Welcome to the Northern Mariana Islands

Unlike Guam, their neighbor to the south, many of the Northern Mariana Islands are volcanic and feature active volcanoes. In fact, the individual islands of Agrihan and Anatahan are made up entirely of volcanoes, and both are currently uninhabited due to the serious threat volcanic activity causes. As a result, only three of the 15 islands—Saipan, Tinian, and Rota—are significantly populated. But that's not saying much: a 2005 estimate of the population of the entire territory is only 80,362. Considering the entire island chain is only 184.17 square miles (or 477 square km), that's not terribly surprising.

The official languages of the Northern Marianas are English, Chamorro, and Carolinian. While English and Chamorro are also spoken on Guam, Carolinian is unique to the Northern Marianas and only spoken by a few thousand people. Since the first Europeans arrived on the islands in 1521, the Northern Marianas have had a tumultuous history, and at one time the native Chamorro were virtually wiped out. Today, the commonwealth receives a substantial amount of federal subsidies and development assistance. It couldn't come at a more needed time—the Northern Marianas' once robust garment industry is now dying, and its tourism industry has been in decline since 2005.

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Territory Name: Northern Mariana Islands

Name for Residents: Northern Marianan

Abbreviation: MP

Time Zone: +10 GMT/UTC 

Capital City: Saipan

Date Granted Territorial Status: January 1, 1978

Territory Rank: 5th of 5 

Area: 184 square miles (477 km²)

Territory Population: 86,616 (2007 estimate)

 Largest Islands:
    Saipan - 62,392 (2000)
    Tinian - 3,540 (2000)
    Rota - 3,283 (2000)

Highest Point: unnamed location on Agrihan, 3,166 ft (965 m)

Lowest Point: Pacific Ocean, sea level

Record High Temperature: 100°F (38°C)

Record Low Temperature: 61°F (16°C)

N. Mariana Islands Territory Flag

N. Mariana Islands Territory Seal

N. Mariana Islands Location Map

Author: World Trade Press