| Background: |
Under US
administration as part of the UN Trust Territory of the
Pacific, 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. |
| Location: |
Oceania, islands
in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way
from Hawaii to the Philippines |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
15 12 N, 145 45 E |
| Area: |
total:
477 sq km
land: 477 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes 14 islands including Saipan,
Rota, and Tinian |
| Area
- comparative: |
2.5 times the
size of Washington, DC |
| Maritime
claims: |
exclusive
economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Climate: |
tropical marine;
moderated by northeast trade winds, little seasonal
temperature variation; dry season December to June, rainy
season July to October |
| Terrain: |
southern islands
are limestone with level terraces and fringing coral reefs;
northern islands are volcanic |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Agrihan 965
m |
| Natural
resources: |
arable land, fish |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
21%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 19%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 60% |
| Natural
hazards: |
active volcanoes
on Pagan and Agrihan; typhoons (especially August to
November) |
| Environment
- current issues: |
contamination of
groundwater on Saipan may contribute to disease; clean-up of
landfill; protection of endangered species conflicts with
development |
| Geography
- note: |
strategic
location in the North Pacific Ocean |
| Population: |
74,612 (July 2001
est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
23.55% (male 8,929; female 8,639)
15-64 years: 74.72% (male 26,242; female
29,509)
65 years and over: 1.73% (male 639; female 654)
(2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
3.62% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
20.6 births/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
2.4 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
18 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.89 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female
total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
5.7 deaths/1,000
live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 75.74 years
male: 72.65 years
female: 79.02 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
1.76 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
NA% |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| Nationality: |
noun:
NA
adjective: NA |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Chamorro,
Carolinians and other Micronesians, Caucasian, Japanese,
Chinese, Korean |
| Religions: |
Christian (Roman
Catholic majority, although traditional beliefs and taboos
may still be found) |
| Languages: |
English, Chamorro,
Carolinian
note: 86% of population speaks a language other
than English at home |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 97%
female: 96% (1980 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands
conventional short form: Northern Mariana
Islands
former: Mariana Islands District (Trust
Territory of the Pacific Islands) |
| Dependency
status: |
commonwealth in
political union with the US; federal funds to the
Commonwealth administered by the US Department of the
Interior, Office of Insular Affairs |
| Government
type: |
commonwealth;
self-governing with locally elected governor, lieutenant
governor, and legislature |
| Administrative
divisions: |
none
(commonwealth in political union with the US); there are no
first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US
Government, but there are four municipalities at the second
order; Northern Islands, Rota, Saipan, Tinian |
| Independence: |
none
(commonwealth in political union with the US) |
| National
holiday: |
Commonwealth Day,
8 January (1978) |
| Constitution: |
Covenant
Agreement effective 4 November 1986 and the Constitution of
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands effective 1
January 1978 |
| Legal
system: |
based on US
system, except for customs, wages, immigration laws, and
taxation |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age;
universal; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not
vote in US presidential elections |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of
state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since
20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20
January 2001)
head of government: Governor Pedro P. TENORIO
(since NA January 1998) and Lieutenant Governor Jesus R.
SABLAN (since NA January 1998)
cabinet: NA
elections: US president and vice president
elected on the same ticket for four-year terms; governor and
lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular
vote for four-year terms; election last held in NA November
1997 (next to be held NA November 2001)
election results: Pedro P. TENORIO elected
governor in a three-way race; percent of vote - Pedro P.
TENORIO (Republican Party) 47% |
| Legislative
branch: |
bicameral
Legislature consists of the Senate (9 seats; members are
elected by popular vote to serve four-year staggered terms)
and the House of Representatives (18 seats; members are
elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 9 November 1999
(next to be held NA November 2001); House of Representatives
- last held 9 November 1999 (next to be held NA November
2001)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - Republican Party 6, Democratic
Party 2, Reform Party 1; House of Representatives - percent
of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Republican Party
10, Democratic Party 8
note: the Commonwealth does not have a
nonvoting delegate in the US Congress; instead, it has an
elected official or "resident representative"
located in Washington, DC; seats by party - Republican Party
1 (Juan N. BABAUTA) |
| Judicial
branch: |
Commonwealth
Supreme Court; Superior Court; Federal District Court |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Democratic Party
[Dr. Carlos S. CAMACHO]; Republican Party [Benigno R. FITIAL] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| International
organization participation: |
ESCAP
(associate), Interpol (subbureau), SPC |
| Flag
description: |
blue, with a
white, five-pointed star superimposed on the gray silhouette
of a latte stone (a traditional foundation stone used in
building) in the center, surrounded by a wreath |
| Economy
- overview: |
The economy
benefits substantially from financial assistance from the
US. The rate of funding has declined as locally generated
government revenues have grown. The key tourist industry
employs about 50% of the work force and accounts for roughly
one-fourth of GDP. Japanese tourists predominate. Annual
tourist entries have exceeded one-half million in recent
years, but financial difficulties in Japan have caused a
temporary slowdown. The agricultural sector is made up of
cattle ranches and small farms producing coconuts,
breadfruit, tomatoes, and melons. Garment production is by
far the most important industry with employment of 12,000
mostly Chinese workers and sizable shipments to the US under
duty and quota exemptions. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $900 million (2000 est.)
note: GDP numbers reflect US spending |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
NA% |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $12,500 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA% |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
1.2% (1997 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
6,006 total
indigenous labor force; 2,699 unemployed; 28,717 foreign
workers (1995) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
NA |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$221 million
expenditures: $213 million, including capital
expenditures of $17.7 million (1996) |
| Industries: |
tourism,
construction, garments, handicrafts |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
NA% |
| Electricity
- production: |
NA kWh |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
NA kWh |
| Agriculture
- products: |
coconuts, fruits,
vegetables; cattle |
| Exports
- commodities: |
garments |
| Imports
- commodities: |
food,
construction equipment and materials, petroleum products |
| Imports
- partners: |
US, Japan |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
extensive funding
from US |
| Currency: |
US dollar (USD) |
| Exchange
rates: |
the US dollar is
used |
| Fiscal
year: |
1 October - 30
September |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
21,000 (1996) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
1,200 (1995) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 2, FM 3,
shortwave 1 (1998) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
1 (on Saipan and
one station planned for Rota; in addition, two cable
services on Saipan provide varied programming from satellite
networks) (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.mp |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
1 (2000) |
| Highways: |
total:
362 km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km (1991) |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Saipan, Tinian |
| Merchant
marine: |
none (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
| Military
- note: |
defense is the
responsibility of the US |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
|
