The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), is an unincorporated territory and commonwealth of the United States consisting of the 14 northern islands of the Mariana Archipelago in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. The southernmost, 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.

Northern Mariana Islands
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Sankattan Siha Na Islas Mariånas (Chamorro) Commonwealth Téél Falúw kka Efáng llól Marianas (Carolinian)
Flag Seal
Anthem: "Gi Talo Gi Halom Tasi" (Chamorro) "Satil Matawal Pacifiko" (Carolinian) ("In the Middle of the Sea") (regional) "The Star-Spangled Banner" (official)
Location of the Northern Mariana Islands (circled in red)
Sovereign state	United States
Before association with the United States	Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
Commonwealth status	January 9, 1978
End of U.N. Trusteeship	November 4, 1986
Capital and largest city	Saipan 15°11′N 145°44′E / 15.19°N 145.74°E / 15.19; 145.74
Official languages	English Chamorro Carolinian
Other languages	Tagalog
Ethnic groups (2023)	35.3% Filipino 23.9% Chamorro 6.8% Chinese 4.6% Refaluwasch 4.2% Korean 6.4% other Pacific Islander 3.78% other Asian 15.1% other
Religion (2010)	81.3% Christianity 10.6% Buddhism 5.3% folk religions 1.0% no religion 0.7% Islam 1.1% other
Demonym(s)	Northern Mariana Islander (formal) Northern Marianan (other) Marianan (diminutive form) Chamorro (colloquial)
Government	Devolved presidential constitutional dependency
• President	Donald Trump (R)
• Governor	David M. Apatang (I)
• Lieutenant Governor	Dennis C. Mendiola (R)
Legislature	Commonwealth Legislature
• Upper house	Senate
• Lower house	House of Representatives
United States Congress
• House delegate	Kimberlyn King-Hinds (R)
Area
• Total	464 km2 (179 sq mi)
• Water (%)	negligible
Highest elevation (Mount Agrihan)	965 m (3,166 ft)
Population
• 2022 estimate	55,650 (209th)
• 2020 census	47,329
• Density	113/km2 (292.7/sq mi) (97th)
GDP (PPP)	2016 estimate
• Total	$1.24 billion
• Per capita	$25,516
GDP (nominal)	2019 estimate
• Total	$1.18 billion
• Per capita	$21,239
HDI (2017)	0.875 very high
Currency	United States dollar (US$) (USD)
Time zone	UTC+10:00 (ChST)
Date format	mm/dd/yyyy
Driving side	Right
Calling code	+1
USPS abbreviation	MP
Trad. abbreviation	CNMI
ISO 3166 code	MP US-MP
Internet TLD	.mp

During the colonial period, the Northern Marianas were variously under the control of the Spanish, German, and Japanese empires. After World War II, the islands were part of the United Nations trust territories under American administration before formally joining the United States as a territory in 1986, with their population gaining United States citizenship.

Their area is 183.5 square miles (475.26 km²). In 2020, 47,329 people lived in the CNMI. The vast majority of the population resides on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. The other Northern Mariana islands are sparsely inhabited; the most notable among these is Pagan, which has been largely uninhabited since a 1981 volcanic eruption.

The administrative center is Capitol Hill, a village in northwestern Saipan. The current governor of the CNMI is David M. Apatang, who was elevated from lieutenant governor on July 23, 2025, following the death in office of Arnold Palacios who had served as governor since January 2023. The legislative branch has a nine-member Senate and a 20-member House of Representatives.