Clipperton Island :: North America
Introduction
Background:
This isolated atoll was named for John CLIPPERTON, an English pirate who was rumored to have made it his hideout early in the 18th century. Annexed by France in 1855 and claimed by the US, it was seized by Mexico in 1897. Arbitration eventually awarded the island to France in 1931, which took possession in 1935.
Geography
Location:
Middle America, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, 1,120 km southwest of Mexico
Geographic coordinates:
10 17 N, 109 13 W
Map references:
Political Map of the World
Area:
total:
6 sq km
land:
6 sq km
water:
0 sq km
country comparison to the world: 247
Area - comparative:
about 12 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
11.1 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea:
12
nm
exclusive economic zone:
200
nm
Climate:
tropical; humid, average temperature 20-32 degrees Celsius, wet season (May to October)
Terrain:
coral atoll
Elevation:
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Rocher Clipperton 29 m
Natural resources:
fish
Land use:
agricultural land:
0%
(2011 est.)
arable land:
0%
(2011 est.)
/
permanent crops:
0%
(2011 est.)
/
permanent pasture:
0%
(2011 est.)
forest:
0%
(2011 est.)
other:
100%
(2011 est.)
Natural hazards:
subject to tropical storms and hurricanes from May to October
Environment - current issues:
no natural resources, guano deposits depleted; the ring-shaped atoll encloses a stagnant fresh-water lagoon
Geography - note:
the atoll reef is approximately 12 km (7.5 mi) in circumference; an attempt to colonize the atoll in the early 20th century ended in disaster and was abandoned in 1917
People and Society
Population:
uninhabited
Government
Country name:
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
Clipperton Island
local long form:
none
local short form:
Ile Clipperton
former:
sometimes referred to as Ile de la Passion or Atoll Clipperton
etymology:
named after an 18th-century English pirate who supposedly used the island as a base
Dependency status:
possession of France; administered directly by the Minister of Overseas France
Legal system:
the laws of France apply
Flag description:
the flag of France is used
Economy
Economic overview:
Although 115 species of fish have been identified in the territorial waters of Clipperton Island, tuna fishing is the only economically viable species.
Ease of Doing Business Index scores:
Transportation
Ports and terminals:
none; offshore anchorage only
Military and Security
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of France
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international:
none
