NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS

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NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

      Is a commonwealth in political union with the United States, occupying a strategic region of the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines.
     The United States Censs Bereau reports the total land area of all islands as 179.01 square miles. The official 2000 census count was 69,221. More than 90% of the population lives on the island of Saipan. Of the fourteen other islans, only two (Tinian and Rota) have a significant population. The islands of Agrihan and Alamagan have fewer than ten residents each, and the remaining islands are unpopulated.
     The Commonwealths's center of government is in the village of Capital hill on Saipan. as the island is governed as a single municipality, most publications name Saipan as the Commonwealth's capital.

     The Northern Mariana Islands, together with Guam to the south, compose the Mariana Islands. 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 has the highes elevationa at 3,166 feet. About one-fifth of the land is arable, another tenth is pasture. The primary natural resource is fish, some of which are endangered species, which leads to conflict. Also, development hsa created landfills which have contaminated the groundwater on Saipan, which could lead to disease.
     Anatahan Volcano is a small volcanic island 80 miles north of Saipan. It is about 6 miles long and 2 miles wide. Anatahan began erupting suddenly from its east crater on may 10, 2003, at about 6 p.m. It has since altenated between eruptive and calm periods. On April 6, 2005, approximately 50,000 cubic meters of ash and rock were ejected causing a large, blck cloud to drift south over Saipan and Tinian.

      The islands have a tropical marine climate moderated by seasonal northeast trade winds. There is little seasonal temperature variation. The dry season runs from December to June, and the rainy season from July to November and can include typhoons. The Gunness Book of World Records has cited Saipan as having the most equable temperature in the world.

     The Northern Mariana Islands have a presidential representative democratic system, in which the governor is head of government, with a multi-party system. The Northern Mariana islands are a commonwealth of the United States. Federal funds to the Commonwealth are administered by the Office of Insular Affairs of the U.S. Depertment of the Interior.

      The islands have over 220 miles of highways, three airports with paved runways and one heliport.