The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), is a commonwealth in political union with the United States located at a strategic location in the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 14 islands.

The CNMI is approximately 1,458 miles southeast of Tokyo, Japan; 1,654 miles east of Manila, Philippines; 1,703 east of Taipei, Taiwan; 1,900 miles southeast of Hong Kong; 2,200 miles southeast of Seoul, Korea; 2,900 miles north of Sydney, Australia; and 3,200 miles west of Honolulu, Hawaii.

ABOUT THE CNMI

Studying at the University of Loyola at CNMI provides international students the opportunity to experience the tropical paradise that is the 14-island chain of the CNMI in the Western Pacific.

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) is a U.S. territory in the Pacific that combines the charm of a tropical paradise and the comfort of modern living.

It is about as far away from the U. S. west coast as, for example, Washington, D.C. is from Cairo, Egypt. While the CNMI is a western oriented culture, it is situated in the Eastern Hemisphere and is about as far west of the United States as one can get and still remain under the flag. They are as distant as Tokyo or Melbourne and about the same distance north of the equator as Manila.

The CNMI’s three most populated islands are Rota (50 miles north of Guam), Tinian (140 miles north of Guam), and Saipan (150 miles north of Guam).

The other smaller islands have a combined land area of 55.3 square miles. With the exception of Pagan, site of an active volcano, the remaining smaller northern islands are either uninhabited or have extremely small populations. The island of Aguijan, south of Tinian, is uninhabited and has an area of 2.7 square miles.

The 14-island chain offers magnificent beaches, crystal clear blue waters, a clean environment and spectacular Micronesian sunsets. The islands also boast of rich historical and cultural attractions, great diving spots, recreational attractions, luxury hotels and shops, world-class golf courses, international cuisines, and warm hospitality.

The islands were once ruled by Spain, Germany and Japan until the U.S. defeated Japan in 1944 during World War II. Two of the major islands – Saipan and Tinian – were the sites of heavy battles in WWII. After the war, the U.S. Navy controlled the islands, which later became part of the United Nations Trust Territory.

After negotiating a covenant with the United States, the indigenous population of Chamorros and Carolinians became full U.S. citizens on Nov. 3, 1986.

The Northern Marianas has a population of about 60,000 – a mixture of the indigenous people and those from the U.S. mainland, the Philippines, China, Japan, Korea, Thailand and Bangladesh, among other countries.

English is the official language, and Chamorro and Carolinian are the spoken native tongue. U.S. dollar is the major currency.

The 14 tropical islands of the CNMI stretch across 400 miles in the western Pacific Ocean, adjacent to the famed Marianas Trench which has a world record depth of 35,810 feet. It has three major islands – Saipan, Tinian and Rota.

SAIPAN

Saipan is the capital and most populated of the 14 tropical islands of the Northern Marianas. It has a total land area of 46.5 square miles which is about the size of San Francisco, California, but is slightly larger than Hong Kong but smaller than the District of Columbia. Saipan is four and one half times smaller than Guam, which is 120 miles south.

Virtually all travel to Saipan is by airline. Continental Micronesia Airlines and Northwest Airlines serve Saipan from the U.S. mainland via Tokyo or Guam. A number of other airlines also have direct flights to Saipan from Japan, Korea, and the Philippines.

While Saipan measures only 13 miles long and 6 miles across at its widest point, it offers limitless activities, including swimming, scuba diving, snorkeling, deep sea and bottom fishing, kayaking, jet skiing, banana boat, windsurfing, sailing, parasailing, trekking, biking, shopping, golfing, horseback riding, submarine cruise, sunset dinner cruises, cultural dinner shows, water parks and sightseeing tours.

Its western shore is almost completely encircled by a huge barrier reef, offering not only a natural protection from giant waves but provides a beautiful lagoon with white sand beaches. Saipan Lagoon encompasses about 20 square miles of mostly shallow water and is separated from the Philippine Sea by a long barrier reef about 2 miles off shore at the entrance to Tanapag Harbor. The lagoon, with its flora and fauna, is the principal recreational resource of the CNMI. The width of the lagoon created by the reef varies from less than 300 feet to over 1.5 miles. The depth of the lagoon varies and in many areas it is possible to wade across to the reef.

Besides the lagoon, the spectacular dive sites and beaches like Wing Beach, Pau Pau Beach, Marine Beach, Tank Beach, Wing Beach, Lau Lau Bay, Ladder Beach, Obyan Beach, Hidden Beach, Old Man by the Sea Beach and Boy Scout Beach, the other must-see sites on Saipan are:

Bird Island in Marpi

Banadero Cave or the Last Command Post – has lots of cannons, war relics and natural limestone cave fortresses in Marpi

Suicide Cliff in Marpi

Banzai Cliff in Marpi

Grotto in Marpi – a natural sinkhole that has become one of the best dive spots in the Marianas

Kalabera Cave

American Memorial Park in Garapan

Managaha Island – famous for its white sands and can be reached through a 15-minute ferry ride

Forbidden Island – a favorite among nature hikers

Mount Tapochau – the highest point on Saipan at 466 meters above sea level and offers a 360-degree visual tour of the island and nearby Tinian

CNMI Museum of History and Culture in Garapan – a formerJapanese-era hospital built at the site of a former German hospital built in 1911.

Saipan Wax Museum in Garapan

Saipan Zoo

Saipan Botanical Garden

Beach Road Pathway

TINIAN

Tinian is where the only five-star hotel and casino in the Northern Marianas is located – the Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino.

The island is approximately 10.5 miles long by 5 miles at its widest point and has a total area of 39.2 square miles and a coastline 38 miles in length. The highest point, Puntan Carolinas, is 583 feet above sea level. The principal community is San Jose. A large portion of Tinian has been leased to the U.S. military.

Tinian’s historical significance lies with the fact that it was the launching pad for the U.S. B-29s that dropped the atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, hastening the end of the war.

Tinian has fine white sand beaches like Kammer Beach, Taga Beach, Tachogna Beach, Invasion Beach and Long Beach that would rival any beach in the world.

Other must-see sites on Tinian are:

House of Taga

Blow holes

Mount Lasso

Suicide Cliff

ROTA

Rota, touted as the eco-tourism capital of the Northern Marianas, is home to the amazingly clear and clean Guata Beach, Teteto Beach and Mochong Beach.

The island is approximately 10.5 miles long and 3 miles wide with a 38.3 mile coastline encompassing an area of 32.8 square miles. The highest elevation is Mt. Manira at 1,625 feet. The principal community is Songsong.

The other must-sees on Rota are:

Swimming hole

Taga Stone quarry

Sagua’gaga Seabird Sanctuary

Taisacana’s Botanical and Nature Trail

Rota Cave Museum

Pinatang Park

Tonga Cave

Tweksberry Park

Rota Zoo

Wedding Cake Mountain

Japanese cannons

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ABOUT THE CNMI