e - 672; undersea coaxial cable links with
Australia, New Zealand, and Canada; satellite earth station

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2005)

Radios:
2,500 (1996)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (local programming station plus two repeaters that bring in
Australian programs by satellite) (2005)

Televisions:
1,200 (1996)

Internet country code:
.nf

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)

Internet users:
700

Transportation Norfolk Island

Highways:
total: 80 km
paved: 53 km
unpaved: 27 km (2001)

Ports and harbors:
none; loading jetties at Kingston and Cascade

Airports:
1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Military Norfolk Island

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Australia

Transnational Issues Norfolk Island

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

======================================================================

@Northern Mariana Islands

Introduction Northern Mariana Islands

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.

Geography Northern Mariana Islands

Location:
Oceania, islands in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters
of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines

Geographic coordinates:
15 12 N, 145 45 E

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 477 sq km
land: 477 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes 14 islands including Saipan, Rota, and Tinian

Area - comparative:
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
1,482 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical marine; moderated by northeast trade winds, little
seasonal temperature variation; dry season December to June, rainy
season July to October

Terrain:
southern islands are limestone with level terraces and fringing
coral reefs; northern islands are volcanic

Elevation extremes:
lowe