t.)

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

Geography - note: strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean

People Northern Mariana Islands

Population: 77,311 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 23.4% (male 9,208; female 8,902) 15-64 years:
74.8% (male 27,041; female 30,781) 65 years and over: 1.8% (male 690;
female 689) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.49% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 20.29 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 2.42 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: 17.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.88 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
1 male(s)/female total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 5.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 79.23 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 1.76 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Nationality: noun: NA adjective: NA

Ethnic groups: Chamorro, Carolinians and other Micronesians, Caucasian,
Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, 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: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 97% male: 97% female: 96% (1980 est.)

Government Northern Mariana Islands

Country name: conventional long form: Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands conventional short form: Northern Mariana Islands former:
Mariana Islands District (Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands)

Dependency status: commonwealth in political union with the US;
federal funds to the Commonwealth administered by the US Department of
the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs

Government type: commonwealth; self-governing with locally elected
governor, lieutenant governor, and legislature

Capital: Saipan

Administrative divisions: none (commonwealth in pol