ARCHIVE // MP // 1998

Northern Mariana Islands

1998 Edition — territory

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Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture-products) [time series]
coconuts, fruits, vegetables; cattle
Budget [time series]
revenues: $190.4 million expenditures: $190.4 million, including capital expenditures of $19.1 million (FY94/95)
Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]
1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Debt - external (Debt-external) [time series]
$NA
Economic aid [time series]
none
Economic overview (Economy-overview) [time series]
The economy benefits substantially from financial assistance from the US. The rate of funding has declined as locally generated government revenues have grown. An agreement for the years 1986 to 1992 entitled the islands to $228 million for capital development, government operations, and special programs. Since 1992, funding has been extended one year at a time. The commonwealth received $27.7 million from FY93/94 through FY95/96. For FY96/97 through FY02/03, funding of $11 million will be provided for infrastructure, with an equal local match. A rapidly growing chief source of income is the tourist industry, which now employs about 50% of the work force. Japanese tourists predominate. The agricultural sector is of minor importance and is made up of cattle ranches and small farms producing coconuts, breadfruit, tomatoes, and melons. Garment production is the fastest growing industry with employment of 12,000 mostly Chinese workers and shipments of $800 million to the US in 1997 under duty and quota exemptions.
Electricity - capacity (Electricity-capacity) [time series]
NA kW
Electricity - consumption per capita (Electricity-consumption per capita) [time series]
NA kWh
Electricity - production (Electricity-production) [time series]
NA kWh
Exchange rates [time series]
US currency is used
Exports [time series]
NA commodities: garments partners: NA
Fiscal year [time series]
1 October-30 September Communications
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]
purchasing power parity-$524 million (1994 est.) note: GDP numbers reflect US spending
GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP-composition by sector) [time series]
agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Real GDP per capita (GDP-per capita) [time series]
purchasing power parity-$10,500 (1994 est.)
Real GDP growth rate (GDP-real growth rate) [time series]
NA%
Imports [time series]
NA commodities: food, construction equipment and materials, petroleum products partners: US, Japan
Industrial production growth rate [time series]
NA%
Industries [time series]
tourism, construction, garments, handicrafts
Inflation rate (consumer prices) (Inflation rate-consumer price index) [time series]
6.5% (1994 est.)
Labor force [time series]
total: 7,476 total indigenous labor force; 2,699 unemployed; 22,560 foreign workers (1995) by occupation: NA
Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]
AM 2, FM 3
Radios [time series]
15,460 (1995 est.)
Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]
domestic: NA international: satellite earth stations-2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]
13,618 (1993 est.)
Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]
1 note: there is 1 cable TV station
Televisions [time series]
15,460 (1995 est.)
Unemployment rate [time series]
14% (residents)
Geography
Area [time series]
total: 477 sq km land: 477 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes 14 islands including Saipan, Rota, and Tinian
Area - comparative (Area-comparative) [time series]
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Climate [time series]
tropical marine; moderated by northeast trade winds, little seasonal temperature variation; dry season December to June, rainy season July to October
Coastline [time series]
1,482 km
Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Agrihan 965 m
Environment - current issues (Environment-current issues) [time series]
contamination of groundwater on Saipan may contribute to disease; clean-up of landfill; protection of endangered species conflicts with development
International environmental agreements (Environment-international agreements) [time series]
party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA
Geographic coordinates [time series]
15 12 N, 145 45 E
Geography - note (Geography-note) [time series]
strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean
Irrigated land [time series]
NA sq km
Land boundaries [time series]
0 km
Land use [time series]
arable land: 21% permanent crops: NA% permanent pastures: 19% forests and woodland: NA% other: NA%
Location [time series]
Oceania, islands in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines
Map references [time series]
Oceania
Maritime claims [time series]
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural hazards [time series]
active volcanoes on Pagan and Agrihan; typhoons (especially August to November)
Natural resources [time series]
arable land, fish
Terrain [time series]
southern islands are limestone with level terraces and fringing coral reefs; northern islands are volcanic
Government
Administrative divisions [time series]
none
Constitution [time series]
Covenant Agreement effective 4 November 1986 and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Country name [time series]
conventional long form: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands conventional short form: Northern Mariana Islands
Data code [time series]
CQ
Dependency status [time series]
commonwealth in political union with the US; federal funds to the Commonwealth administered by the US Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs
Executive branch [time series]
chief of state: President of the US William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January 1993); Vice President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993) head of government: Governor Pedro P. TENORIO (since NA January 1998) and Lieutenant Governor Jesus R. SABLAN (since NA January 1998) cabinet: NA elections: governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held in NA November 1997 (next to be held NA November 2001) election results: Pedro P. TENORIO elected governor of Northern Mariana Islands in three-way race; percent of vote-Pedro P. TENORIO (Republican) 47%
Flag (Flag description) [time series]
blue with a white five-pointed star superimposed on the gray silhouette of a latte stone (a traditional foundation stone used in building) in the center, surrounded by a wreath
Government type [time series]
commonwealth; self-governing with locally elected governor, lieutenant governor, and legislature
Independence [time series]
none (commonwealth in political union with the US)
International organization participation [time series]
ESCAP (associate), SPC
Judicial branch [time series]
Commonwealth Supreme Court; Superior Court; Federal District Court
Legal system [time series]
based on US system except for customs, wages, immigration laws, and taxation
Legislative branch [time series]
bicameral Legislature consists of the Senate (9 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year staggered terms) and the House of Representatives (18 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms) elections: Senate-last held NA November 1997 (next to be held NA November 1999); House of Representatives-last held NA November 1997 (next to be held NA November 1999) election results: Senate-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-NA (Republicans retained a majority of the seats); House of Representatives-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-NA (Republicans retained a majority of the seats) note: the Commonwealth does not have a nonvoting delegate in Congress; instead, it has an elected official or "resident representative" located in Washington, DC; seats by party-Republican 1 (Juan N. BABAUTA)
Capital (National capital) [time series]
Saipan
National holiday [time series]
Commonwealth Day, 8 January (1978)
Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]
Republican Party, Benigno R. FITIAL, leader; Democratic Party, chairman (currently vacant)
Suffrage [time series]
18 years of age; universal; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
Military
Military - note (Military-note) [time series]
defense is the responsibility of the US
People
Age structure [time series]
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.)
Birth rate [time series]
22.81 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate [time series]
2.28 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Ethnic groups [time series]
Chamorro, Carolinians and other Micronesians, Caucasian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean
Infant mortality rate [time series]
6.53 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Languages [time series]
English, Chamorro, Carolinian note: 86% of population speaks a language other than English at home
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
total population: 75.82 years male: 72.76 years female: 79.08 years (1998 est.)
Literacy [time series]
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97% male: 97% female: 96% (1980 est.)
Nationality [time series]
noun: NA adjective: NA
Net migration rate [time series]
21.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Population [time series]
66,561 (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate [time series]
4.2% (1998 est.)
Religions [time series]
Christian (Roman Catholic majority, although traditional beliefs and taboos may still be found)
Sex ratio [time series]
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.)
Total fertility rate [time series]
1.89 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international (Disputes-international) [time series]
none NORWAY
Transportation
Airports [time series]
5 (1997 est.)
Airports - with paved runways (Airports-with paved runways) [time series]
total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (1997 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways (Airports-with unpaved runways) [time series]
total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Heliports [time series]
1 (1997 est.)
Roadways (Highways) [time series]
total: 362 km (1991 est.) paved: NA km unpaved: NA km
Merchant marine [time series]
none
Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]
Saipan, Tinian
Railways [time series]
0 km
Waterways [time series]
none