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◆ ECONOMY(1 fields)
Economy - overview
Although 115 species of fish have been identified in the territorial waters of Clipperton Island, the only economic activity is tuna fishing.
◆ GEOGRAPHY(16 fields)
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
Climate
tropical; humid, average temperature 20-32 degrees Celsius, wet season (May to October)
Coastline
11.1 km
Elevation
mean elevation: NA | elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m | highest point: Rocher Clipperton 29 m
Environment - current issues
NA
Geographic coordinates
10 17 N, 109 13 W
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
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
agricultural land: 0% | arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 0% | forest: 0% | other: 100% (all coral) (2011 est.)
Location
Middle America, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, 1,120 km southwest of Mexico
Map references
Political Map of the World
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Natural hazards
NA
Natural resources
fish
Terrain
coral atoll
◆ GOVERNMENT(4 fields)
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
Flag description
the flag of France is used
Legal system
the laws of France apply
◆ INTRODUCTION(1 fields)
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.
◆ MILITARY AND SECURITY(1 fields)
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of France
◆ PEOPLE AND SOCIETY(1 fields)
Population
uninhabited
◆ TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES(1 fields)
Disputes - international
none
◆ TRANSPORTATION(1 fields)
Ports and terminals
none; offshore anchorage only