Saipan

Saipan – the largest island of the Northern Marians (dependent territory of the USA) located in the western Pacific Ocean, about 200 km north of Guam. There is the capital of the territory – Capitol Hill. Island states, together with an island Aguijan administrative districts of the Northern Marians – Saipan. Size: 20 km x 9 km Area: 120 km ² Population (2000): 62.392. Location: 15 ° 15’N 145 ° 45 ‘W The northern part of the island has a beach and reefs rafę, the east coast of the rocky cliffs. The highest point of the island is expired cone volcano Mount Tapochau (474 m). Most drinking water on the island comes from desalination. Some of the island city: Dandan, Garapan, Navy Hill.

Maug Islands

On Maug Islands consist of three wsypy that surround kalderę ancient volcano. Niezamieszkane remain, as a part of the district administrative Northern Marians Islands Północnych.Strome cliffs surround the island and the islands north and east is dominated columns bazaltowymi reminders of tombstones. Vegetation is mostly grass and a few coconut palms.

During World War II Maug Islands were Japanese-based station weather reports.

Political status

In 1947, the Northern Mariana Islands became part of the post-World War II United Nations Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI). The United States became the TTPI’s administering authority under the terms of a trusteeship agreement. In 1976, Congress approved the mutually negotiated Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) in Political Union with the United States. The CNMI Government adopted its own constitution in 1977, and the constitutional government took office in January 1978. The Covenant was fully implemented November 3, 1986, pursuant to Presidential Proclamation no. 5564, which conferred United States citizenship on legally qualified CNMI residents.

On December 22, 1990, the Security Council of the United Nations terminated the TTPI as it applied to the CNMI and five other of the TTPI’s original seven districts (the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia (Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei and Yap)).

Climate

The islands have a tropical marine climate moderated by seasonal northeast trade winds. There is little seasonal temperature variation; the dry season runs from December to June, and the rainy season from July to November and can include typhoons.

The Guinness Book of World Records has cited Saipan as having the most equable temperature in the world.

Economy

The Commonwealth of 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, especially from Japan, and the rapidly dwindling garment manufacturing sector. The tourism industry has also been dwindling since late 2005. Since late 2006, tourist arrivals fell 15.23 percent (73,000 potential visitors) from the eleven months prior.

The Northern Mariana Islands has successfully used its position as a free trade area with the U.S., while at the same time not being subject to the same labor laws. For example, the $3.05 per hour minimum wage in the Commonwealth, which lasted from 1997 to 2007, was lower than in the U.S. and some other worker protections are weaker, leading to lower production costs. That allows garments to be labeled “Made in USA” without having to comply with all U.S. labor laws. However, the U.S. minimum wage law signed by President Bush on May 25, 2007, will result in stepped increases in the Northern Marianas’ minimum wage to reach U.S. level by 2015.^[10] The first step (to $3.55) became effective July 25, 2007, and a yearly increase of $0.50 will take effect every May thereafter until the CNMI minimum wage equals the nationwide minimum wage.

In the extreme, the island’s exemption from U.S. labor laws has led to many alleged exploitations including recent claims of sweatshops, child labor, child prostitution and even forced abortions.

A separate immigration system outside of federal U.S. control has resulted in a large number of Chinese migrant workers (about 15,000 during the peak years) employed in the Islands’ garment trade. However, the lifting of World Trade Organization restrictions on Chinese imports to the US has put the Commonwealth-based trade under severe pressure, leading to a number of recent factory closures. Adding to the U.S.-imposed scheduled wage increases, the garment industry is expected to become extinct by 2009.^[13]

Agricultural production, primarily of tapioca, cattle, coconuts, breadfruit, tomatoes, and melons exists, but is relatively unimportant in the economy.

When to Go

The best time to visit the Northern Marianas is during the dry months of December to March. That’s also the high season, and prices will be higher. It may be wise to avoid going during traditional Japanese holiday seasons: from Christmas through the first week of January; Golden Week, the last week of April and the first week of May; and Obon (August). If you do go at one of these times, be sure to book well in advance and be prepared to stay in more obscure accommodations. It’s also difficult to get flights during the Christmas season, as many far-flung islanders return home during the holidays.

Saipan

Saipan is the largest island and capital of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean (15°10’51”N, 145°45’21”E) with a total area of 115.39 km² (44.55 sq mi). The 2000 census population was 62,392.^[1]

Located at latitude of 15.25° north and longitude of 145.75° east, about 200 km (120 mi) north of Guam, Saipan is about 20 km (12.5 mi) long and 9 km (5.5 mi) wide. It is a popular tourist destination in the Pacific.

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. Its highest point is a limestone covered mountain called Mount Tapochau at 474 m (1,554 ft). Many people consider Mount Tapochau to be an extinct volcano, but is in fact a limestone formation.^[2] To the north of Mount Tapochau towards Banzai Cliff is a ridge of hills. Mount Achugao, situated about 2 miles North, has been interpreted to be a remnant of a stratified composite volcanic cone whose Eocene center was not far north of the present peak.^[3]

Besides English, the indigenous Chamorro language is spoken by approximately 19 percent of the inhabitants.^{[citation needed]} The current governor of the CNMI is Benigno Fitial, who is the successor of Juan Babauta. The island also has many other large, strongly defined lingual and ethnic groups because of the large percentage of contract workers (60% of total population, as of 2001^[4]) from China, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia. In addition, a large percentage of the island’s population includes first-generation immigrants from Japan, China, and Korea, and immigrants from many of the other Micronesian islands.

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), is a commonwealth in political union with the United States located at a strategic location in the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines, at 15°1′2″N, 145°4′5″E. The United States Census Bureau reports the total land area of all islands as 179.01 sq mi (463.63 km²).

The Northern Mariana Islands has a population of 80,362 (2005 estimate). The official 2000 census count was 69,221.^[2] The Northern Mariana Islands have the lowest male to female sex ratio in the world: an average of 76 men to every 100 women.^[3] That is due to the overwhelming female majority of foreign workers, especially in the garment industry.