Total area: 477 km2
land area: 477 km2
includes Saipan, Rota, and Tinian

Comparative area: slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: none

Coastline: 1,482 km

Maritime claims: Contiguous zone: 12 nm
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth)
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 3 nm

Climate: tropical marine; moderated by northeast trade winds, little seasonal temperature variation; dry season December to July, 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. Tagpochu on Saipan)

Natural resources: arable land, fish

Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures 19%; forest and woodland NA%; other NA%

Environment: Mt. Pagan is an active volcano (last erupted in October 1988); subject to typhoons during the rainy season

Note: strategic location 5,635 km west-southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and the Philippines

NOTE: The information regarding Northern Mariana Islands on this page is re-published from the 1991 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Northern Mariana Islands Geography 1991 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Northern Mariana Islands Geography 1991 should be addressed to the CIA.