Northern Mariana Islands


The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) is a commonwealth in political union with the United States of America at a strategic location in the West Pacific Ocean. It consists of 14 islands about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines, at 15°12'N, 145°45'E. The islands, which include Saipan, Rota, Farallon de Pajaros and Tinian, total some 477 square kilometers. Saipan and Tinian have the best ports and harbors.
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Flag of the Northern Mariana Islands Coat of arms of Northern Mariana Islands
(In Detail) (In Detail)
National motto: ?
Image:LocationNorthernMarianas.png
Official languagesEnglish, Chamorro, Carolinian
CapitalSaipan
Chief of stateGeorge W. Bush
GovernorJuan N. Babauta
Resident RepresentativePedro Agulto Tenorio
Area
 - Total
 - % water		Ranked 230th
477 km²
Negl.
Population
 - Total (2003)
 - Density 		Ranked N/A
80,006 (July 2003 est.)
168/km²
Independence none (in political union with the USA)
CurrencyUS dollar (USD)
Time zoneUTC+10
National anthem?
Internet TLD.mp
Calling Code+1 670
Map of the Northern Mariana Islands

Climate and Geography

The islands have a tropical marine climate moderated by northeast trade winds. There is little seasonal temperature variation; the dry season runs from December to June, the rainy season from July to October can include typhoons. The southern islands are limestone with level terraces and fringing coral reefs; the northern islands are volcanic, with active volcanoes on Anatahan, Pagan and Agrihan. (The volcano on Agrihan is the highest elevation in the islands at 965 meters (3,165 feet)). About one-fifth of the land is arable, another tenth is permanent pasture. The primary natural resource is fish, which causes conflict with the protection of endangered species. Past development has created landfills that must be cleaned up and has caused contamination of groundwater on Saipan, which may contribute to disease. The islands have over 350 kilometers of highways, three airports with paved runways (one some 3,000 meters (9,840 feet) long, two around 2,000 (6560 feet) meters), three airports with unpaved runways (one about 3,000 meters long, two under 1,000 (3280 feet) meters), and one heliport. Anatahan Volcano is a small volcanic island located 120 km (80 miles) north of Saipan Island and 320 km (200 miles) north of Guam. The island is about 9 km (5.6 miles) long and 3 km (2 miles) wide. Anatahan began erupting suddenly from its east crater at about 5:00 p.m. on May 10, 2003.

History

The first European in these waters was Ferdinand Magellan in 1521, who landed on nearby Guam and claimed the islands for Spain. Angry at larcenous natives, he first dubbed the islands "Las Islas de los Ladrones", (The Islands of the Thieves), but in 1668 their name was changed to Las Marianas after Mariana of Austria, widow of Spain's Philip IV. Nearly all of the islands' native population died out during Spanish rule, but new settlers from modern-day Micronesia repopulated them to some extent. Sold to Germany in 1899, the Japanese took over in 1914 and turned the island into a military garrison. During World War II, the Marines landed on June 15, 1944 and eventually won the bitterly fought three-week Battle of Saipan. After Japan's defeat, the islands were administered by the United States as part of the United Nations Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands; thus, defense and foreign affairs are the responsibility of the US. The people of the Northern Mariana Islands decided in the 1970s not to seek independence but instead to forge closer links with the US. Negotiations for territorial status began in 1972. A covenant to establish a commonwealth in political union with the US was approved in 1975. A new government and constitution went into effect in 1978. On September 23, 2004 Congressman Richard Pombo of California introduced H. R. 5135 - the Northern Mariana Islands Delegate Act. The bill, if it becomes law, would allow CNMI to elect a nonvoting delegate to the U.S. Congress starting with the 2006 election. See: Governors of Northern Mariana Islands From the CIA World Factbook 2000. Not Wikified.
Countries in Oceania
AustraliaEast Timor > FijiKiribati > Marshall IslandsFederated States of Micronesia > NauruNew Zealand > PalauPapua New Guinea > SamoaSolomon Islands > TongaTuvalu > Vanuatu
Other political units: American SamoaCook Islands > Easter IslandFrench Polynesia > GuamHawaii > Maluku IslandsMidway Atoll > New CaledoniaNiue > Norfolk IslandNorthern Mariana Islands > Papua (Indonesia) | Pitcairn IslandsTokelau > Wake IslandWallis and Futuna > West Timor

