2 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 may
contribute 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: 66,561 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 24% (male 8,110; female 7,869)
15-64 years: 74% (male 23,847; female 25,659)
65 years and over: 2% (male 518; female 558) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 4.2% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 22.81 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 2.28 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: 21.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 6.53 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.82 years
male: 72.76 years
female: 79.08 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.89 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality:
noun: NA
adjective: NA

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

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

Languag