Location: Oceania, Micronesia, in the North Pacific Ocean, 5,635 km west-southwest of Honolulu, about three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and the Philippines

Map references: Oceania

Area:
total area: 477 sq km
land area: 477 sq km
comparative area: slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
note: includes 14 islands including Saipan, Rota, and Tinian

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1,482 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: none

Climate: tropical marine; moderated by northeast trade winds, little seasonal temperature variation; dry season December to June, rainy season July to October

Terrain: southern islands are limestone with level terraces and fringing coral reefs; northern islands are volcanic; highest elevation is 471 meters (Mt. Okso' Takpochao on Saipan)

Natural resources: arable land, fish

Land use:
arable land: 5% on Saipan
permanent crops: NA%
meadows and pastures: 19%
forest and woodland: NA%
other: NA%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Environment:
current issues: contamination of groundwater on Saipan by raw sewage contributes to disease
natural hazards: active volcanoes on Pagan and Agrihan; subject to typhoons (especially August to November)
international agreements: NA

Note: strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean

NOTE: The information regarding Northern Mariana Islands on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Northern Mariana Islands Geography 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Northern Mariana Islands Geography 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.