The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, is an unincorporated territory and commonwealth of the United States consisting of 14 islands in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. The CNMI includes the 14 northernmost islands in the Mariana Archipelago; the southernmost island, Guam, is a separate U.S. territory. The Northern Mariana Islands were listed by the United Nations as a non-self governing territory until 1990. The Northern Marianas were part of U.N. Trust after WW2, previously they had been under control the Spanish (1500s-1899), German (1899-1914), and Japanese (1914-1944); in the late 20th century they eventually settled on joining the United States. This process was completed in the late 20th century and recognized internationally, and the people of the Northern Marianas became United States citizens by their choice in 1986. They have one Federal representative in Congress. The other U.S. Pacific territories with significant populations are Guam, American Samoa, and the State of Hawaii. The population of the Northern Mariana's is several times smaller than the a U.S. State so its representation is handled differently, in that they have more autonomy with Governor and congress, but less participation in the Federal government. They are U.S. Citizens with free movement around the United States and have access to many federal programs, but don't pay federal income tax. The Northern Marianas are near to but separate from Guam which became a part of the USA since 1898. Together Guam, CNMI, American Samoa, and Hawaii represent Pacific peoples of the United States tying together many of assets such as marine reserves, atolls, and islands dotting the Pacific.
Saipan is the largest island and capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, a commonwealth of the United States in the western Pacific Ocean. According to 2020 estimates by the United States Census Bureau, the population of Saipan was 43,385, a decline of 10% from its 2010 count of 48,220.
Tinian is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Together with uninhabited neighboring Aguiguan, it forms Tinian Municipality, one of the four constituent municipalities of the Northern Marianas. Tinian's largest village is San Jose. Tinian is just south of the most inhabited island Saipan, but north of even less populated Rota to the south. The island is home to many WW2 historical sites, cattle ranches, and beaches. There was a Casino that operated from 1998-2016 but shutdown. The main access to Saipan is by a short airplane ride.
The Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives is the lower house of the Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature.
The Northern Mariana Islands Senate is the upper house of the Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature. The Senate consists of nine senators representing three senatorial districts, each a multi-member constituency with three senators.
Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan is a Northern Mariana Islander politician and former election commissioner. Elected in 2008, Sablan became the first delegate to the United States House of Representatives from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Sablan is the only Chamorro member of Congress.
The Refaluwasch people are a Micronesian ethnic group who originated in Oceania, in the Caroline Islands, with a total population of over 8,500 people in northern Mariana. They are also known as Remathau in the Yap's outer islands. The Carolinian word means "People of the Deep Sea." It is thought that their ancestors may have originally immigrated from Asia, Indonesia, Melanesia and to Micronesia around 2,000 years ago. Their primary language is Carolinian, called Refaluwasch by native speakers, which has a total of about 5,700 speakers. The Refaluwasch have a matriarchal society in which respect is a very important factor in their daily lives, especially toward the matriarchs. Most Refaluwasch are of the Roman Catholic faith.
Typhoon Tingting was a destructive tropical cyclone that produced record-breaking rains in Guam. The eighth named storm of the 2004 Pacific typhoon season, Tingting originated from a tropical depression over the open waters of the western Pacific Ocean. The storm gradually intensified as it traveled northwest, becoming a typhoon on June 28 and reaching its peak the following day while passing through the Mariana Islands. After maintaining typhoon intensity for three days, a combination of dry air and cooler sea surface temperatures caused the storm to weaken as it traveled northward. On July 1, the storm passed by the Bonin Islands, off the coast of Japan, before moving out to sea. By July 4, Tinting had transitioned into an extratropical cyclone. The remnants were last reported by the Japan Meteorological Agency, the Regional Specialized Meteorological Center for the western Pacific basin, near the International Date Line on July 13.
