Northern Mariana Islands Geography - 2005

Location:
Oceania, islands in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines

Geographic coordinates:
15 12 N, 145 45 E

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 477 sq km
land: 477 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes 14 islands including Saipan, Rota, and Tinian

Area - comparative:
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
1,482 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

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

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Agrihan 965 m

Natural resources:
arable land, fish

Land use:
arable land: 13.04%
permanent crops: 4.35%
other: 82.61% (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA

Natural hazards:
active volcanoes on Pagan and Agrihan; typhoons (especially August to November)

Environment - current issues:
contamination of groundwater on Saipan may contribute to disease; clean-up of landfill; protection of endangered species conflicts with development