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Federal district District of Columbia
Insular areas American SamoaBaker Island > GuamHowland Island > Jarvis IslandJohnston Atoll > Kingman ReefMidway Atoll > Navassa IslandNorthern Mariana Islands > Palmyra AtollPuerto Rico > Virgin Islands Wake Island
ca:Illes Mariannes Septentrionals da:Nordmarianerne de:Nördliche Marianen et:Põhja-Mariaanid es:Islas Marianas del Norte eo:Nord-Marianoj fr:Îles Mariannes du Nord nl:Noordelijke Marianen ja:北マリアナ諸島 pl:Mariany Północne pt:Marianas Setentrionais sl:Severni Marianski otoki fi:Pohjois-Mariaanit sv:Nordmarianerna zh:北马里亚纳群岛 Category:Insular areas of the United States Category:Northern Mariana Islands Category:Micronesia
orthern Mariana Islands Nrthern Mariana Islands Nothern Mariana Islands Norhern Mariana Islands Nortern Mariana Islands Northrn Mariana Islands Northen Mariana Islands Norther Mariana Islands NorthernMariana Islands Northern ariana Islands Northern Mriana Islands Northern Maiana Islands Northern Marana Islands Northern Marina Islands Northern Mariaa Islands Northern Marian Islands Northern MarianaIslands Northern Mariana slands Northern Mariana Ilands Northern Mariana Isands Northern Mariana Islnds Northern Mariana Islads Northern Mariana Islans Northern Mariana Island oNrthern Mariana Islands Nrothern Mariana Islands Notrhern Mariana Islands Norhtern Mariana Islands Nortehrn Mariana Islands Northren Mariana Islands Northenr Mariana Islands Norther nMariana Islands NorthernM ariana Islands Northern aMriana Islands Northern Mraiana Islands Northern Mairana Islands Northern Maraina Islands Northern Marinaa Islands Northern Mariaan Islands Northern Marian aIslands Northern MarianaI slands Northern Mariana sIlands Northern Mariana Ilsands Northern Mariana Isalnds Northern Mariana Islnads Northern Mariana Isladns Northern Mariana Islansd Northern Mariana Island NNorthern Mariana Islands Noorthern Mariana Islands Norrthern Mariana Islands Nortthern Mariana Islands Northhern Mariana Islands Northeern Mariana Islands Northerrn Mariana Islands Northernn Mariana Islands Northern Mariana Islands Northern MMariana Islands Northern Maariana Islands Northern Marriana Islands Northern Mariiana Islands Northern Mariaana Islands Northern Marianna Islands Northern Marianaa Islands Northern Mariana Islands Northern Mariana IIslands Northern Mariana Isslands Northern Mariana Isllands Northern Mariana Islaands Northern Mariana Islannds Northern Mariana Islandds Northern Mariana Islandss orthern mariana islands nrthern mariana islands nothern mariana islands norhern mariana islands nortern mariana islands northrn mariana islands northen mariana islands norther mariana islands northernmariana islands northern ariana islands northern mriana islands northern maiana islands northern marana islands northern marina islands northern mariaa islands northern marian islands northern marianaislands northern mariana slands northern mariana ilands northern mariana isands northern mariana islnds northern mariana islads northern mariana islans northern mariana island onrthern mariana islands nrothern mariana islands notrhern mariana islands norhtern mariana islands nortehrn mariana islands northren mariana islands northenr mariana islands norther nmariana islands northernm ariana islands northern amriana islands northern mraiana islands northern mairana islands northern maraina islands northern marinaa islands northern mariaan islands northern marian aislands northern marianai slands northern mariana silands northern mariana ilsands northern mariana isalnds northern mariana islnads northern mariana isladns northern mariana islansd northern mariana island nnorthern mariana islands noorthern mariana islands norrthern mariana islands nortthern mariana islands northhern mariana islands northeern mariana islands northerrn mariana islands northernn mariana islands northern mariana islands northern mmariana islands northern maariana islands northern marriana islands northern mariiana islands northern mariaana islands northern marianna islands northern marianaa islands northern mariana islands northern mariana iislands northern mariana isslands northern mariana isllands northern mariana islaands northern mariana islannds northern mariana islandds northern mariana islandss

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