Location
The northernmost atoll of the Line Islands chain in the Pacific Ocean, 1,052 miles South/Southwest of Hawaii (5 degrees, 52 minutes North, 162 degrees, 6 minutes West). Map…

Area/Size
Palmyra Atoll is the second largest of 10 atolls under U.S. jurisdiction. 680 emergent (above water) acres, 15,512 acres of submerged reefs and aquamarine lagoons.

Climate
Humid equatorial tropics. Light, variable winds with an average of 175 inches of rain a year.

Population
Palmyra has attracted its share of visitors – from Polynesians to modern maritime explorers – but no one has ever settled here. Palmyra has the only uninhabited islands in the Line Islands Archipelago. Palmyra Atoll is also the only undeveloped and unpopulated “wet” atoll left in the tropical Pacific.

Research
Excellent site for the study of global climate change. Core samples taken from living and dead coral heads has produced 1,100 years of temperature information.

Palmyra Atoll, a U.S. territory located 1,052 miles south of Hawaii, is located in an area known as the intertropical convergence zone, where trade winds from the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere meet, just above the equator. As the winds meet, they create a phenomenon called the doldrums: light winds and lots of rain.

An atoll is a ring-like coral island with a lagoon. Palmyra was formed by coral growth on the rim of an ancient volcano. It has 680 acres of land with thick vegetation and 15,512 acres of pristine coral reefs, emerald islets and turquoise lagoons.