Northern Mariana Islands
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands
Sankattan Siha Na Islas Mariånas
Flag
Seal
Anthem: Gi Talo Gi Halom Tasi (Chamorro)
Satil Matawal Pacifiko (Carolinian)
Capital
Saipan
17°11′N 146°45′E / 17.183°N
146.75°E / 17.183; 146.75
Official
languages
English, Chamorro,
Carolinian
Government
Presidential
representative democracy
-
Head of State
Barack Obama[1]
-
Governor
Benigno R. Fitial
-
Lt. Governor
Eloy S. Inos
Commonwealth
in union with
United States
-
Covenant
1975
-
Commonwealth
status
1978
-
end of
trusteeship
1986
Area
-
Total
477 km2 (195th)
184.17 sq mi
- Water (%)
negligible
Population
-
July
2007 estimate
86,616 (198th)
-
Density
168/km2 (n/a)
63.8/sq mi
Currency
United States dollar (USD)
Time zone
(UTC+10)
Internet TLD
.mp
Calling code
+1-670
This article is about the Commonwealth
of the Northern Mariana Islands. For the
Mariana Archipelago, see Mariana
Islands. For the U.S. Territory of Guam
and the Island of Guam, see Guam.
The Northern Mariana Islands
/ˈnɔrðərn
mɛəriˈænə ˈaɪləndz/ , officially the Common-
wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
(CNMI), is a commonwealth in political union
with the United States, occupying a strategic
region of the western Pacific Ocean. It con-
sists of fifteen islands about three-quarters of
the way from Hawaii to the Philippines, at
15°1′2″N
145°4′5″E
/
15.01722°N
145.06806°E / 15.01722; 145.06806. The Un-
ited States Census Bureau reports the total
land area of all islands as 179.01 square
miles (463.63 km²).
The Northern Mariana Islands has a popu-
lation of 80,362 (2005 estimate). The official
2000 census count was 69,221.[2] Only three
of the fifteen islands, Saipan, Tinian and
Rota, have a significant population. The is-
lands of Agrihan and Alamagan have fewer
than ten residents, and the remaining ten is-
lands are unpopulated. The Northern Mari-
ana Islands have the lowest male to female
sex ratio in the world with an average of 76
men to every 100 women.[3] That is due to
the overwhelming female majority of foreign
workers, es