A privately owned, uninhabited collection of 50 islets, Palmyra Atoll is situated some 1,600 km (1,000 miles) southwest of Hawaii. Administered by the USA since 1898, the atoll is covered in dense vegetation, including coconut palms, which have prospered in its hot and humid climate. In 1990, a Hawaiian property developer took out a 75-year lease on Palmyra from its owners, the Fullard-Leo brothers. Plans exist to turn the atoll into a tourist and residential complex, which will promote a "get away from it all" image. |