In the western Pacific Ocean is the Marianas archipelago and here we find the Northern Mariana Islands, which is an American autonomous commonwealth. In English, the Northern Mariana Islands are called the Northern Mariana Islands or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The area belongs to one of five US island territories. The other four islands are Guam, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Island and American Samoa. However, only Puerto Rico, like the Northern Mariana Islands, has commonwealth status. The total area of the islands is about 475.26 square kilometers and in 2010 the islands had 53,883 inhabitants. Of these, most live on the island of Saipan. Of the other 14 islands that make up the Northern Mariana Islands, only Tiniam and Rota are inhabited all year round.
Geography and climate
To the Northern Mariana Islands belong all the Marian Islands except Guam which is the southernmost. All in all, these are 15 different islands or island areas. Garapan is the capital and it is located on the island of Saipan. The Northern Mariana Islands are located about 2000 km northeast of the Philippines. The archipelago is divided into a northern and a southern part and most live on islands located in the southern part.
The islands of the north are Farallon de Pajaros, Maug Islands, Asuncion Island, Agrihan, Pagan, Alamagan, Guguan and Zelandia Bank. The islands of the south are called Sarigan, Anatahan, Farallon de Medinilla, Saipan, Tinian, Aguijan and Rota. The islands of the southern part are surrounded by coral reefs and the northern part consists of several volcanic islands where many volcanoes are active such as Anatahan, Pagan and Agrihan.
According to bridgat.com, the climate in the Northern Mariana Islands is tropical. It is hot and humid all year round and the rainy season is between July and November. Between December and May it is cooler. When it is rainy season, the islands can be hit by typhoons. The temperatures are very even. The Guinness Book of Records has named the temperatures on Saipan as the most even in the world.
Politics and economics
Since 1947, the Marines together with the Caroline Islands have been a so-called US Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. Since 1978, the islands have had so-called Commonwealth status, which means a certain autonomy. In 1986, a union was created with the United States, which means that the inhabitants of the Northern Mariana Islands have American citizenship. The islands have a democratic political system with several parties and you get financial support from the United States. The political system has been criticized for brother-in-law politics.
The economy on the island is highly dependent on support from the United States, but today the tourism industry is constantly growing and an important source of income. It is especially people from Japan and from South Korea who come as tourists to the Northern Mariana Islands. Agriculture has some significance and consists of small livestock farms as well as small-scale farms that grow coconuts, breadfruit, tomatoes and melons.
