CIA World Fact Book, 2004/Northern Mariana Islands


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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 references: !| Area: note: includes 14 islands including Saipan, Rota, and Tinian water: 0 sq km land: 477 sq km !| Area - comparative: !| Land boundaries: !| Coastline: !| Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm !| Climate: !| Terrain: !| Elevation extremes: highest point: unnamed location on Agrihan 965 m !| Natural resources: !| Land use: permanent crops: 4.35% other: 82.61% (2001) !| Irrigated land: !| Natural hazards: !| Environment - current issues: !| Geography - note:
 * Oceania, islands in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines
 * 15 12 N, 145 45 E
 * Oceania
 * total: 477 sq km
 * 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
 * 0 km
 * 1,482 km
 * territorial sea: 12 nm
 * tropical marine; moderated by northeast trade winds, little seasonal temperature variation; dry season December to June, rainy season July to October
 * southern islands are limestone with level terraces and fringing coral reefs; northern islands are volcanic
 * lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
 * arable land, fish
 * arable land: 13.04%
 * NA sq km
 * active volcanoes on Pagan and Agrihan; typhoons (especially August to November)
 * contamination of groundwater on Saipan may contribute to disease; clean-up of landfill; protection of endangered species conflicts with development
 * strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean
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!| Population: !| Age structure: 15-64 years: 78.1% (male 25,579; female 35,534) 65 years and over: 1.6% (male 603; female 625) (2004 est.) !| Median age: male: 31.4 years female: 28.2 years (2004 est.) !| Population growth rate: !| Birth rate: !| Death rate: !| Net migration rate: !| Sex ratio: under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.72 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female total population: 0.79 male(s)/female (2004 est.) !| Infant mortality rate: female: 7.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 7.18 deaths/1,000 live births !| Life expectancy at birth: male: 73.11 years female: 78.38 years (2004 est.) !| Total fertility rate: !| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: !| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: !| HIV/AIDS - deaths: !| Nationality: adjective: NA !| Ethnic groups: !| Religions: !| Languages: note: 86% of population speaks a language other than English at home !| Literacy: total population: 97% male: 97% female: 96% (1980 est.)
 * 78,252 (July 2004 est.)
 * 0-14 years: 20.3% (male 8,286; female 7,625)
 * total: 29.2 years
 * 2.71% (2004 est.)
 * 19.77 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * 2.3 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * 9.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
 * total: 7.25 deaths/1,000 live births
 * total population: 75.67 years
 * 1.33 children born/woman (2004 est.)
 * NA
 * NA
 * NA
 * noun: NA
 * Chamorro, Carolinians and other Micronesians, Caucasian, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Korean
 * Christian (Roman Catholic majority, although traditional beliefs and taboos may still be found)
 * English, Chamorro, Carolinian
 * definition: age 15 and over can read and write
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!| Country name: conventional short form: Northern Mariana Islands former: Mariana Islands District (Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands) !| Dependency status: !| Government type: !| Capital: !| Administrative divisions: !| Independence: !| National holiday: !| Constitution: !| Legal system: !| Suffrage: !| Executive branch: head of government: Governor Juan N. BABAUTA (since NA January 2002); Lieutenant Governor Diego T. BENAVENTE (since NA 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 NA November 2001 (next to be held NA November 2005) election results: Juan N. BABAUTA elected governor in a four-way race; percent of vote - Juan N. BABAUTA (Republican Party) 49% !| Legislative branch: 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) 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) !| Judicial branch: !| Political parties and leaders: !| Political pressure groups and leaders: !| International organization participation: !| Flag description:
 * conventional long form: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
 * commonwealth in political union with the US; federal funds to the Commonwealth administered by the US Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs
 * commonwealth; self-governing with locally elected governor, lieutenant governor, and legislature
 * Saipan
 * 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
 * none (commonwealth in political union with the US)
 * Commonwealth Day, 8 January (1978)
 * Covenant Agreement effective 4 November 1986 and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands effective 1 January 1978
 * based on US system, except for customs, wages, immigration laws, and taxation
 * 18 years of age; universal; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
 * chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001)
 * 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)
 * Commonwealth Supreme Court; Superior Court; Federal District Court
 * Democratic Party [Dr. Carlos S. CAMACHO]; Republican Party [NA]; Covenant Party [Benigno R. FITIAL]
 * NA
 * Interpol (subbureau)
 * 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
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!| Economy - overview: !| GDP: note: GDP estimate includes US subsidy (2000 est.) !| GDP - real growth rate: !| GDP - per capita: !| GDP - composition by sector: industry: NA services: NA !| Population below poverty line: !| Household income or consumption by percentage share: highest 10%: NA !| Inflation rate (consumer prices): !| Labor force: !| Labor force - by occupation: !| Unemployment rate: !| Budget: expenditures: $223 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY01/02 est.) !| Agriculture - products: !| Industries: !| Industrial production growth rate: !| Electricity - production: !| Electricity - consumption: !| Electricity - exports: !| Electricity - imports: !| Exports: !| Exports - commodities: !| Exports - partners: !| Imports: !| Imports - commodities: !| Imports - partners: !| Debt - external: !| Economic aid - recipient: !| Currency: !| Currency code: !| Exchange rates: !| Fiscal year:
 * 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.
 * purchasing power parity - $900 million
 * NA
 * purchasing power parity - $12,500 (2000 est.)
 * agriculture: NA
 * NA
 * lowest 10%: NA
 * 1.2% (1997 est.)
 * 6,006 total indigenous labor force; 2,699 unemployed; 28,717 foreign workers (June 1995)
 * NA
 * NA
 * revenues: $193 million
 * coconuts, fruits, vegetables; cattle
 * tourism, construction, garments, handicrafts
 * NA
 * NA kWh
 * NA kWh
 * 0 kWh
 * 0 kWh
 * NA
 * garments
 * US (2000)
 * NA
 * food, construction equipment and materials, petroleum products
 * US, Japan (2000)
 * NA
 * extensive funding from US
 * US dollar (USD)
 * USD
 * the US dollar is used
 * 1 October - 30 September
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!| Telephones - main lines in use: !| Telephones - mobile cellular: !| Telephone system: domestic: NA international: country code - 1-670; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) !| Radio broadcast stations: !| Radios: !| Television broadcast stations: !| Televisions: !| Internet country code: !| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): !| Internet users:
 * 21,000 (2000)
 * 3,000 (2000)
 * general assessment: NA
 * AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 1 (1998)
 * NA
 * 1 (on Saipan and one station planned for Rota; in addition, two cable services on Saipan provide varied programming from satellite networks) (1997)
 * NA
 * .mp
 * 1 (2001)
 * NA
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!| Highways: paved: NA km unpaved: NA km (1991) !| Ports and harbors: !| Merchant marine: !| Airports: !| Airports - with paved runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) !| Airports - with unpaved runways: under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 !| Heliports:
 * total: 362 km
 * Saipan, Tinian
 * none
 * 6 (2003 est.)
 * total: 3
 * total: 2
 * 1 (2003 est.)
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!| Military - note:
 * defense is the responsibility of the US
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