lephones: 1,087 (1983 est.)

Telephone system:
domestic: NA
international: radiotelephone service with Sydney (Australia)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios: 2,000 (1991 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 0

Televisions: 900 (1991 est.)

@Norfolk Island:Transportation

Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total: 80 km
paved: 53 km
unpaved: 27 km

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

Merchant marine: none

Airports: 1 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total : 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1996 est.)

Military

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of Australia

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none
______________________________________________________________________

NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS

(commonwealth in political union with the US)

@Northern Mariana Islands:Geography

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:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 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:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point : unnamed location on Agrihan 965 m

Natural resources: arable land, fish

Land use:
arable land : 21%
permanent crops: NA%
permanent pastures: 19%
forests and woodland: NA%
other: NA%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: active volcanoes on Pagan and Agrihan; typhoons
(especially August to November)

Environment - current issues: contamination of groundwater on Saipan
by raw sewage contributes to disease; clean-up of landfill; protection
of endangered species conflicts with development

Environment - international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA

Geography - note: strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean

@Northern Mariana Islands:People

Population: 53,552 (July 1997