Introduction

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.

Geography

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

Map references: Oceania

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

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1,482 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm; exclusive economic zone: 200 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: 13.04%; permanent crops: 4.35%; other: 82.61% (2001)

Irrigated land: NA

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

People

Population: 80,362 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 19.9% (male 8,332/female 7,646)м 15-64 years: 78.5% (male 26,121/female 36,982)м 65 years and over: 1.6% (male 646/female 635) (2005 est.)

Median age: total: 29.33 years; male: 31.54 years; female: 28.33 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.61% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 19.51 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate: 2.3 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: 8.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female; under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female; 15-64 years: 0.71 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female; total population: 0.78 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 7.11 deaths/1,000 live births; male: 7.05 deaths/1,000 live births; female: 7.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.88 years; male: 73.31 years; female: 78.61 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.27 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Nationality: noun: NA; adjective: NA

Ethnic groups: Asian 56.3%, Pacific islander 36.3%, Caucasian 1.8%, other 0.8%, mixed 4.8% (2000 census)

Religions: Christian (Roman Catholic majority, although traditional beliefs and taboos may still be found)

Languages: Philippine languages 24.4%, Chinese 23.4%, Chamorro 22.4%, English 10.8%, other Pacific island languages 9.5%, other 9.6% (2000 census)

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write; total population: 97%; male: 97%; female: 96% (1980 est.)

Government

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

Capital: Saipan

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 Juan N. BABAUTA (since 14 January 2002); Lieutenant Governor Diego T. BENAVENTE (since 14 January 2002)

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 3 November 2001 (next to be held November 2005)

election results: Juan N. BABAUTA elected governor in a four-way race; percent of vote - Juan N. BABAUTA (Republican Party) 42.8%

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 1 November 2003 (next to be held 5 November 2005); House of Representatives - last held 1 November 2003 (next to be held 5 November 2005)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Covenant Party 9, Republican Party 7, Democratic Party 1, independent 1

note: the Northern Mariana Islands 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 (Pedro A. TENORIO)

Judicial branch: Commonwealth Supreme Court; Superior Court; Federal District Court

Economy

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 17,500 mostly Chinese workers and sizable shipments to the US under duty and quota exemptions.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $900 million

note: GDP estimate includes US subsidy (2000 est.)

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

Labor force: 6,006 total indigenous labor force; 2,699 unemployed; 28,717 foreign workers (June 1995)

Labor force - by occupation: NA

Unemployment rate: 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.)

Budget: revenues: $193 million; expenditures: $223 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY01/02 est.)

Agriculture - products: coconuts, fruits, vegetables; cattle

Industries: tourism, construction, garments, handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate: NA

Electricity - production: NA kWh

Electricity - consumption: NA kWh

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh

Exports: NA

Exports - commodities: garments

Exports - partners: US (2000)

Imports: NA

Imports - commodities: food, construction equipment and materials, petroleum products

Imports - partners: US, Japan (2000)

Debt - external: NA

Economic aid - recipient: extensive funding from US

Currency (code): US dollar (USD)

Exchange rates: the US dollar is used

Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 21,000 (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 3,000 (2000)

Telephone system: general assessment: NA; domestic: NA; international: country code - 1-

670; 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 users: NA

Transportation

Highways: total: 362 km; paved: NA km; unpaved: NA km (1991)

Ports and harbors: Saipan, Tinian

Airports: 5 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 3; 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2; 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 2; 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1; under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Heliports: 1 (2004 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none