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Northern Mariana Islands: Quick Facts

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A brewing Pacific storm could become one of the planet’s strongest this year • Oct. 15, 2026, 7:30 PM ET (Washington Post)

Facts

Also Known As Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands • Northern Marianas
Head Of Government Governor: David M. Apatang
Population (2026 est.) 43,600
Currency Exchange Rate 1 US dollar equals 0.904 euro
Seat Of Government on Saipan2
Head Of State President of the United States: Donald Trump
Official Languages Chamorro; Carolinian; English
Official Religion none
Official Name Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Total Area (Sq Km) 472
Total Area (Sq Mi) 182
Monetary Unit dollar (U.S.$)
Population Rank (2026) 215
Population Projection 2030 53,900
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi (2026) 239.6
Density: Persons Per Sq Km (2026) 92.4
Urban-Rural Population Urban: (2024) 92.2% • Rural: (2024) 7.8%
Life Expectancy At Birth Male: 0 years • Female: 0 years
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000) 1,242
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$) 23,047
Political Status self-governing commonwealth in association with the United States, having two legislative houses (Senate [9]; House of Representatives [20])1
1In November 2008 residents elected their first nonvoting delegate to the U.S. Congress.2Executive and legislative branches meet at Capital Hill; the judiciary meets at Susupe.

Photos

Northern Mariana Islands
Map of the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory in the western Pacific Ocean, showing the chain of islands including Saipan, Tinian, Rota, and several smaller northern islands. The map features major settlements, elevation points such as Mount Tapochao and Mount Pagan, and highlights the islands' locations relative to the Philippine Sea and Guam. An inset provides a close-up of Saipan Island with key towns and geographic features labeled.
Map of the western Pacific region highlighting the Northern Mariana Islands in orange. The map shows surrounding island nations and territories, including Guam, Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands, as well as larger landmasses such as Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. The Pacific Ocean and several U.S., French, New Zealand, and U.K. territories are labeled.
Map of the Pacific Islands region showing political boundaries, major island groups, and countries such as Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa, French Polynesia, and Kiribati. The map uses color shading to indicate elevation and ocean depth, with key islands and capitals labeled throughout the central and southwestern Pacific Ocean.
Population-density map of Pacific island countries and territories, with darker shading indicating more people per square kilometer. Naoero is the most densely populated, while many larger island groups, including Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and French Polynesia, have lower densities.
U.S. Marines on Saipan, Mariana Islands, 1944
Rota
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Related Topics and References

Topics

Related Places

Map of the Pacific Ocean showing depth contours in varying shades of blue, major submarine features such as trenches, ridges, and basins labeled throughout the ocean, and neighboring landmasses including Asia, Australia, North and South America. Principal cities along the Pacific rim and island groups are marked, along with international boundaries.
Pacific Ocean
body of water
Bairiki islet
Micronesian culture
cultural region, Pacific Ocean
default image
Pagan
island, North Mariana Islands
World map highlighting the territories of the United States, including areas in the Pacific Ocean such as Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, and several minor islands and atolls, as well as Caribbean territories like Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Navassa Island. The mainland United States and Alaska are also shaded, with exclusive economic zones marked in light blue.
Territories of the United States
United States history
Political map of Australia and Oceania showing Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and numerous Pacific island nations and territories. Countries and territories such as Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Kiribati are labeled, along with territories administered by the United States, United Kingdom, France, and New Zealand. Surrounding bodies of water, including the Pacific Ocean, Coral Sea, and Tasman Sea, are also marked.
Oceania
region, Pacific Ocean
Saipan
Saipan
island, Northern Mariana Islands
Agrihan, Northern Mariana Islands
Agrihan
island, Northern Mariana Islands
Enola Gay
Tinian
island, Northern Mariana Islands
Rota
Rota
island, Northern Mariana Islands
United States
United States
country, North America
Map of the Pacific Ocean showing the boundaries of the former United States Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, which includes present-day Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, and Marshall Islands. Neighboring island nations and territories such as Hawaii, Midway, American Samoa, French Polynesia, and Papua New Guinea are also labeled for geographic context.
Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
former United States territory, Pacific Ocean
Tumon Bay
Mariana Islands
islands, Pacific Ocean

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