212 lines
17 KiB
Plaintext
212 lines
17 KiB
Plaintext
NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS
|
|
(commonwealth associated with the US)
|
|
GEOGRAPHY
|
|
Total area: 477 km2; land area: 477 km2; includes Saipan, Rota, and
|
|
Tinian
|
|
|
|
Comparative area: 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
|
|
|
|
Climate: tropical marine; moderated by northeast trade winds,
|
|
little seasonal temperature variation; dry season December to July, rainy
|
|
season July to October
|
|
|
|
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)
|
|
|
|
Natural resources: arable land, fish
|
|
|
|
Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures
|
|
19%; forest and woodland NA%; other NA%
|
|
|
|
Environment: Mt. Pagan is an active volcano (last erupted in
|
|
October 1988); subject to typhoons during the rainy season
|
|
|
|
Note: strategic location 5,635 km west-southwest of Honolulu in the
|
|
North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and
|
|
the Philippines
|
|
|
|
PEOPLE
|
|
Population: 23,494 (July 1991), growth rate 3.4% (1991)
|
|
|
|
Birth rate: 43 births/1,000 population (1991)
|
|
|
|
Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
|
|
|
|
Net migration rate: - 3 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
|
|
|
|
Infant mortality rate: 17 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
|
|
|
|
Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 70 years female (1991)
|
|
|
|
Total fertility rate: 5.8 children born/woman (1991)
|
|
Nationality: undetermined
|
|
|
|
Ethnic divisions: Chamorro majority; Carolinians and other
|
|
Micronesians; Spanish, German, Japanese admixtures
|
|
|
|
Religion: Christian with a Roman Catholic majority, although
|
|
traditional beliefs and taboos may still be found
|
|
|
|
Language: English, but Chamorro and Carolinian are also spoken in
|
|
the home and taught in school
|
|
|
|
Literacy: 96% (male 97%, female 96%) age 15 and over can
|
|
read and write (1980)
|
|
|
|
Labor force: 12,788 local; 18,799 foreign workers (1990 est.)
|
|
|
|
Organized labor: NA
|
|
|
|
GOVERNMENT
|
|
Long-form name: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
|
|
|
|
Type: commonwealth associated with the US and administered by the
|
|
Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the
|
|
Interior
|
|
|
|
Capital: Saipan
|
|
|
|
Administrative divisions: none
|
|
|
|
Independence: none (commonwealth associated with the US)
|
|
|
|
Constitution: Covenant Agreement effective 3 November 1986
|
|
|
|
Legal system: NA
|
|
|
|
National holiday: Commonwealth Day, 8 January (1978)
|
|
|
|
Executive branch: governor, lieutenant governor
|
|
|
|
Legislative branch: bicameral Legislature consists of an upper
|
|
house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
|
|
|
|
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
|
|
|
|
Leaders:
|
|
|
|
Chief of State--President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989);
|
|
Vice President Dan QUAYLE (since 20 January 1989);
|
|
|
|
Head of Government--Governor Lorenzo I. DeLeon GUERRERO
|
|
(since NA 1990);
|
|
Lieutenant Governor Benjamin T. MANGLONA (since NA 1990)
|
|
|
|
Political parties and leaders: Republican Party, Alonzo IGISOMAR;
|
|
Democratic Party, Felicidad OGUMORO
|
|
|
|
Suffrage: universal at age 18; indigenous inhabitants are US
|
|
citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
|
|
|
|
Elections:
|
|
|
|
Governor--last held on NA November 1989 (next to be held
|
|
November 1993);
|
|
results--Lorenzo I. DeLeon GUERRERO, Republican Party, was elected
|
|
governor;
|
|
|
|
Senate--last held on NA November 1989 (next to be held November
|
|
1991);
|
|
results--percent of vote by party NA;
|
|
seats--(9 total) number of seats by party NA;
|
|
|
|
House of Representatives--last held on NA November 1989 (next to
|
|
be held November 1991);
|
|
results--percent of vote by party NA;
|
|
seats--(15 total) number of seats by party NA;
|
|
|
|
US House of Representatives--last held NA November 1989 (next to
|
|
be held NA);
|
|
results--percent of vote by party NA;
|
|
seats--(1 total) party of nonvoting delegate NA
|
|
|
|
Member of: ESCAP (associate), SPC
|
|
|
|
Diplomatic representation: none
|
|
|
|
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
|
|
|
|
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. 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: $165 million, per capita $9,170; real growth rate NA% (1982)
|
|
|
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
|
|
|
|
Unemployment rate: NA%
|
|
|
|
Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $70.6 million, including capital
|
|
expenditures of $NA (1987)
|
|
|
|
Exports: $153.9 million (1989);
|
|
|
|
commodities--manufactured goods, garments;
|
|
|
|
partners--NA
|
|
|
|
Imports: $313.7 million, a 43% increase over previous year (1989);
|
|
|
|
commodities--NA;
|
|
|
|
partners--NA
|
|
External debt: none
|
|
|
|
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
|
|
|
|
Electricity: 25,000 kW capacity; 35 million kWh produced,
|
|
1,540 kWh per capita (1990)
|
|
|
|
Industries: tourism, construction, light industry, handicrafts
|
|
|
|
Agriculture: coffee, coconuts, fruits, tobacco, cattle
|
|
|
|
Economic aid: none
|
|
|
|
Currency: US currency is used
|
|
|
|
Exchange rates: US currency is used
|
|
|
|
Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
|
|
|
|
COMMUNICATIONS
|
|
Highways: 300 km total (53 km primary, 55 km secondary, 192 km
|
|
local)
|
|
|
|
Ports: Saipan, Rota, Tinian
|
|
|
|
Airports: 6 total, 4 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways;
|
|
none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with
|
|
runways 1,220-2,439 m
|
|
|
|
Telecommunications: stations--2 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 2 Pacific Ocean
|
|
INTELSAT earth stations
|
|
|
|
DEFENSE FORCES
|
|
Note: defense is the responsibility of the US
|
|
|
|
|