Map of Northern Mariana Islands | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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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.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area
Total: 477 km²
Land:
Comparative: slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: none

Coastline: 1,482 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 12 nm
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth)
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Disputes: none

Climate:

Terrain: southern islands are limestone with level terraces and fringing coral reefs; northern islands are volcanic; highest elevation is 471 meters (Mt. Tagpochu on Saipan)

Elevation

Natural resources: arable land, fish

Land use: arable land: 1%; permanent crops: NA%; meadows and pastures 19%; forest and woodland NA%; other NA%

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 47,168 (July 1992), growth rate 3.0% (1992)

Nationality: undetermined

Ethnic groups:

Languages: English, but Chamorro and Carolinian are also spoken in the home and taught in school

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

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 35 births/1000 population (1992)

Death rate: 5 deaths/1000 population (1992)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1992)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: active volcanos on Pagan and Agrihan; subject to typhoons during the rainy season
Current issues note:

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 38 deaths/1000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 69 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate: 2.7 children born/woman (1992)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: 96% (male 97%, female 96%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

Government type:

Capital: Saipan

Administrative divisions: none

Dependent areas

Independence: none (commonwealth in political union with the US)

National holiday: Commonwealth Day, 8 January (1978)

Constitution: Covenant Agreement effective 3 November 1986

Legal system: based on US system except for customs, wages, immigration laws, and taxation

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal at age 18; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
Governor: last held in November 1989 (next to be held November 1993); results - Lorenzo I. DeLeon GUERRERO, Republican Party, was elected governor
House of Representatives:
Senate:
US House of Representatives: the Commonwealth does not have a nonvoting delegate in Congress; instead, it has an elected official ``resident representative'' located in Washington, DC; seats - (1 total) Republican (Juan N. BABAUTA)

Executive branch: US President; governor, lieutenant governor

Legislative branch:

Judicial branch: Commonwealth Court and the Federal District Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ESCAP (associate), SPC
Diplomatic representation: none

Diplomatic representation

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The economy benefits substantially from financial assistance from the US. An agreement for the years 1986 to 1992 entitles the islands to 228 million for capital development, government operations, and special programs. Another major source of income is the tourist industry, which employs about 10% of the work force. Japanese tourists predominate. The agricultural sector is made up of cattle ranches and small farms producing coconuts, breadfruit, tomatoes, and melons. Industry is small scale in nature - mostly handicrafts and fish processing.
GNP: purchasing power equivalent - $165 million, per capita $3,498; real growth rate NA% (1982); note - GNP numbers reflect US spending

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: coffee, coconuts, fruits, tobacco, cattle

Industries: tourism, construction, light industry, handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate NA%

Labor force: 12,788 local; 18,799 foreign workers (1990 est.)
Organized labor: NA

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $112.2 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (February 1990)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $153.9 million (1989)
Commodoties: manufactured goods, garments, vegetables, beef, pork
Partners: NA

Imports: $313.7 million, a 43% increase over previous year (1989)
Commodoties: NA
Partners: NA

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: US currency is used


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 25,000 kW capacity; 35 million kWh produced, 740 kWh per capita (1990)

Electricity consumption

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports:

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs