ernational agreements: NA

Geographic note: strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean

People
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Population: 52,284 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA

Population growth rate: 3.04% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 33.05 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 4.61 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: NA male(s)/female
under 15 years: NA male(s)/female
15-64 years: NA male(s)/female
65 years and over: NA male(s)/female
all ages: NA male(s)/female

Infant mortality rate: 37.96 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 67.43 years
male: 65.53 years
female: 69.48 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.69 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: NA
adjective: NA

Ethnic divisions: Chamorro, Carolinians and other Micronesians,
Caucasian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean

Religions: Christian (Roman Catholic majority, although
traditional beliefs and taboos may still be found)

Languages: English, Chamorro, Carolinian
note: 86% of population speaks a language other than English at home

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)
total population: 97%
male: 97%
female: 96%

Government
----------

Name of country:
conventional long form: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
conventional short form: Northern Mariana Islands

Data code: CQ

Type of government: commonwealth in political union with the US;
self-governing with locally elected governor, lieutenant governor,
and legislature; federal funds to the Commonwealth administered by
the US Department of the Interior, Office of Territorial and
International Affairs

Capital: Saipan

Administrative divisions: none

Independence: none (commonwealth in political union with the US)

National holiday: Commonwealth Day, 8 January (1978)

Constitution: Covenant Agreement effective 3 November 1986 and the
Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

Legal system: based on US system except for customs, wages,
immigration laws, and taxation

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal; indigenous inhabitants are
US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections

Executive branch:
chief of state: President (of the United States) William