Ralph Deleon Guerrero Torres is a Northern Marianan politician, who served as the ninth governor of the Northern Mariana Islands, from December 29, 2015, to January 9, 2023. He is a Republican from Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The third longest-serving governor in CNMI history, Torres took office upon the death of Governor Eloy Inos on December 29, 2015, before being reelected as governor in his own right in 2018. He previously served as the tenth lieutenant governor, having been elected to that post in 2014.
The 2018 Northern Mariana gubernatorial election took place on Tuesday, November 13, 2018, to elect the Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands and the Lieutenant Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands to a four-year term in office. Incumbent Republican governor Ralph Torres, who ascended to governorship in December 2015 following the death of Governor Eloy Inos, sought election to a full term.
The 2022 Pacific Mini Games was held in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands. It was the eleventh edition of the Pacific Mini Games and the first to be hosted by the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands. This event was originally going to be held in 2021, but was postponed to 2022 due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Angel Aldan Demapan is a Northern Mariana Islands politician affiliated with the Republican Party.
The 2018 Northern Mariana Islands general election was held on Tuesday, November 13, 2018, corresponding with the 2018 United States midterm elections. Originally scheduled to take place on Tuesday, November 6, 2018, the elections were delayed by one week due to the impact and aftermath of Typhoon Yutu. Early voting was held from Tuesday, November 6, until Monday, November 12, 2018. An estimated 18,975 voters were eligible to vote in the 2018 election.
The NMI Museum of History and Culture, also known as the NMI Museum, is a museum in Garapan, Saipan hosting exhibitions about the Chamorro and Carolinian people and also displays artifacts, documents, textiles, and photographs from the Spanish, German, Japanese, and American periods in the Northern Mariana Islands. The museum has repatriated a significant number of historic objects from the Marianas that were held nationally and internationally in private collections and by foreign museums, companies, and militaries. More than one million dollars has been invested in its collections. The historical buildings on the grounds have been renovated to preserve them, prevent further deterioration, and safeguard visitors. The museum is located across from Sugar King Park.
The Garapan Heritage Trail is located in Garapan, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands. The cultural heritage trail project is supported through grants awarded to the Northern Marianas Humanities Council by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Office of Insular Affairs, United States Department of the Interior.
Sugar King Park is a municipal park located in Garapan, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands across from the NMI Museum of History and Culture. The park was named in honor of the "Sugar King" Haruji Matsue, director of the South Seas Development Company.
The 2022 Northern Mariana gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 2022 to elect the governor of the Northern Mariana Islands and the lieutenant governor of the Northern Mariana Islands to a four-year term in office. Because no candidate received 50% of the vote in the general election, the two highest-placing candidates advanced to a runoff election on November 25, 2022.
Typhoon Cimaron was a typhoon that caused minimal impacts in the Mariana Islands and Japan in August 2018. The twenty-third depression, twenty-first named storm, eleventh severe tropical storm, and seventh typhoon of the 2018 Pacific typhoon season, Cimaron developed from a tropical depression near the Marshall Islands on August 16. The depression soon became Tropical Storm Cimaron on August 18. Cimaron gradually intensified into a typhoon on August 21, and rapidly reached its peak intensity the next day. Cimaron then weakened before making two landfalls in Japan as a Category 1 typhoon on August 23. Cimaron continued to weaken until it became an extratropical cyclone and dissipated on August 24.
David Mundo Apatang is a Northern Mariana Islander politician who is serving as the 13th lieutenant governor of the Northern Mariana Islands since 2023. He previously served as the mayor of Saipan from January 12, 2015 to January 8, 2023. As a Republican, Apatang formerly served in the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives. Apatang was elected lieutenant governor of the Northern Mariana Islands in the 2022 election on an independent ticket headed by Arnold Palacios.
Christina Marie Elise Sablan, also known as Tina Sablan, is a Northern Marianan politician and former news anchor in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). A member of the Democratic Party, Sablan was a member of the Commonwealth House of Representatives, representing Precinct Two.
