined by US and British companies during the second half of the 19th century. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization began on this island but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974.


Howland Island: Discovered by the US early in the 19th century, the island was officially claimed by the US in 1857. Both US and British companies mined for guano until about 1890. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization began on this island, similar to the effort on nearby Baker Island, but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. The famed American aviatrix Amelia EARHART disappeared while seeking out Howland Island as a refueling stop during her 1937 round-the-world flight; Earhart Light, a day beacon near the middle of the west coast, was named in her memory. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974.


Jarvis Island: First discovered by the British in 1821, the uninhabited island was annexed by the US in 1858, but abandoned in 1879 after tons of guano had been removed. The UK annexed the island in 1889, but never carried out plans for further exploitation. The US occupied and reclaimed the island in 1935 until it was abandoned in 1942 during World War II. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974.


Johnston Atoll: Both the US and the Kingdom of Hawaii annexed Johnston Atoll in 1858, but it was the US that mined the guano deposits until the late 1880s. Johnston and Sand Islands were designated wildlife refuges in 1926. The US Navy took over the atoll in 1934, and subsequently the US Air Force assumed control in 1948. The site was used for high-altitude nuclear tests in the 1950s and 1960s, and until late in 2000 the atoll was maintained as a storage and disposal site for chemical weapons. Munitions destruction is now complete. Cleanup and closure of the facility was completed by May 2005. The Fish and Wildlife Service and the US Air Force are currently discussing future management options; in the interim, Johnston Atoll and the three-mile Naval Defensive Sea around it remain under the jurisdiction and administrative control of the US Air Force.


Kingman Reef: The US annexed the reef in 1922. Its sheltered lagoon served as a way station for flying boats on Hawaii-to-American Samoa flights during the late 1930s. There are no terrestrial plants on the reef, which is frequently awash, but it does support abundant and diverse marine fauna and flora. In 2001, the waters surrounding the reef out to 12 nm were designated a US National Wildlife Refuge.


Midway Islands: The US took formal possession of the islands in 1867. The laying of the trans-Pacific cable, which passed through the islands, brought the first residents in 1903. Between 1935 and 1947, Midway was used as a refueling stop for trans-Pacific flights. The US naval victory over a Japanese fleet off Midway in 1942 was one of the turning points of World War II. The islands continued to serve as a naval station until closed in 1993. Today the islands are a National Wildlife Refuge and are the site of the world's largest Laysan albatross colony.


Palmyra Atoll: 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 partly privately owned by the Nature Conservancy with the rest owned by the Federal government and managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. These organizations are managing the atoll as a wildlife refuge. The lagoons and surrounding waters within the 12 nm US territorial seas were transferred to the US Fish and Wildlife Service and designated as a National Wildlife Refuge in January 2001.
After three decades as part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific under US administration, this westernmost cluster of the Caroline Islands opted for independence in 1978 rather than join the Federated States of Micronesia. A Compact of Free Association with the US was approved in 1986, but not ratified until 1993. It entered into force the following year, when the islands gained independence.
Birth rate - 17.7 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget - revenues: $72.07 million


expenditures: $72.43 million (FY04/05 est.)
Capital - name: Melekeok


geographic coordinates: 7 29 N, 134 38 E


time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun


Johnston Atoll and Kingman Reef: tropical, but generally dry; consistent northeast trade winds with little seasonal temperature variation


Midway Islands: subtropical with cool, moist winters (December to February) and warm, dry summers (May to October); moderated by prevailing easterly winds; most of the 1,067 mm (42 in) of annual rainfall occurs during the winter


Palmyra Atoll: equatorial, hot; located within the low pressure area of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) where the northeast and southeast trade winds meet, it is extremely wet with between 4,000-5,000 mm (160-200 in) of rainfall each year
tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November
Coastline Baker Island: 4.8 km


Howland Island: 6.4 km


Jarvis Island: 8 km


Johnston Atoll: 34 km


Kingman Reef: 3 km


Midway Islands: 15 km


Palmyra Atoll: 14.5 km
1,519 km
Constitution - 1 January 1981
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Baker Island; Howland Island; Jarvis Island; Johnston Atoll; Kingman Reef; Midway Islands; Palmyra Atoll
conventional long form: Republic of Palau


conventional short form: Palau


local long form: Beluu er a Belau


local short form: Belau


former: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Palau District
Death rate - 6.77 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external - $0 (FY99/00)
Dependency status unincorporated territories of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system


note on Palmyra Atoll: incorporated Territory of the US; partly privately owned and partly federally owned; 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
-
Diplomatic representation from the US - chief of mission: Charge d'Affaires Mark BEZNER


embassy: Koror (no street address)


mailing address: P. O. Box 6028, Republic of Palau 96940


telephone: [680] 488-2920, 2990


FAX: [680] 488-2911
Diplomatic representation in the US - chief of mission: Ambassador Hersey KYOTA


