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 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.
Northern Mariana Islands | |
|---|---|
| Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Sankattan Siha Na Islas Mariånas (Chamorro) Commonwealth Téél Falúw kka Efáng llól Marianas (Carolinian) | |
| Anthem: "Gi Talo Gi Halom Tasi" (Chamorro) "Satil Matawal Pacifiko" (Carolinian) ("In the Middle of the Sea") (regional) "The Star-Spangled Banner" (official) | |
_(small_islands_magnified).svg) Location of the Northern Mariana Islands (circled in red) | |
| Country |  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 |
| Official languages | |
| Other languages | Tagalog |
| Ethnic groups (2023) |
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| Religion (2010) |
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| Demonym(s) | Northern Mariana Islander (formal) Northern Marianan (other) Marianan (diminutive form) Chamorro (colloquial) |
| Government | Devolved presidential constitutional dependency |
| Donald Trump (R) | |
• Governor | David M. Apatang (I) |
| Dennis C. Mendiola (R) | |
| Legislature | Commonwealth Legislature |
| Senate | |
| House of Representatives | |
| United States Congress | |
| Kimberlyn King-Hinds (R) | |
| Area | |
• Total | 464 km2 (179 sq mi) |
• Water (%) | negligible |
| Highest elevation | 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 | |
| Internet TLD | .mp |
| Website | gov |
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.
The United States Department of the Interior cites a landmass of 183.5 square miles (475.26 km2). According to the 2020 United States census, 47,329 people were living in the CNMI at the time. The vast majority of the population resides on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. The other islands of the Northern Marianas 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.
