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| Overview | People | Geography | Economy | Government | Communications | Transport | Military | Map |
| Country | Northern Mariana Islands |
| Flag |  |
| Capital | name: Saipan geographic coordinates: 15 12 N, 145 45 E time difference: UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Population | 88,662 (July 2009 est.) |
| GMT | +10 |
| Location | Oceania, islands in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines see map |
| Area | total: 477 sq km land: 477 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes 14 islands including Saipan, Rota, and Tinian |
| Ethnic groups | Asian 56.3%, Pacific islander 36.3%, Caucasian 1.8%, other 0.8%, mixed 4.8% (2000 census) |
| Religions | Christian (Roman Catholic majority, although traditional beliefs and taboos may still be found) |
| Languages | Philippine languages 24.4%, Chinese 23.4%, Chamorro 22.4%, English 10.8%, other Pacific island languages 9.5%, other 9.6% (2000 census) |
| Government type | commonwealth; self-governing with locally elected governor, lieutenant governor, and legislature |
| National holiday | Commonwealth Day, 8 January (1978) |
| Constitution | Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands effective 1 January 1978; Covenant Agreement fully effective 4 November 1986 |
| Legal system | based on US system, except for customs, wages, immigration laws, and taxation |
| Background | Under US administration as part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific, the people of the Northern Mariana Islands decided in the 1970s not to seek independence but instead to forge closer links with the US. Negotiations for territorial status began in 1972. A covenant to establish a commonwealth in political union with the US was approved in 1975, and came into force on 24 March 1976. A new government and constitution went into effect in 1978. |
| Internet country code | .mp |
