Northern Mariana Islands (märēä`nä), commonwealth associated with the United States (2005 est. pop. 80,400), c.185 sq mi (479 sq km), comprising 16 islands (6 inhabited) of the Marianas chain (all except Guam Guam , Chamorro Guåhan, the largest, most populous, and southernmost of the Mariana Islands (see also Northern Mariana Islands, an unincorporated territory of the United States (2005 est. pop. 168,000), 209 sq mi (541 sq km), W Pacific.
..... Click the link for more information. ), in the W Pacific Ocean; formerly part of the U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. The islands lie E of the Philippines and S of Japan and extend 350 mi (563 km) from north to south. The most important are Saipan Saipan , volcanic island (2000 pop. 62,392), 47 sq mi (122 sq km), W Pacific, capital of the Northern Mariana Islands. It is mountainous; the highest peak is Mt. Tagpochau (1,526 ft/465 m).
..... Click the link for more information. (capital), Rota, and Tinian Tinian , island (2000 pop. 3,540), 39 sq mi (101 sq km), W Pacific, one of the Northern Mariana Islands. The island lies immediately SW of Saipan. The inhabitants are of mixed Micronesian, Filipino, and Spanish descent.
..... Click the link for more information. . The northern islands are composed of volcanic rock, the southern islands of madrepore limestone covering a volcanic base. All the islands are mountainous, with the highest peak (3,166 ft/965 m) on Agrihan; there are active volcanoes on the islands. The islands are subject to typhoons. Most of the inhabitants are Chamorro, but there are some Carolinians and other Micronesians.

Livestock, sugarcane, coffee, coconuts, and citrus fruits are the chief agricultural products. There are deposits of phosphate, sulfur, manganese ore, and pozzuolana. Tourism, especially from Japan, is a major industry, employing roughly 10% of the workforce. Garment manufacturing and construction are also critical to the economy. Clothing is the major export, but the liberaliztion of U.S. garment import restrictions in 2005 has severly hurt the sector. The Northern Marianas receive substantial financial assistance from the United States.

The islands were explored in 1521 by Ferdinand Magellan Magellan, Ferdinand , Port. Fernão de Magalhães, Span. Fernando de Magallanes, c.1480–1521, Portuguese navigator who sailed for Portugal and Spain. Born of a noble family, he was reared as a page in the royal household.
..... Click the link for more information. , who named them the Ladrones Islands (Thieves Islands). They were renamed the Marianas by Spanish Jesuits who arrived in 1668. Nominally a possession of Spain until 1898, the islands were sold to Germany in 1899, except for Guam, which was ceded to the United States. The islands belonging to Germany were seized by Japan in 1914 and were mandated to Japan by the League of Nations in 1920. U.S. forces occupied the Marianas (1944) during World War II, and in 1947 the group (exclusive of Guam) was included in the U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.

Residents approved separate status for the islands as a U.S. commonwealth in 1975. They became internally self-governing under U.S. military protection in 1978, and trust territory status was officially ended in 1986. The islands are governed by an elected governor and lieutenant governor, both serving four-year terms, and a bicameral legislature consisting of a 9-member Senate and a 15-member House of Representatives. Benigno Fitial became governor in Jan., 2006. Residents are U.S. citizens but do not vote in U.S. presidential elections.

Northern Mariana Islands

Self-governing commonwealth (pop., 2005 est.: 80,400) in political union with the U.S., in the western Pacific Ocean. Composed of 22 islands north of Guam, the Northern Marianas extend 450 mi (720 km) and have an area of 184 sq mi (477 sq km). The capital, Chalan Kanoa, is on Saipan. Saipan, Tinian, and Rota are the principal inhabited islands. Others include Alamagan and Agrihan; Pagan was evacuated for a time after a 1981 volcanic eruption. The indigenous people are Micronesian; other inhabitants are Chamorro and Filipino. The islands were discovered by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. They were colonized by Spain in 1668. Sold by Spain to Germany in 1899, they were occupied by Japan in 1914 and became a Japanese mandate from the League of Nations after 1919. They were the scene of fierce fighting in World War II; Tinian was the base for U.S. planes that dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Northern Marianas were granted to the U.S. as a UN trust territory in 1947 and became self-governing in 1978 (when the residents became U.S. citizens). The UN trusteeship ended in 1986.

Northern Mariana Islands Parks

US National Parks
American Memorial Park

Northern Mariana Islands

In 1947 the U.N. assigned the Islands to the U.S. to administer; in 1978 the Islands became a self-governing commonwealth under

U.S. sovereignty; inhabitants became U.S. citizens in 1986, but cannot vote in U.S. elections.