chancery: 1700 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20006


telephone: [1] (202) 452-6814


FAX: [1] (202) 452-6281


consulate(s) general: Honolulu


consulate(s): Tamuning (Guam)
Disputes - international none maritime delineation negotiations continue with Philippines, Indonesia
Economic aid - recipient - $23.46 million; note - the Compact of Free Association with the US, entered into after the end of the UN trusteeship on 1 October 1994, provides Palau with up to $700 million in US aid over 15 years in return for furnishing military facilities (2005)
Economy - overview no economic activity The economy consists primarily of tourism, subsistence agriculture, and fishing. The government is the major employer of the work force, relying heavily on financial assistance from the US. Business and tourist arrivals numbered 63,000 in 2003. The population enjoys a per capita income roughly 50% higher than that of the Philippines and much of Micronesia. Long-run prospects for the key tourist sector have been greatly bolstered by the expansion of air travel in the Pacific, the rising prosperity of leading East Asian countries, and the willingness of foreigners to finance infrastructure development.
Elevation extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: Baker Island, unnamed location - 8 m; Howland Island, unnamed location - 3 m; Jarvis Island, unnamed location - 7 m; Johnston Atoll, Sand Island - 10 m; Kingman Reef, unnamed location - less than 1 m; Midway Islands, unnamed location - 13 m; Palmyra Atoll, unnamed location - 2 m
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: Mount Ngerchelchuus 242 m
Environment - current issues Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands, and Johnston Atoll: no natural fresh water resources


Kingman Reef: none


Midway Islands and Palmyra Atoll: NA
inadequate facilities for disposal of solid waste; threats to the marine ecosystem from sand and coral dredging, illegal fishing practices, and overfishing
Environment - international agreements - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups - Palauan (Micronesian with Malayan and Melanesian admixtures) 69.9%, Filipino 15.3%, Chinese 4.9%, other Asian 2.4%, white 1.9%, Carolinian 1.4%, other Micronesian 1.1%, other or unspecified 3.2% (2000 census)
Exchange rates - the US dollar is used
Executive branch - chief of state: President Tommy Esang REMENGESAU, Jr. (since 19 January 2001); Vice President Camsek CHIN (since 1 January 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Tommy Esang REMENGESAU, Jr. (since 19 January 2001); Vice President Camsek CHIN (since 1 January 2005)


cabinet: NA


elections: president and vice president elected on separate tickets by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held in November 2008)


election results: Tommy Esang REMENGESAU, Jr. reelected president; percent of vote - Tommy Esang REMENGESAU, Jr. 64%, Polycarp BASILIUS 33%; Elias Camsek CHIN elected vice president; percent of vote - Elias Camsek CHIN 70%, Sandra PIERANTOZZI 29%
Exports - $5.882 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities - shellfish, tuna, copra, garments
Exports - partners - US, Japan, Singapore (2006)
Fiscal year - 1 October - 30 September
Flag description the flag of the US is used light blue with a large yellow disk (representing the moon) shifted slightly to the hoist side
GDP - composition by sector - agriculture: 6.2%


industry: 12%


services: 81.8% (2003)
GDP - real growth rate - 5.5% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates Baker Island: 0 13 N, 176 28 W


Howland Island: 0 48 N, 176 38 W


Jarvis Island: 0 23 S, 160 01 W


Johnston Atoll: 16 45 N, 169 31 W


Kingman Reef: 6 23 N, 162 25 W


Midway Islands: 28 12 N, 177 22 W


Palmyra Atoll: 5 53 N, 162 05 W
7 30 N, 134 30 E
Geography - note Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: scattered vegetation consisting of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife


Johnston Atoll: Johnston Island and Sand Island are natural islands, which have been expanded by coral dredging; North Island (Akau) and East Island (Hikina) are manmade islands formed from coral dredging; the egg-shaped reef is 34 km in circumference


Kingman Reef: barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; closed to the public


Midway Islands: a coral atoll managed as a national wildlife refuge and open to the public for wildlife-related recreation in the form of wildlife observation and photography


