Northern Mariana Islands

Airports

total: 6 usable: 5 with permanent-surface runways: 3 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 2

Highways

total: 381.5 km paved: NA unpaved: NA undifferentiated: primary 134.5 km; secondary 55 km; local 192 km (1991)

Inland waterways

none

Ports

Saipan, Tinian

Railroads

none

Telecommunications

broadcast stations - 2 AM, 1 FM (1984), 1 TV, 2 cable TV stations; 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth stations

Note

defense is the responsibility of the US

Agriculture

coconuts, fruits, cattle, vegetables

Budget

revenues: $147 million expenditures: $127.7 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991 est.)

Currency

1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents

Economic aid

none

Electricity

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

Exchange rates

US currency is used

Exports

$263.4 million (f.o.b. 1991 est.) commodities: manufactured goods, garments, bread, pastries, concrete blocks, light iron work partners: NA

External debt

$0

Fiscal year

1 October - 30 September

Imports

$392.4 million (c.i.f. 1991 est.) commodities: food, construction, equipment, materials partners: NA

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

Industries

tourism, construction, light industry, handicrafts

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

6.5-7.5% (1991 est.)

National product

GNP - purchasing power equivalent - $541 million (1992) note: GNP numbers reflect US spending

National product per capita

$11,500 (1992)

National product real growth rate

NA%

Overview

The economy benefits substantially from financial assistance from the US. The rate of funding has declined as locally generated government revenues have grown. An agreement for the years 1986 to 1992 entitled the islands to $228 million for capital development, government operations, and special programs. A rapidly growing major source of income is the tourist industry, which now employs about 50% 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, mostly handicrafts and light manufacturing.

Unemployment rate

NA%

Area

total area: 477 sq km land area: 477 sq km comparative area: slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC note: includes 14 islands including Saipan, Rota, and Tinian

Climate

tropical marine; moderated by northeast trade winds, little seasonal temperature variation; dry season December to June, rainy season July to October

Coastline

1,482 km

Environment

current issues: contamination of groundwater on Saipan by raw sewage contributes to disease natural hazards: active volcanoes on Pagan and Agrihan; subject to typhoons (especially August to November) international agreements: NA

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 5% on Saipan permanent crops: NA% meadows and pastures: 19% forest and woodland: NA% other: NA%

Location

Oceania, Micronesia, in the North Pacific Ocean, 5,635 km west-southwest of Honolulu, about three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and the Philippines

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

arable land, fish

Note

strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean

Terrain

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

Administrative divisions

none

Capital

Saipan

Constitution

Covenant Agreement effective 3 November 1986 and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

Digraph

CQ

Executive branch

chief of state: President William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January 1993); Vice President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993) head of government: Governor Lorenzo I. DeLeon GUERRERO (since 9 January 1990); Lieutenant Governor Benjamin T. MANGLONA (since 9 January 1990); election last held in NA November 1989 (next to be held NA November 1993); results - Lorenzo I. DeLeon GUERRERO, Republican Party, was elected governor

Flag

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

House of Representatives

elections last held NA November 1991 (next to be held NA November 1993); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (18 total) Republicans 10, Democrats 6, Independent 2

Independence

none (commonwealth in political union with the US)

Judicial branch

Commonwealth Supreme Court, Superior Court, Federal District Court

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

bicameral Legislature

Member of

ESCAP (associate), SPC

Names

conventional long form: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands conventional short form: Northern Mariana Islands

National holiday

Commonwealth Day, 8 January (1978)

Political parties and leaders

Republican Party, Governor Lorenzo GUERRERO; Democratic Party, Carlos SHODA, chairman

Senate

elections last held NA November 1991 (next to be held NA November 1993); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (9 total) Republicans 6, Democrats 3

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections

Type

commonwealth in political union with the US; self-governing with locally elected governor, lieutenant governor, and legislature; federal funds to the Commonwealth administered by the US Department of the Interior, Office of Territorial and International Affairs

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)

Birth rate

35.05 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate

4.61 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Chamorro, Carolinians and other Micronesians, Caucasian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean

Infant mortality rate

37.96 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Labor force

7,476 total indigenous labor force, 2,699 unemployed; 21,188 foreign workers (1990) by occupation: NA

Languages

English, Chamorro, Carolinian note: 86% of population speaks a language other than English at home

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 67.43 years male: 65.53 years female: 69.48 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

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

Nationality

noun: NA adjective: NA

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population

49,799 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

3.04% (1994 est.)

Religions

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

Total fertility rate

2.69 children born/woman (1994 est.)