Capital: Saipan (Capitol Hill)
Bird: Marianas Fruit Dove (Ptilonopus roseicapilla)
Flower: Plumeria (Plumeria rubra forma acutifolia)
Tree: Flame tree (Delonix regia)

GOVERNMENT OFFICES:

Office of the Governor Caller Box 10007 Capital Hill Saipan, 96950 670-664-2200 fax: 670-664-2211

Joeten-Kiyu Public Library

P.O. Box501092 Saipan, 96950 670-235-4758 fax: 670-235-7322 www.cnmilibrary.com/ saipanlib@cnmilibrary.com

Legal Holidays:

Citizenship Day	Nov 4
Commonwealth Covenant Day	Mar 24
Commonwealth Cultural Day	Oct 10, 2011; Oct 8, 2012; Oct 14, 2013; Oct 13, 2014; Oct 12, 2015
Constitution Day	Dec 8
Good Friday	Apr 22, 2011; Apr 6, 2012; Mar 29, 2013; Apr 18, 2014; Apr 3, 2015

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No references found			The US will Saturday take over control of immigration in the Northern Mariana Islands despite protests about the impact on the Pacific territory's economy. US takes over Pacific territory's immigration by AFP / AFP American Edition A Chinese gunman who went on a deadly shooting rampage in the Northern Mariana Islands before killing himself appeared to be suffering financial and emotional problems, police said. Police probe motive of Northern Marianas gunman by AFP / AFP Asian Edition A Chinese gunman who went on a deadly shooting rampage in the Northern Mariana Islands before killing himself appeared to be suffering financial and emotional problems, police said. Police probe motive of Northern Marianas gunman by AFP / AFP Global Edition			Northern Caucasus Culture Northern Caucasus Economic Region Northern Caucasus Higher School Scientific Center SKNTs Northern Caucasus Meat and Wool Sheep Northern Caucasus Operation of 1920 Northern Caucasus Railroad Northern Caucasus Soviet Republic Northern Caucasus Swine Northern Caucasus Turkey Northern Commune Northern Cross Northern Crown Northern Dvina Northern Dvina River Northern European Sea Northern Expedition Northern Fleet Northern Games Northern Hemisphere Northern Hemisphere annular mode Northern Highland - American Legion State Forest Northern Ireland Northern Land northern lights Northern Luo Northern Mariana Islands Northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge Northern Pacific Railway Northern Pacific Railway Co. Northern Railroad Northern Rhodesia Northern Schools Northern Sea Route Northern Society of Decembrists Northern Sporades Northern Star Northern Tavrida Northern Territory Northern Union of Russian Workers Northern Union of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party Northern Urals Northern War Northern War of 1655–60 Northern War of 1700–21 Northern War, First Northern War, Second Northern Wei Northern Wei dynasty Northern Wei sculpture Northfield Northfleet			Northern Line Islands Northern Line Islands Northern Line Islands Northern Line Service Provision Northern Lion Gold Corporation Northern lobster Northern Louisiana Commerce Center Northern Lower Peninsula Northern Luo Northern Luzon Northern Luzon Adventist College Northern Maine General Hospital Northern Maine Independent System Administrator, Inc. Northern Maine Medical Center Northern Maine Soap Box Derby Northern Maine Technical College Northern Mallee Primary Care Partnership northern mammoth Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance Northern Manhattan Coalition for Economic Development Inc. Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights Northern Manhattan Immunization Partnership Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation Northern Manhattan Perinatal Partnership Northern MAPP Northern Mariana Northern Mariana Northern Mariana Northern Mariana Islands Northern Mariana Islands, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, United States Northern Mariana Islands, United States Northern Mariana Islands, United States Northern Mariana Islands/Geography Northern Mariana Islands/Geography Northern Mariana Islands/Geography Northern Mariana Islands/History Northern Mariana Islands/History Northern Mariana Islands/History Northern Mariana Islands/Military Northern Mariana Islands/Military Northern Mariana Islands/Military Northern Mariana Islands/Transnational issues Northern Mariana Islands/Transnational issues Northern Mariana Islands/Transnational issues Northern Mariana Islands/Transportation Northern Mariana Islands/Transportation Northern Mariana Islands/Transportation Northern Marianas Northern Marianas Northern Marianas Northern Marianas Badminton Federation Northern Marianas College Northern Marianas Commonwealth Legislature Northern Marianas Islands Northern Marianas Islands Northern Marianas Islands