Palmyra Atoll: the high rainfall and resulting lush vegetation make the environment of this atoll unique among the US Pacific Island territories; it supports one of the largest remaining undisturbed stands of Pisonia beach forest in the Pacific
westernmost archipelago in the Caroline chain, consists of six island groups totaling more than 300 islands; includes World War II battleground of Beliliou (Peleliu) and world-famous rock islands
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Imports - $107.3 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities - machinery and equipment, fuels, metals; foodstuffs
Imports - partners - US, Singapore, Japan, South Korea (2006)
Independence - 1 October 1994 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship)
Industrial production growth rate - NA%
Industries - tourism, craft items (from shell, wood, pearls), construction, garment making
Infant mortality rate - total: 14.07 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 15.78 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 12.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - 2.7% (2005 est.)
International organization participation - ACP, ADB, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IOC, IPU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO
Irrigated land - NA
Judicial branch - Supreme Court; Court of Common Pleas; Land Court
Labor force - 9,777 (2005)
Labor force - by occupation - agriculture: 20%


industry: NA%


services: NA% (1990)
Land boundaries none 0 km
Land use arable land: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (2005)
arable land: 8.7%


permanent crops: 4.35%


other: 86.95% (2005)
Languages - Palauan 64.7% official in all islands except Sonsoral (Sonsoralese and English are official), Tobi (Tobi and English are official), and Angaur (Angaur, Japanese, and English are official), Filipino 13.5%, English 9.4%, Chinese 5.7%, Carolinian 1.5%, Japanese 1.5%, other Asian 2.3%, other languages 1.5% (2000 census)
Legal system the laws of the US, where applicable, apply based on Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws
Legislative branch - bicameral National Congress or Olbiil Era Kelulau (OEK) consists of the Senate (9 seats; members elected by popular vote on a population basis to serve four-year terms) and the House of Delegates (16 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: Senate - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held in November 2008); House of Delegates - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held in November 2008)


election results: Senate - percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 9; House of Delegates - percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 16
Life expectancy at birth - total population: 70.71 years


male: 67.54 years


female: 74.06 years (2007 est.)
Literacy - definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 92%


male: 93%


female: 90% (1980 est.)
Location Oceania


Baker Island: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1,830 nm (3,389 km) southwest of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and Australia


Howland Island: island in the North Pacific Ocean 1,815 nm (3,361 km) southwest of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and Australia


Jarvis Island: island in the South Pacific Ocean 1,305 nm (2,417 km) south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and the Cook Islands


Johnston Atoll: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 717 nm (1,328 km) southwest of Honolulu, about one-third of the way from Hawaii to the Marshall Islands


Kingman Reef: reef in the North Pacific Ocean 930 nm (1,722 km) south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa


Midway Islands: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1,260 nm (2,334 km) northwest of Honolulu near the end of the Hawaiian Archipelago, about one-third of the way from Honolulu to Tokyo


Palmyra Atoll: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 960 nm (1,778 km) south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa
Oceania, group of islands in the North Pacific Ocean, southeast of the Philippines
Map references Oceania Oceania
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 3 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Military - note defense is the responsibility of the US defense is the responsibility of the US; under a Compact of Free Association between Palau and the US, the US military is granted access to the islands for 50 years, but no military forces are stationed there (2005)
Military branches - no regular military forces; Palau National Police (2008)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - NA
National holiday - Constitution Day, 9 July (1979)
Nationality - noun: Palauan(s)


adjective: Palauan
Natural hazards Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard


Kingman Reef: wet or awash most of the time, maximum elevation of less than 1 m makes Kingman Reef a maritime hazard


Midway Islands, Johnston, and Palmyra Atolls: NA
typhoons (June to December)
Natural resources terrestrial and aquatic wildlife forests, minerals (especially gold), marine products, deep-seabed minerals
Net migration rate - 1.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Political parties and leaders - none
Political pressure groups and leaders - NA
Population no indigenous inhabitants


note: public entry is by special-use permit from US Fish and Wildlife Service only and generally restricted to scientists and educators; visited annually by US Fish and Wildlife Service


Johnston Atoll: in previous years, an average of 1,100 US military and civilian contractor personnel were present; as of May 2005 all US government personnel had left the island


Midway Islands: approximately 40 people make up the staff of US Fish and Wildlife Service and their services contractor living at the atoll


Palmyra Atoll: four to 20 Nature Conservancy and US Fish and Wildlife staff
20,842 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line - NA%
Population growth rate - 1.233% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations - AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001)
Religions - Roman Catholic 41.6%, Protestant 23.3%, Modekngei 8.8% (indigenous to Palau), Seventh-Day Adventist 5.3%, Jehovah's Witness 0.9%, Latter-Day Saints 0.6%, other 3.1%, unspecified or none 16.4% (2000 census)
Sex ratio - at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.062 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.165 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.901 male(s)/female


total population: 1.124 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage - 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system - general assessment: NA


domestic: NA


international: country code - 680; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use - 6,700 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular - 1,000 (2002)
Television broadcast stations - 1 (cable) (2005)
Terrain low and nearly level sandy coral islands with narrow fringing reefs that have developed at the top of submerged volcanic mountains, which in most cases rise steeply from the ocean floor varying geologically from the high, mountainous main island of Babelthuap to low, coral islands usually fringed by large barrier reefs
Total fertility rate - 2.46 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate - 4.2% (2005 est.)
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