Capital: Saipan
Languages: English, Chamorro and Carolinian (official)
Population: Above 61,200
Area: 463.63 Sq km
The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is one of two "Commonwealth (U.S. insular area)" Commonwealths of the United States, the other is Puerto Rico. It consists of fifteen islands in the western Pacific Ocean located about three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and the Philippines. Chamorro, Philippine languages, Chinese, English, and other languages are spoken.
The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands benefits from substantial subsidies and development assistance from the federal government of the United States. The economy also relies heavily on tourism, especially from Japan, and the rapidly dwindling garment manufacturing sector.