The Northern Mariana Islands is one of two insular areas that are Commonwealths of the United States; the other is Puerto Rico. It consists of fifteen islands in the western Pacific Ocean located about three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and the Philippines. Head of State is the US President.
The Commonwealth’s center of government is in the village of Capital Hill on Saipan. As the island is governed as a single municipality, most publications name Saipan as the Commonwealth’s capital.
The Northern Mariana Islands benefits from substantial subsidies and development assistance from the federal government of the United States. The economy also relies heavily on tourism. Agricultural production, primarily of tapioca, cattle, coconuts, breadfruit, tomatoes, and melons, exists, but is relatively unimportant in the economy.
The first European exploration of the area was in 1521 by Ferdinand Magellan, who landed on nearby Guam and claimed the islands for Spain. The Spanish ships were met offshore by the native Chamorros, who delivered refreshments and then helped themselves to a small boat belonging to Magellan’s fleet. This led to a cultural clash, since in Chamorro tradition there was little private property and taking something one needed, such as a boat for fishing, was not considered stealing. The Spanish did not understand this custom. The Spanish fought against the local Chamorro until the boat was recovered. Three days after he had been welcomed on his arrival, Magellan fled the archipelago under attack.
Saipan is the second largest island in the Mariana Islands archipelago, after Guam. It is located about 120 mi (190 km) north of Guam and 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) northeast of Tinian, from which it is separated by the Saipan Channel and has 44,000 inhabitants. The highest elevation on Saipan is a limestone-covered mountain called Mount Tapochau at 1,560 ft (480 m). Unlike many of the mountains in the Mariana Islands, it is not an extinct volcano, but is a limestone formation.
The western side of the island is lined with sandy beaches and an offshore coral reef which creates a large lagoon. The eastern shore is composed primarily of rugged rocky cliffs and a reef.
Travel to and from the island is available from several airlines via Saipan International Airport. A ferry also operates between Saipan and Tinian, its smaller neighboring island 5 miles to the south. Taxis are available.
Together with uninhabited neighboring Aguijan, it forms Tinian Municipality, one of the four constituent municipalities of the Northern Marianas. Tinian’s largest village is San Jose. It’s population is at 3,100. It has a land area of 39 square miles (100 km2), with its highest elevation at Mount Lasso at 171 metres (561 ft).
Tinian was not garrisoned by the Japanese military until the latter stages of World War II, when the Japanese realized its strategic importance as a base for American B-29 Superfortress bombers. Immediately after its seizure by the United States, construction work began on one of the largest airbases of World War II, which covered the entire island, excepting its three highland areas. It was from North Field that the bombers Enola Gay and Bockscar from the 509th Composite Group carrying the atomic bombs Little Boy and Fat Man were launched against Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
One of the curious island stories is, that Japanese soldier Murata Susumu was captured in a hut on Tinian in 1953, who had remained there since the end of World War II at his post, unaware that the war had ended eight years before.
The island has a variety of flora and fauna, and limestone cliffs and caves. The Tinian Monarch is the island’s only endemic bird species and it is threatened by habitat loss. There is a variety of marine life and coral reefs surrounding the island. Its clear, warm waters are ideal for snorkeling, scuba diving and sport fishing.
Rota, also known as the “Peaceful Island”, is the southernmost island of the Northern Mariana Islands and the second southernmost of the Marianas Archipelago. It lies approximately 40 nautical miles (74 km) north-northeast of Guam. Songsong village is the largest and most populated followed by Sinapalo village.
Rota is approximately 11 miles (18 km) long and 3 miles (4.8 km) wide. Its coastline is about 38 miles (61 km) long. The highest point on Rota is Mt. Manira which is 495 metres (1,624 ft). Rota is 47 nautical miles (87 km) north of Guam, and is 63 nautical miles (117 km) south of Tinian and is 73 nautical miles (135 km) south of Saipan. Rota has diverse flora and fauna.
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