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Clipperton Island

Clipperton Island is a small, uninhabited island in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It is an overseas territory of France, and is located about 1,000 km (620 mi) southwest of Mexico, 860 km (530 mi) southeast of the nearest point in the Americas (the Pitcairn Islands), and about 2,700 km (1,700 mi) from Paris, the capital of France. The island is about 8 km (5.0 mi) in area, with a coastline of about 15 km (9.3 mi). It is surrounded by a coral reef, and has no natural resources. The only inhabitants of the island are a small number of French military personnel and civilian contractors, who maintain a meteorological station and a small airfield. The island is named after John Clipperton, an English pirate who was active in the area in the early 18th century. It was annexed by France in 1858, and has been administered by that country since that time. In 2009, the French government announced plans to build a new airstrip on the island, which would allow direct flights from mainland France. This has been controversial, as the island is home to a large number of seabirds, and environmentalists are concerned about the impact of the construction on the local ecosystem.

Geographic data

Economy

GDP
42.09 thousand US dollars

Date format

Calendar
First workday
Monday
Weekend
Saturday - Sunday

Measurement units

Measurement system
Metric
Length units
Kilometer
Meter
Centimeter
Area units
Square kilometer
Hectare
Square meter
Square centimeter
Speed unit
Kilometer per hour
Temperature unit
Celsius

Population
1
Literacy percentage
99%