Northern Mariana Islands, Commonwealth of the

Year

INTRODUCTION

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Division of Public Health
P.O. Box 560409, Saipan MP 96950,
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
WHO Representative for the South Pacific
Level 4, Provident Plaza 1, Downtown Boulevard, 33 Ellery Street, Suva
Tel:(679) 330 4600 / 330 4631/ 330 4635 / 331 7447
Fax:(679) 330 0462 / 331 1530
who@sp.wpro.who.int

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is located north of Guam in the Western Pacific. In addition to Guam, it has Bonin Islands in the north and the Federated States of Micronesia in the south-east as its nearest neighbours.  It is composed of 22 islands and islets that cover a total area of 477 square kilometres (kms2).  These islands, plus numerous small banks, seamounts, and pinnacles extend approximately 500 miles in a north-south direction and comprise the Mariana Archipelago.  All the islands are volcanic, part of the “Pacific Ring of Fire”.

The Guinness Book of Records cites the Northern Marianas as having the most equitable climate in the world. The average year round temperature is 29.4° Celsius, and the annual rainfall averages between 170 and 249 cm. Beginning in December and running through March, the islands are cooled slightly by the north-east trade winds.

Table 1.  Core population and health data (1999)

Population

[Total]

75 400 (2003 est.)

Life expectancy
at birth (years)

[Both]

75.79 (1998)

[0-14 years]

19 830 (26.30%)

[Male]

72.73 (1998)

[65+ years]

1327 (1.76%)

[Female]

79.03 (1998)

Crude birth rate
(per 1000 population)

 

21.34

Total fertility rate

 

1.95

Crude death rate
(per 1000 population)

 

2.67

% of population served with safe water

[Total]

100.00

[Urban]

…

[Rural]

…

Infant mortality rate
(per 1000 live births)

 

4.05

% of population with adequate sanitary facilities

[Total]

90.00

[Urban]

…

[Rural]

92.00 (2000)

Maternal mortality rate
(per 100 000 live births)

 

0.00 (2000)

 

 

 

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